Study: Crisis hit Romanians buy less and buy cheaper

Around three quarters of Romanians reduced consumption or chose the cheaper versions of products in 2011, found a study issued by MEDNET Marketing Research Center. Around 72 percent of the respondents consumed less or chose to spend money on cheaper products, while 22.5 percent maintained the same consumption habits as the year before.

The study revealed that 46.3 percent of people bought the same type of products but in lower quantities, while 10 percent went for cheaper versions, and 15.9 percent both less and cheaper. People got used to the economic crisis and their perception of economic difficulties shifted, the study also highlighted. While 53 percent of the respondents said they were affected by crisis in February this year, only 42.8 percent said so in December. “Even if some of the town people interviewed got used to the effects of the crisis and don't perceive them as strongly as in previous years and they have seen the examples of other Western Europe countries in a similar situation, the ratio of those only slightly affected is half the one at the beginning of the crisis,” reads the MEDNET statement. The effects of the crisis mentioned by the respondents were an increase in prices – 59 percent of the responses, a drop in salary gains – 47.9 percent, job loss in case of 18.6 percent of the respondents, an increase in monthly loan installments for 15.9 percent, and drop in other benefits – 13.8 percent. The study was carried out in Bucharest and other cities with populations over 100,000 between December 7 and 12. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Photoxpress.com)