Understanding The Post-recession Consumer

Understanding the PostRecession Consumer Presented by Aathira G Krishna

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW  

Willmott 

JULY- AUGUST 2009 By Paul Flatters and Michael

Glimpse of Article  “A new thriftiness and desire for simplicity

will combine with pent-up demand to shape buying behavior”



Talks about 8 trends and the effect of

recession on them 

Pre recession scenario Consumer behavior - the product of more

than 15 years of uninterrupted prosperity



Despite the occasional slowdown, growth

was an almost permanent feature



Asset values and incomes grew more rapidly

than inflation



From 1995-2005, disposable incomes

increased by a third in US and UK, Denmark by a quarter and slow economies like Japan and Germany by 10%

Effect on consumer behavior More curious about gadgets and technology 

Shelling out for enriching (or just fun)

experiences 

Inclination towards premium products 

They could afford to pay extra for socially

conscious consumption 

Analyzing the present recession Recessions are of 2 types 

A recent International Monetary Fund

analysis of 122 recessions in 21 developed countries since 1960 found that the typical recession lasted about a year and resulted in a dip in GDP of roughly 2% 

Great depression of 1930’s and Japan’s lost

decade. 



Authors speak… How to predict consumer behaviour? 

How previous downturns have altered

consumer psychology and activity 

How this recession compares with previous

ones 

The journey consumers have taken to the

present, which will condition their reaction to the recession and shape their trajectory out of it

8 trends Four key trends are being accelerated by

this recession: consumer demand for simplicity, a call for ethical business governance, a desire to economize, and a tendency to flit from one offering to another. Four other important trends are slowing: green consumption, a decline in respect for authority, ethical consumption, and extreme-experience seeking. In the post recession recovery, some trends (such as green consumption) will resume their prerecession course while others (such as experience seeking) will be altered for the long term