• How do we consume ?

Consuming is about trends, quality, taste and savings. We can specially talk about trends in clothes sector which is a fast-moving industry. Moreover, in nowdays, people are influenced by what they see on social media, especially the generation Z which have become the main trend-setters.

• What do we buy ?

It depends on the income of each people, but, we can say that generally, people spend much for digital tools/services. But, today we can say that the puchase decision is influenced by the price of the product. Today, consumers are attract by low priced product with good quality.

• Environment ?

Howerver, today, our generation is paying attention to the impact of their depends on the environment and search to be more ethnical. Indeed, thanks to social media, since 5 years the "healthy trend" has appear, which inspired a lot of people in the world. It can concerned the impact of clothes manufacturing, like making jeans demand a lot of water which can be not recycled. Futhermore, we can talk about the working conditions of employees in poor countries, which are most of all exploited for bad living conditions.

• Company strategies?

Nowdays, grocery chain companies as Walmart, Amazon, Lidl or Aldi compete in a price war. Indeed, they know that consumers are attract by attractive price, so they propose more and more low prices product with a good quality. The german grocery chain Aldi is one of the biggest retailer at its own game : Low prices. In fact, studies shows that its prices are 21 percent lower than its lowest-priced rivals (Walmart, Amazon ...) The CEO strategy is to change prices regulalry in the aim/order to satisfy/fulfil/respond to the demand/consumers needs.

Ex :

The Guardian, 25 / 02 / 2019 "Workers making clothes for Australian brands can't afford to eat, Okfam reports"

In this article, Okfam denounces the exploitation of woman in Bangladesh & Vietnam by Australian fashion industry. Indeed, they are payed/wages for 51 cent pr hour while they are making clothes for 23 dollars. The investigation has uncovered the widespread ( répandu) payment of poverty wages (salaire) and the impact this is having on the lives of the workers, mainly women, making the clothes Australians love to wear. Because of their are underpayed, women's have not enought money to provide themselves treatments/medecine while they are sick, even for their children. Futhermore, some of them had to leave their children because they can't afford primary necessities like food or even a tent to live. This investigation publish by Oxfam encourage people to use social media like twitter to alert director to make a change of the situation and increase the wages of workes in factories in Asia.

Consumers can also stop buying products coming from those companies, or for whose companies who had an important environment foot print.

Ex :

Black Friday,

The Black Friday, takes place on a Friday, just after Thankgiving in November. Concept : Huge discount on all items/products/item even some services like haidressers. Thanks to the black friday, people could buy thinks they can't usually aford (because its too expensive) They also take advantage of the black friday to buy christmas gifts.

Difference between :

Retail store / department store / discount chains : Magasins de distribution / grands magasins / chaînes de magasins spécialisés

Ex : Retail store = Ikea, Decathlon (France) Walmart, Amazon, Costco (leaders au USA)

Ex : Department store = Mark & Spencer, Harrods, Fortnum and Mason.

EX : Discount chains = Target

Un peu de vocabulaire :

• Consumer spending : les dépenses des consommateurs
• Mid-priced brands : marques à prix moyens
• Customer's loyalty cards : cartes de fidélité
• Appeal : attirer
• Average : moyen
• Spending power : pouvoir d'achat
• Consumer behavior : comportement du consommateur
• Consumption patterns : habitudes de consommation
• Fulfill their basic needs : répondre à leurs besoins élémentaires
• Household : ménage
• Income : revenue
• Spending patterns : habitude de dépenses