i-genius - social entrepreneur business, venture and enterprise community

Amazing People Doing Amazing Things - social entrepreneurs, social enterprise, social business, social ventures

I-Genius Academy: business development training courses


Barry's friends

AHMED BAYONLE ARASHI
Jobeda Ali
Rachel Duncombe-Anderson
ABC4All TEAM

Japanese Mothers Learning to be Innovative

posted on Tuesday, December 01, 2009 12:05 AM

The bleak economic outlook is spurring Japanese consumers to pinch their pennies. In response, retailers are offering ever deeper discounts to lure shoppers smarting from falling income and worried about their future.

Saving money has become the top priority of housewives and they are banding together to trade tips on discounts and brainstorm in search of innovative ideas necessary to ride out the tough economic times.

‘‘I don’t spend money to buy things for my kids,’’ said a 40-year-old housewife in Yokohama. She and several other neighborhood moms are sharing their children’s clothes, underwear and shoes as their husbands have taken pay cuts.

When none of them has items they want, they shop at discount stores that sell recycled goods. They hardly ever buy new products.

‘‘We can’t skimp on education because we want our children to have a happy future,’’ said the Yokohama housewife. ‘‘When it comes to clothing, borrowed stuff will do because kids grow fast and soon become unable to fit into their old clothes.’‘

As consumers grow increasingly price-conscious, producers and retailers are bending over backwards to meet their customers’ budgets.
Comments
No comments
Add your comment
(you must be logged in)