There is a saying that most businesses follow religiously. “Customer is king”. In many countries, companies have adopted a strategy of listening to their customers. Based on their feedback, companies have started adjusting their products and brands. This strategy has created significantly positive results, both financially and non-financially. However, it may have also led to higher costs in some departments.
One of the reasons companies listen to their customers’ needs is to increase their business. In economics, there are several explanations for why this may happen. One of the primary ones falls under the scope of the laws of supply and demand. When companies listen to customer demand, they adjust their production accordingly. This strategy allows them to serve their customers better while enjoying better results.
Interpreting customer needs is crucial to the needs of any modern business. However, this process doesn’t follow the laws of supply and demand only. In economics, another concept may also explain how this strategy can help companies grow their business. It falls under the topic of consumer sovereignty. This concept can apply to various areas. Before discussing those, it is crucial to define them first.
What is Consumer Sovereignty?
Consumer sovereignty is the belief that consumers dictate the goods and services produced in an economy. It refers to the consumer’s controlling power of that process. Similarly, it suggests that only consumers themselves know what is best for them. Therefore, they are the only people who can judge their welfare the best. However, these definitions relate to different areas.
Consumer sovereignty in production refers to the controlling power of the consumers within an economy. Usually, this power goes against the holders of limited resources within the economy. The struggle between the two participants dictates the products produced through these resources. Similarly, it dictates the use of those limited resources. It is one of the primary reasons why companies listen to their consumers.
Consumer sovereignty also explains why consumers dictate the production of goods or resources. Since they are the primary parties companies want to satisfy, it is crucial to keep up with their needs. Similarly, consumer sovereignty suggests the production of goods and services fluctuates due to consumer demands. As companies learn to interpret these demands, they adjust their supplies accordingly.
Consumer sovereignty also applies to welfare. In that case, it refers to the belief that consumers are the best judge of their own welfare. It suggests that other people or entities cannot decide what their needs should be. Therefore, it explains why those entities should listen to those needs instead of trying to dictate them. Consequently, they shouldn’t offer consumers products that they may deem essential.
Overall, consumer sovereignty is an economic concept related to consumers’ demands and needs. It is one of the primary reasons companies try to interpret customer needs and cater to them. Consumer sovereignty explains that consumers dictate the goods and services produced in an economy. Similarly, it suggests that they are the only people who understand their own needs.
What is the importance of Consumer Sovereignty?
Consumer sovereignty plays a significant role in any economy. The primary objective of this concept is to allow producers to understand customer demand. Similarly, it ensures consumers can make their own choices and decisions. Consumer sovereignty helps producers interpret those choices and cater their products to meet them. It leads to a free market where goods meet the law of supply and demand.
Besides that, consumer sovereignty can also have other contributions to an economy. Firstly, it helps maintain stability within society. Consumers get to make their own choices and benefit from them. On the other hand, it promotes innovation within producers to attract those customers. Consequently, it can also lead to better job opportunities for workers. Consumer sovereignty can help reduce unemployment rates.
Similarly, consumer sovereignty increases government efficiency. Furthermore, it helps tax revenues grow. The more consumption occurs within an economy, the more it will flourish. However, it does not burden consumers or producers with higher tax rates. It can then lead to lower inflation rates. The more tax revenues a government gather, the higher it can spend on bettering the economy.
Consumer sovereignty also helps sustain quality jobs in various industries. More specifically, it leads to natural growth in employment. Furthermore, it implies governments don’t have to intervene or spend on creating job opportunities. This natural growth also leads to better stimulation of the economy. Therefore, the economy can flourish as a whole and create better outcomes.
However, consumer sovereignty can come with some costs to the producers. Nonetheless, those costs are not additional expenditures. For most companies, it represents an investment into consumers and their needs. This investment can lead to significant financial and non-financial outcomes. Companies following the consumer sovereignty concept can flourish their business prospects. In the meanwhile, it also benefits consumers.
What are the advantages of Consumer Sovereignty?
The primary advantage of consumer sovereignty is that it promotes equality levels in a market. It provides the same opportunities to all consumers by giving them the right to choose. Similarly, it promotes fairness between consumers. Consumer sovereignty offers every consumer an equal chance of finding low-cost or high-quality products. Essentially, it provides them with the ability to make their own decisions.
Furthermore, consumer sovereignty offers consumers a reward to shop and search for the goods that suit their needs the best. It also simultaneously promotes healthy competition among companies to satisfy those needs. With this concept, consumers get better deals by searching for inexpensive goods. Consumer sovereignty also promotes a perfect market where consumers can access information about prices.
However, the advantages of consumer sovereignty don’t apply to consumers only. It also impacts producers and companies. More specifically, it promotes competition among those entities. Consumer sovereignty encourages consumers to make better and well-informed decisions. Usually, these decisions depend on the pricing offered by companies. Producers within an economy can strive to attract consumers to generate income.
With consumer sovereignty, different producers can work toward meeting consumer needs. It provides consumers with a better choice in selecting goods or services. On the other hand, it allows various companies to compete to attract customers. As stated above, it leads to better job opportunities for workers within those companies. This way, the economy flourishes by providing all participants with a benefit.
Example
A company, ABC Co., manufactures and sells electronics. Its primary products include computers, cellphones and TVs. Recently, ABC Co. decided to create a new laptop product. Consequently, the company conducted market research to interpret consumer needs. ABC Co. went through this step to produce better products so that consumers want to buy them.
Based on the market research, ABC Co. reached the consensus that consumers preferred lightweight laptops. The company incorporated this information into its research and development process for the new product. While this impacted ABC Co.’s production, it also enabled the company to ensure better results from that product. Identifying consumer needs and creating products to meet them falls under consumer sovereignty.
Conclusion
Consumers have always been the primary focus when producers manufacture and sell goods. One of the primary reasons behind it falls under the consumer sovereignty concept. Essentially, this concept indicates that consumers dictate the production of goods within an economy. They have the controlling power to demand better products. Similarly, consumer sovereignty suggests only consumers can dictate what products they want.
