The world's top consumer websites

<h1>Consumer</h1>In <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/economics_1" title="Economics">economics</A>, <strong>consumers</strong> are individuals or households that "consume" goods and services generated within the economy.  Since this includes just about everyone, the term is a political term as much as an economic term when it is used in everyday speech.  Typically when businesspeople and economists talk of "consumers" they are talking about person-as-consumer, an aggregated commodity item with little individuality other than that expressed in the buy/not buy decision. However there is a trend in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/marketing" title="Marketing">marketing</A> to individualize the concept. Instead of generating broad <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/demographic" title="Demographic">demographic</A> and psychographic profiles of <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/market_segment" title="Market segment">market segments</A>, marketers are engaging in <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/personalized_marketing" title="Personalized marketing">personalized marketing</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/permission_marketing" title="Permission marketing">permission marketing</A>, and <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/mass_customization" title="Mass customization">mass customization</A>. <p>
In standard <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/microeconomics_1" title="Microeconomics">microeconomic</A> theory, a consumer is assumed to have a <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/budget" title="Budget">budget</A> which can be spent on a range of goods and services available on the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/market" title="Market">market</A>. Under the assumption of rationality, the budget allocation is chosen according to the <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/preference" title="Preference">preference</A> of the consumer, i.e. to maximize his or her <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/utility" title="Utility">utility</A> function.<p>
In time-series models of consumer behaviour, the consumer may also invest a proportion of their budget in order to gain a greater budget in future periods. This investment choice may include either fixed rate <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/interest" title="Interest">interest</A> or risk-bearing securities.<p>
In the context of mental health, consumer is also a term applied to describe a person living with mental illness.<p>
Concern over the best interests of consumers has spawned much <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/activism" title="Activism">activism</A>, as well as incorporation of <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/consumer_education" title="Consumer education">consumer education</A> into the school curriculum.  One non-profit publication active in consumer education is <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/consumer_reports" title="Consumer Reports">Consumer Reports</A>.<p>
Within many selling companies "consumer" has come to be a derogatory term. Meaning "purchaser of products who is not very intelligent." This is in contrast to the meaning of <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/customer" title="Customer">customer</A>. Which is defined as an intelligent purchaser who has power in the purchasing relationship between buyer and seller.<p>
<em>See also : <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/marketing" title="Marketing">marketing</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/economics_1" title="Economics">economics</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/privatization" title="Privatization">liberalization</A>, <A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/consumer_rights" title="Consumer rights">consumer rights</A></em><p>
<A NAME=""><H2>External links</H2>
<ul><li> <A HREF="http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9219/consumer.htm" class="external">Educating the Consumer about Advertising</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-3/care.htm" class="external">Child Care Consumer Education on the Internet</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://www.ericdigests.org/1993/consumer.htm" class="external">Consumer Competency: A National Status Report</A>
</li><li> <A HREF="http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-926/consumer.htm" class="external">The College, the Constitution, and the Consumer Student</A><p>
</li></ul>
<h6 align=center><table border=6 cellpadding=5><tr><td valign=middle><small><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_marketing_topics" title="List of marketing topics">List of Marketing Topics</A></small></td><td valign=middle><small><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_management_topics" title="List of management topics">List of Management Topics</A></small></td></tr><tr><td valign=middle><small><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_economics_topics" title="List of economics topics">List of Economics Topics</A></small></td><td valign=middle><small><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_accounting_topics" title="List of accounting topics">List of Accounting Topics</A></small></td></tr><tr><td valign=middle><small><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_finance_topics" title="List of finance topics">List of Finance Topics</A></small></td><td valign=middle><small><A HREF="http://allwebhunt.com/wiki-article-tab.cfm/list_of_economists" title="List of economists">List of Economists</A></small></td></tr></table></h6><p>
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