In: Economics
Managers need to understand the impact of the macroeconomic environment on their firms and industries competitive strategies. Investigate which factors determine the personal consumption expenditure
There are several macroeconomic factors that affect personal consumption:
Inflation rate: If the inflation rate is on the higher side i.e. the prices are increasing fast, the real value of money that the people have is declining and their purchasing power falls. This will lead to lower consumption expenditure.
Growth rate: If the real GDP in the economy is growing at a rapid pace, it means that more and more economic output is being produced and people are getting richer with higher incomes. This should increase their purchasing power and increase consumption.
Tax rates: What matters for personal consumption is not just income, but the post-tax income. If the tax rates are high, a large portion of income is given to the government and personal consumption will suffer.
Interest rates: People regularly borrow money for various consumption expenditures. If the interest rates are low, it will spur borrowing as the interest burden is low and will boost personal consumption.