Skip to main content

Demand - real or built up

It was an interesting chat at home while making a shopping list before going to a local supermarket. My better half, as usual, was in command and said "we need to be careful in spending money as there is a slowdown in the economy". I politely nodded my head and toed the line.

Men are very impulsive buyers and I got lured by an attractive offer on bathing soaps. On putting the same in the shopping basked she looked at me as if I was the biggest fool in the world. "Are you even aware that how many soaps are lying at home?"

There was a serious message in there. Most households (by and large in India) hold a lot more than required at home. This, in my opinion, emanated from old experiences of shortage. I dug a few old notes and my past experiences from FMCG market visits. On doing a bit of survey (to camouflage inefficiencies of our house), the results were startling:

On an average (of 4 households that I checked in Metroplitan, nuclear family with two kids, uppermiddle class SEC A1, postgraduate, own a car etc etc) a house hold has at the point

- 21 cakes of soaps
- 2.5 toothbrishes per person
- 2 months usage of tea
- 1.25 months usage of sugar
- 15 days for wheat fluor/rice
- 1 month of other grocery
- 3 months of spices
- 2 years usage for shoes
- 1.75 years of normal clothes
- 3 years of woollens
- 1 year of stationary
- 5 years of music
- 8 years of movies (based on average usage of DVD)
- 10-15 years of utensils
- 2-5 years of crockery
- 5 years usage of postal stamps
- 4 telephone diaries

An eye opener......

And the we say things like space crunch, money shortage etc.

And Indians are considered to be wise spenders.......

Comments

  1. Yes Indians are comparatively hold more than what is required than non Indians but then it largely depends on two factors which are :
    1.Whether it is a nuclear (as you have also mentioned above)or a joint family with working youth wherein you dont need to store so much in stock for emergency.
    2.Whether the shopping is done by the male (who are more impulsive buyers) or the women in the family (who prepare a list before going for any kind of shooping whether luxury for oneself or grocery for family)
    But then one is also proud of the fact that we indians are like this contributing the growth rate of the Indian economy

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Power of observation

Mr Topiwala observed his niece being very interested in dressing up. He engaged in a discussion and came to understand a pain point of large number of Indian women. Something that women are very passionate, possessive about and have a very strong emotional bond, almost unbreakable bond. He created a new product that solved a huge effort and a recurring problem. And this was a self sticking, in varying sizes and design and in colours preferred by women, red and maroon. Since its launch in 1985, the brand is a huge dominant one in the market. Almost synonymous with the category. Companies would envy such a dominance. Over the years many innovations were brought about like iodine enriched, dermatologically tested and many more. 'Shilpa' bindis. An amazing story of a dominant brand that solves a real problem through acute observation. Would love to know of more such stories. #bindingmachine   #observation   #consumerneed   #businessmaze   #indianmaze 204-1-20

Mumbai Attack - citizens need to change

Worst ever attack on Indian soil. Touching the soul of ordinary citizens. With bomb blasts, train blasts and now this attack I think not a single family is untouched by the tragedy for there is someone known who has suffered at the hand of terrorists in these cases. Panic is hitting the streets. One of the junior of a friend lost life today, two cops known to a close friend lost their lives. A freind's wife was in complete hysteria last night when she heard Taj attack and her husband being in Taj for a function. She could not even hear when he called to say that he was in Taj Land's End in Bandra and not in Colaba. She kept on yelling "come back, come back". There has been non stop coverage in all TV channels across the country. What was happening at one of the leading newspaper in the capital whose editor decided that this news is good for a byline and anchor story has to be on Delhi elections? Citizens - both directly and through media should start pushing the syste...

Is West leading the East? Ignorance can be a bliss!

There is a side effect of every medicine just as there are always pros and cons for every decision. Coupled with this, excess of anything is harmful. India has perhaps one of the largest numbers who can read/understand English. English is very closely associated with the "Developed World". Hence, our English media is greatly influenced by the "Developed World". It actually goes further from media to individuals. The more "cerebral and globally connected" individuals are all a ball of gloom. R written large on their faces and expressions. There are enough reasons given, even for India. - Current slowdown - Approaching elections - Job slashes - Next monsoons To me it is a clear sign of clouded mind. It is so visible in the English newspapers vs local language papers. Headlines in English media all talks about - losses, layoffs, slowing demand, US companies going down under etc. Language papers talk of recent elections and promises, banks slashing interest ra...