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Trends in Consumption

Luxury and low-fat

© Markenwerke AG

The theme of luxury and opulence plays a major role in consumption. Brand items are not only consumed in tacit awareness of their quality, but used as a means to project an image. The fitness wave comes from the USA, and millions do aerobics with Jane Fonda. The “no” and “low” products appear in American supermarkets: low-cal, low-salt, sugar free, no cholesterol etc. The counterpart to the luxury is the trend towards discounters, which achieve strong rates of growth in this period. The concept of no-name products (generic products) is supplemented and/or replaced by the successful trading brands.

Discounters change buying behaviour

The trend towards supermarkets with ever larger surface areas first comes to a standstill. New ranges of services are offered in an attempt to be distinguished from the competition, because consumer loyalty to markets and brands is waning – retailing is searching for an answer to the trend towards discounters. As well as the change in the sales approach, internal procedures are also being put to the test. In Germany, for example, greater standardization is called for in the returnable item systems for beverages. The scanner tills and barcodes, which are now becoming more prevalent in retailing, are a radical change in goods management. In 1981, it is reported in the trade press that 10,000 of these scanners have been set up in US supermarkets.