Self-Control...or Lack of

Social comparison has always been prominent; what someone else has or does can be the root of much envy. An emotion that is usually combatted by acquiring what is causing it, testing the strength of our self-control.

Richard Easterlin, a professor in Economics, suggests people of all income levels tend to compare themselves to those who are slightly better off.

How Consumers Save Money

Since 2008, consumer spending has weakened and people started to focus on saving their money. Households are likely to remain under pressure for the near future and are looking for ways to get more for their pound. 

Here are 3 interesting ways in which consumers save and squeeze more value from their money:

Type A Woman

A recent article by Marketing Magazine introduced the ‘Type A Woman’.

This affluent and influencing group exerts more consumer domination than any other. Aged 50+ the ‘baby-boomers’ have now been propelled to the ‘Type A woman’ - gaining more and more recognition. Carol Orsborn, Ph.D, a leading marketing expert on this particular generation, attributes the spending power of these individuals to successful careers, investments made during the “boom” years, and inheritances from parents or husbands. Making this group “more financially empowered than any previous generation of women.”

Consumer Behaviour: Why Consumers Pay for Covenience

The recession has upset the balance between work and life for many people. Higher stress, longer hours, lower pay and redundancies have all increased the scarcity of leisure time. 

Importantly, there is still a desire for a greater work-life balance. According to YouGov, half of workers are after more flexible working with only 17% rejecting the possibility. Britain leads the way across Europe in terms of priorities for work-life balance, with work-life balance being the prime motivation for employees leaving their company.