Live Well and Spend Less, If You Can...

I noticed a few articles released recently seems to be related to the same underlying issue --- how the consumer would change their behaviour during a recession. Although consumers might cut back some of their consumptions related to those luxury items they've got used to during good times, they might also turn their eyes onto other items that they may not notice before and it certainly create a huge opportunities for some providers in the market.

"...According to HTA data, as investors scour other markets for green shoots of economic recovery, garden centres and nurseries have registered healthy growth throughout the downturn, with total sales across the sector up 8 per cent in the year to April. Vegetable seed sales at Homebase are up 85 per cent and have more than doubled year-on-year at B&Q. Greenhouse sales at B&Q are also up 157 per cent on a like-for-like basis. In a YouGov survey in May, 38 per cent of those who grew their own vegetables said they did so because they could no longer afford organic food..."

"Britain’s biggest ever football crowds were in the dreary days after World War II when both goods and jobs were scarce. How come so many hard up people were spending to go through the turnstiles? One view is that recession-racked people turn away from what’s no longer comfortable and yet are desperate for entertainment..."

"...As Japanese tighten their belts in this tough economic winter, saving a few yen on a fizzy drink can be a windfall — even if it's been sitting on the shelf for two years. The Japanese have long been known for paying top prices for fine food but a growing number are becoming less fastidious about taste and quality as they get thrifty in the recession..."