János Pálinkás (HUN)

TGI Specialist and Regional Sales Coordinator, Mediana Adria

Consumerism in Serbia
and comparison with other countries
in the region
Belgrade, 14th October 2008

at
SEEMAR conference
What is consumerism?
Definition of consumerism 3

What are we talking about?

”Consumerism is the equation of personal
happiness with the purchase of material
possessions and consumption”.
(Wikipedia: Consumerism)
Consumerism is ”the promotion of the
consumer's interests” or alternately ”the
theory that an increasing consumption of
goods is economically desirable”.
(Webster's dictionary: Consumerism)
Definition of consumerism 4
Consumerism was also called "conspicuous consumption" at
the turn of the 20th century in the writings of Thorstein Veblen,
a well-known sociologist and economist. The term describes
an apparently irrational and confounding form of economic
behaviour. Veblen's scathing proposal that this unnecessary
consumption is a form of status display is made in darkly
humorous observations like the following:
"It is true of dress in even a higher degree than of most other
items of consumption, that people will undergo a very
considerable degree of privation in the comforts or the
necessaries of life in order to afford what is considered a decent
amount of wasteful consumption; so that it is by no means an
uncommon occurrence, in an inclement climate, for people to go
ill clad in order to appear well dressed."
(Thorstein Veblen: The Theory of the Leisure Class, 1899).

Source: Wikipedia: Consumerism

 5

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/files/images/image_13.gif
How to measure consumerism?
How can we measure it? 7
• We always face the same problems when we try
to measure something: what is what?
• Consumerism is quite a flexible term, so it is a
question how can we measure it?
• Isn’t our lifestyle reflected in our
consumption?
• You are what and how you think, do
and consume – this is your lifestyle.
Lifestyle and Consumption 8
• Serbian TGI database contains 250 attitude statements,
some of them can be applied to this phenomenon.

• So we chose lifestyle attitudes to measure consumerism,

we selected some variables related to the high evaluation of
consumption as a value.

Products
Products Media
Media Demos
Demos Lifestyle
Lifestyle

14 sectors
280 TV
categories Radio
31 demographic 16 categories
3000+ Internet
variables
brands Print
Cinema 250
Outdoor statements
Lifestyle statements in TGI – methodology 9
Methodology: We ask people to decide their level of
agreement on a 5-point scale.

Hereunder when we use these lifestyle statements we focus

on people who generally (definitely or tend to) agree with
the statement.
Results
Statements related to consumerism 1. 11
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

I love to buy new gadgets

47%
and appliances

I really enjoy buying things 44%

When I see a new product I

43%
often buy one

I think that well-known

39%
brands are better

Once I find a brand I like I

29%
tend to stick to it

I sometimes purchase things

29%
than I don't need

When I can choose I buy

23%
foreign products

I like to follow fashion

23%
trends

I buy new products before

21%
most of my friends

Source: TGI Serbia 2007/2nd half

– 2008/1st half database
Statements related to consumerism 2. 12
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

Money is the best measure of success 19%

I like a car that distinguishes itself 18%

My car should express my personality 18%

I often buy a product because of its nice packaging 16%

I am tempted to buy advertised products immediately 13%

I spend a lot of money for personal cosmetics 13%

The brand influences the image of consumer 9%

I wear clothes designed by famous designers 8%

Celebrities influence my purchase decisions 5%

Source: TGI Serbia 2007/2nd half

– 2008/1st half database
Results 13
In which target groups can we see generally a
higher level of consumerism and why there?

• High status people: they are the people who can afford
to be a good consumerist. They have the money.
• Younger generations: They are socialized in a capitalist
environment and they have a better consumption power
than elder generations.
• Single people: They can rather focus on
their personal consumption.
Consumerism in status level comparison 14
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

44
I really enjoy any kind of 48
45
shopping 45
41
43
When I see new product I 50
44
often buy one 44
41
16
I often buy a product 16
because of its nice 17
packaging 16
15
47
I love to buy new 55
52
gadgets and appliances 48
42
15-69 year old population Status: Level 1 (Top 10% ) Status: Level 2 (Next 20% )
Status: Level 3 (Next 30% ) Status: Level 4 (Next 40% )
Consumerism in status level comparison 15
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

