Text 4: you, the consumer

Each one of us is a consumer, or customer. A consumer is one who buys or uses products and services. As consumers we play an extremely important part in the economic system.

Each year business firms spend billions of dollars to get us to buy their products. They run advertisements in newspapers and magazines, on billboards and posters, over radio and television. They think up clever slogans they hope we will remember. They know that some of us will buy the product whose slogan appeals to us. Often the slogan has nothing to do with the quality or the usefulness of the product.

Some shoppers are impulse buyers. They buy just because they see something they think they want. They like the slogan or the advertising skit on television. So they buy the product. They buy without thinking about the price or about the real usefulness of the product. Other people buy intelligently. Anyone can learn to buy intelligently.

Learning where and when to buy

There are a number of ways in which consumers can get the most for their shopping dollars. For example, wise food shoppers study the food advertisements in the local paper. They find out which stores are having special sales. At certain times of the year, chicken may be priced very low. At other times, certain fruits and vegetables may be bargains.

By watching for sales, you can often buy suits, dresses, coats, shirts, blouses, neckties, and other articles at reduced prices. Some people never pay the full price for an article. They stock up when the price is low.

A low price on an item, however, does not always mean the item is a bargain. Furniture, automobiles, television sets, and even houses are often advertised as bargains. Yet a bargain is not a bargain if it is something you cannot really use or if it is poorly made. It is not a bargain if the one you already have is just as good as a new one.

How to judge price and quality

Wise shoppers must be able to judge the quality of a product. They also must know how they plan to use it. Of the many goods and services available, shoppers must make sure that they choose those that are best suited to their own needs. Many consumers solve the problem by shopping only at well-known stores that guarantee the quality of anything they sell. Others learn how to shop at various stores and look for real bargains.

Many people buy articles by brand name. They trust certain business firms. They believe that all products bearing the brand names of these firms must be of good quality. This may or may not be true. Large nationwide firms sell their products under brand names. They spend billions of dollars making consumers aware of these names. One way to be sure of the quality of a product is to study its label carefully.

From the Civics

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