CONSUMER SHOPPING BEHAVIOR IN A RECESSION

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to find out consumer behavior in a recession. How are they really affected and to what extent they would cut down on spending by changing their shopping habits. Those that change will be asked what kind of goods they will decide to cut down. This way, the different shopping centres can be evaluated and analyzed, and see how they would fare in this recession. Do all shopping centres suffer in a recession? This is the critical question that this dissertation seeks to answer. Data was collected via surveys and the results compiled in easy to read graphical format. Results were then analyzed to give an answer to the question on hand. An ideal shopping centre template was also compiled in order to find out which attributes most shoppers look for in shopping centres. The findings show that younger people are less affected by the economic downturn while both sexes are equally affected. Those who are affected by the recession cut down their spending accordingly, but even in such times shopping centres with a clear and definite niche market will still survive the downturn.