The Importance Of Pricing After A Period Of Recession

Posted by Thinker on Jul 16, 2010 in Thinkable |

Everybody in the country, and certainly around the planet, will have experienced the latest worldwide economic downturn in one manner or another, either as a person or as a company owner. It may not have had an immediate impact on your own career or your personal income, but the knock-on effect of companies losing income will have affected the economic predicament of the vast majority of people. It has been a very complex problem with far reaching ramifications.

The actual recession now appears to be over, or is at the least coming to an end, according to many economic authorities. Whilst it may not yet be the moment to celebrate having survived the financial turmoil, it should be a time to start looking ahead and preparing for a future within a stable economy. It is time to find some recession opportunities.

Businesses of almost all sizes, buying and selling in all types of marketplaces are no doubt going to have to adjust their operations in light of the recession. This may well be after legislation is brought in to more closely control and keep an eye on the actions of international monetary organisations. Many firms may also be considering ways to make themselves more robust and have the ability to endure economic instability in the future.

The Recent Recession

The recession of the early 21st century started in 2007 and gradually spread around the planet over the next couple of years. Several economic analysts credited the cause of the economic downturn to be the crash in the U.S. real estate market, which in turn affected the value of monetary products tied into real estate resources. The expansion of the property market up to that point had motivated homeowners to refinance their first homes in order to purchase second or third houses with a view to a long-term gain.

This drop in value then uncovered the vulnerabilities of such a widespread network of credit contracts between international businesses, especially when much of the system was being supported by subprime lenders who were financial risks. A basic lack of third-party control of the monetary services sector had allowed the creation of a highly complicated web of high-risk credit deals that relied upon a thriving economy. Once the first debtors began to default on payments, the entire house of cards ended up being quick to fall.

The following financial fallout saw many people lose their jobs as well as lose their homes, whilst many large, global organisations were forced out of business. Government authorities across the world had to bring in sweeping financial packages to support their own banking systems, and even now certain first world nations are fighting to survive financially.

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The Impact on Business

It is probably fair to say that the economic downturn had an effect on just about every business around the world. Certain company models will have been more able to adjust to the extra economic strain than others however they will have still experienced an impact at some section of their operations. If any key service provider or a major customer goes out of business then this can have a negative impact upon your own business.

Many thousands of small and medium sized businesses have been forced out of business due to the recent economic downturn. Many of these cases will have been relatively basic; as the general public start to decrease their spending these companies lose income, and since margins are often very slender in a competitive market place there was extremely little space to accommodate this decline.

Other cases were not so clean cut. There were circumstances where one business in a long supply chain had been unable to make it through and the knock-on effect would push every company in that supply chain to the brink of bankruptcy.

Job losses have naturally been a pretty sensitive subject to the wide majority of us. It’s believed that the present number of unemployed people in the UK is over 2.3 million (almost 8% of the entire countries’ labourforce), and many of these will probably have been victims of the international financial crisis. These job losses lead to a larger drop in typical spending, which results in a further decrease in income for business.

The End of Recession

It does seem that the downturn is on its way to an end however, and this can only be good news for business. Gross domestic product (GDP) experienced a rise in the UK throughout the final quarter of 2009 and overall unemployment figures fell, both of which are signals of an economic system that is recovering. This is not a view shared by everyone however.

Experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have forecast that the UK economy may actually get smaller over the course of 2010 and Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England has spoken of the danger of wide-spread unemployment persisting. When added to the prospect of a new or even hung government coming into power in May 2010, as well as the need to lower an enormous fiscal deficit, the foreseeable future is definitely not set in stone.

This uncertainty may be utilised as an advantage however, and organisations which are prepared to take a few risks or that are willing to adjust their own operations to cater for a more cautious audience might be set to make great profits.

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Price Sensitivity

On the surface it might seem that the clear technique to use while the economy is recuperating is to raise your very own retail prices again to a level that affords your business some extra margin of comfort with regards to running expenses. As the economy grows and consumers feel safer in their jobs they will really feel relaxed spending more cash, so price raises should be an easy thing for shoppers to take.

Actually, many businesses might find that they have to hold their selling prices as low as feasible due to the recently provoked price sensitivity among the general public. Many of us will have had to tighten our belts during the last couple of years, and just because the worst of the economic downturn appears to be over, we are not all ready to start spending freely again.

The phrase price sensitivity describes how influential the factor of price is to consumers when they are purchasing a particular item. If a fairly large price shift, for example raising the cost of a car by £1000, doesn’t see a big drop in demand for that product then the product is said to be price insensitive. If a relatively small change in price, say increasing the price of a car by only £100, does see a decline in demand then that product is price sensitive. The exact same theory can likewise be applied to consumers themselves, and after a period of recession people are much more likely to be price sensitive.

As a result, the market place at large will take great interest in the prices of the things that they are purchasing. Several people will be watching out for deals for everyday products that they need, and in particular their grocery shopping. Many of these items are essentials however. When it comes to purchasing expensive goods, for example televisions, cars and holidays, the cost of the purchase is likely to be an more important decision maker.

Firms will be in a position to take advantage of this fact by using special offers and price promotions to entice new consumers into purchasing their own items. Shoppers will be more likely than ever to move from their preferred manufacturers if the price is right, and firms that offer the best priced items are most likely to stand to gain from this. After these prospective customers have become customers there is a good chance that they will remain faithful to their new product choice as the economy recovers further, which could lead to further spending at the original prices.

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Financial Security

People’s knowledge of the economy at large and also how it impacts us all has greatly grown in light of the economic depression. Previous buying decisions may well have been made according to the quality of the item and its value, but there is actually a fresh aspect that buyers will be considering now. Financial security.

Recession Proofing

Several firms have suffered bankruptcy in the aftermath of recession. This has in turn has left thousands of shoppers in a really poor situation. As people look to reinvest income into financial savings and shareholdings they will prefer to see that the business they are investing in has some form of protection against future recessions.

Price Guarantees

One very noticeable feature of the recent recession in the United Kingdom was the steep decrease in the interest rate. Once this change had precipitated itself through the high street shops and financial services organisations several people found that they were either suffering as a result or enjoying a financial benefit.

Customers who are seeking to open new savings accounts or private pensions may well be worried that if the economic downturn does indeed drag on for much longer they won’t be earning any substantial interest on their investments. Actually, the tough economy might still take a turn for the worst and interest rates might fall again. In this situation, a savings product that offers a confirmed rate of return becomes a very attractive option.

The same could be said for consumers with credit agreements. If the recession really is truly over and the global market starts to recuperate more swiftly than many anticipate, then it may not be long before we see an increase in interest rates. That would mean that consumers would need to pay more every month for their mortgages and loans. A provider which could offer a secured rate of interest that isn’t linked to the base rate of interest could again entice many new clients.

A similar approach was made use of by a number of companies after the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) increased from 15% to 17.5% in early 2010. These companies would offer “price freezes” for their products for a specific period in an effort to keep their current consumers and draw new clients in. This kind of price freeze granted a buffer time for consumers to adapt to the new VAT percentage.

Conclusion

Whether the recession is completely over yet or not, it has served as a firm indication that no business can afford to be complacent in its own position of success. Company owners should always seek to consolidate their own situation and boost their operations where possible. The companies which manage to survive the economic downturn will have learnt valuable lessons.

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