21
I buy new products 23
before most of my 23
friends 20
20
13
I am tempted to buy 15
advertised products 13
immediately 14
12
29
I sometimes purchase 31
things than I don't 30
need 30
27
15-69 year old population Status: Level 1 (Top 10% ) Status: Level 2 (Next 20% )
Status: Level 3 (Next 30% ) Status: Level 4 (Next 40% )
Consumerism in age comparison 16
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

44
44
I really enjoy any kind 46
of shopping 46
43
40
43
When I see new 48
product I often buy 46
43
one 42
39
16
I often buy a product 18
because of its nice 16
15
packaging 16
14
47
I love to buy new 47
gadgets and 51
48
appliances 45
44

15-69 year old population 15 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 69

Consumerism in age comparison 17
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

21
25
I buy new products
24
before most of my
19
friends 18
19
13
17
I am tempted to buy
15
advertised products
12
immediately 11
12
29
33
I sometimes purchase
31
things than I don't
28
need 27
26

15-69 year old population 15 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 69

Consumerism in marital status comparison 18
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

44
I really enjoy any kind 42
of shopping 45
42
43
When I see new
46
product I often buy
43
one
42
16
I often buy a product
17
because of its nice
16
packaging
14
47
I love to buy new
48
gadgets and
47
appliances
44
15-69 year old population Single
Married Separated / Divorced / Widowed
Consumerism in marital status comparison 19
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

21
I buy new products 25
before most of my
friends 20
17

13
I am tempted to buy 15
advertised products
immediately 13
13

29
I sometimes purchase 32
things than I don't need 28
27

15-69 year old population Single

Married Separated / Divorced / Widowed
Comparative perspective
Comparative perspective 21
TGI is the most significant international syndicated consumer research in the world.

Hungary

Slovenia Serbia
Croatia
Canada
Sweden
Russia
N. Ireland Czech Rep
Rep of Ireland Poland UkraineAzerbaijan
Slovakia
GB
Montenegro
Germany Macedonia
France Kazakhstan
USA Albania Japan
Spain Bulgaria
Italy China
Portugal
Turkey
GreeceLebanon
Iran Korea Taiwan
Israel Kuwai
Egypt t
Saudi
Arabia Hong Kong
Mexico Puerto Rico India
UAE
Thailand
Philippines
Venezuela Malaysia
Colombia UgandaKenya
Singapore
Ecuador Tanzania
Brazil Indonesia
Population covered: Peru

• Serbia: 15-69 Chile

South Africa
Australia

• Croatia: 15-75 Argentina

• Slovenia: 15-75 59 countries in 12 regions

New Zealand
700.000+ respondents per annum
• Hungary: 14-69
Consumerism in regional perspective 22
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

43

15
When I see new
product I often buy
one
7

Serbia Croatia Slovenia Hungary

Consumerism in regional perspective 23
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

44

49
I really enjoy buying
things
28

32

Serbia Croatia Slovenia Hungary

Consumerism in regional perspective 24
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

29

I sometimes purchase
things than I don't 13
need

Serbia Croatia Slovenia

Consumerism in regional perspective 25
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

16

I often buy a product

because of its nice 12
packaging

Serbia Croatia Slovenia

Consumerism in regional perspective 26
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

21

I buy new products

before most of my
friends

11

Serbia Hungary
Consumerism in regional perspective 27
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

13

I am tempted to buy
advertised products
immediately

19

Serbia Hungary
Consumerism in regional perspective 28
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

47

31
I love to buy new
gadgets and
appliances
38

40

Serbia Croatia Slovenia Hungary

What can we expect? 29

• Consumerism is the product of consumer-based

societies and economies. As Serbia is becoming
more and more integrated part of the world and
Europe, further international trends and brands will
appear on this market – it will have an influence on
consumerism.
• But in which direction? Will it emerge or decline?
• Foreign investments raise economic growth,
therefore we can expect a higher level of
consumption – consumerism as well.
• On the other hand if you can afford to buy anything
because it is available, you don’t want to do it
anymore.
What can we expect? 30

• Consumerism is also the product of transition

markets where consumption becomes a
value. In changing environments value
systems also change.

• This question is too complex to answer with a

simple analysis like this.
 31

 

http://www.thesourkrauts.com/category/consumerism/
 Thank you for your attention!
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