Preeti Malik
Investigating consumer spending behavior, we represent and discuss the sets of related constructs and dimensions which are responsible for differences in the spending habits of Indian urban and rural population. These are changing at a very faster pace. We can’t ignore the fact that there is a huge change in the ideologies of the people living in different regions of India only if we talk about the spending habits of them while purchasing various routine and non-routine products. Due to availability of all types of products, people are very much similar while expressing their spending habits.
This paper presents findings and analysis of the preliminary study of the spending patterns of the young adults living in the rural and urban area of the Indian population. This conceptualization forms the basis for designing the broader study in the consumer choices of the people living in different areas.
The spending patterns in cities and villages are rapidly changing, as rural households now pay for most goods and services usually associated with urban lifestyles, from microwaves and laundry services to air travel and even out-of-home dining, a landmark government survey shows. The basket of goods and services that now hogs major portions of rural budgets is getting bigger, underscoring the importance of keeping rural incomes steady with better jobs and agriculture. The upshot is that since rural demand accounts for a large share of overall sales, falling rural incomes can dent other sectors of Asia’s third-largest economy.
Although buses remain the main mode of transport in both urban and rural India, 0.04% rural households reported travelling by air, compared to 0.14% by their urban counterparts. Also, rural households now spend about 21% of their monthly service-related budget on eating out, compared to 22% by urban households, indeed another sign of converging lifestyles.
Across villages and cities, consumer spending habits don’t seem to vary much, data from the 72nd round of the National Sample Survey shows, but rural households tend to spend a significantly higher amount in some categories as a proportion of their monthly budgets, mainly because of comparatively lower incomes.
This is the first focused survey on consumer habits across India by the National Sample Survey Organization, carried out between July 2014 and June 2015.
The number of rural Indians paying for personal grooming is slightly higher than urban folks, the survey shows. According to the data, nearly 9 out of 10 rural households reported spending at least 11% of their monthly services spending on personal grooming, visits to salons and barber shops etc.
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