04/04/2023
✓✓ What are Normal Goods?
Normal goods are a type of goods whose demand shows a direct relationship with a consumer’s income. It means that the demand for normal goods increases with an increase in the consumer’s income or expansion of the economy (which generally will increase the income of the population).
Normal goods demonstrate a higher income elasticity of demand than inferior goods. The former shows an elasticity between zero to one, while the latter shows a negative income elasticity of demand.
✓✓ Normal Goods and Consumer Behavior
Demand for normal goods is determined by patterns in the behavior of consumers. Larger income leads to changes in the consumers’ behavior. As income increases, consumers may be able to afford goods that were not previously available to them.
In such a case, the demand for the goods increases due to their attractiveness to consumers. It may be explained by the higher quality of the goods, higher functionality, or more prestigious socio-economic value (think about many luxury goods).
Economists use income elasticity of demand to measure the extent to which the demand for a product reacts to a change in consumer income or purchasing power. It is calculated by dividing the change in product quantity demanded by the change in income. Income elasticity of demand is often used to differentiate between a normal, inferior, and luxury good, as well as forecast sales during periods of increasing or declining incomes.
✓✓ Examples of Normal Goods
1. Clothes
Clothes can fall under normal and inferior goods depending on their type and quality. As income rises, people tend to spend more on clothing at luxury clothing stores.
Consumers may also opt for designer clothing located in high-end markets when there is an increase in income. However, when the consumers’ income declines, people will still buy clothes but at retail outlets and consignment stores rather than luxury clothing stores.
2. Organic food
As the world moves to healthy eating, people will tend to spend more on organic foods if they receive an increase in income. Organic foods are grown more naturally compared to non-organic foods, and people are inclined to spend more on the former from a health, quality, and taste perspective. However, with declining incomes, people revert to non-organic foods, which cost less due to their mass production and fewer defects.
3. Electronics
Electronics are categorized as normal goods because people tend to spend more on electronic items, such as laptops, tablets, fitness trackers, and gaming systems whenever there is an increase in purchasing power.
Most electronics stores may stock different brands of specific electronic items, some of which may be inferior depending on consumer preferences and tastes. Most buyers tend to associate more with major brands such as Apple, Samsung, etc. when buying phones and TVs, and consider off-brand electronics as inferior goods.
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