Consumer Decisions (Junior Cert Home Economics): Revision Notes
📚 Revision Notes
Consumer Decisions
Who is a Consumer?
A consumer is someone who buys or uses goods and services.
- Goods: Items that are bought and sold, e.g. food, clothes, petrol.
- Services: Work done for customers by skilled people, e.g. hairdressers, electricians, bus drivers.
Factors That Influence Consumer Decisions
Several factors can affect what we buy and why:
- Money:
- Limited money = choose affordable products instead of expensive brands.
- Needs and Wants:
- Decide if an item is a need (essential) or a want (nice to have).
- Peer Pressure:
- Teenagers may feel pressure to own certain brands or items to fit in.
- Trends:
- Companies release new trends to keep sales high, even if changes are small.
- Advertising and Marketing:
- Techniques like celebrity endorsements make products look more desirable.
- Personal Values:
- Our values affect choices. E.g., avoiding products tested on animals.
Making Wise Consumer Decisions
- Impulse buying: Buying something on the spur of the moment without thinking.
- Often leads to spending money on unnecessary items. Tip: Always think carefully before buying goods and services!
Sources of Consumer Information
To make smart decisions, consumers should research products and services. Here are reliable sources:
- Product packaging: Labels and leaflets give details about the product.
- Word of mouth: Friends and family share opinions and experiences.
- Online shopping websites: Provide images, reviews, and detailed descriptions.
- Magazines/Newspapers:
- Consumer magazines (e.g. Consumer Choice) evaluate products.
- TV and Radio: Programmes sometimes review goods and services.
- Community information services: Citizens Information Centres give advice on consumer rights.
- Consumer Protection Organisations: Provide information on rights and responsibilities.
- Advertising: Be careful! Ads aim to sell, so the information can be biassed.
- Salespeople: Knowledgeable but may give biassed information to make a sale.