Downgrade

Trading down, downgrading, or buying a lesser quality item

During 2010 in the first wave of the recession consumers were still looking for quality, they wanted items that would last longer and were still of a standard they were accustomed too.  In 2011, there was a realisation, that the situation is worse that we first thought, and now consumers cant afford value, direct action was needed, and so they started downgrading and looking for cheaper alternatives.

There has been an increased interest in second hand goods, which can be seen below when you look at the activity on eBay:

The RAPP UK research showed that consumers are also changing the way they shop for groceries.  There has been increased interest the ‘cheaper supermarkets’, with places like Aldi and Lidl attracting new clientele.

The research shows:

Consumers are also changing the cuts of meat they are purchasing, as the popularity of expensive cuts of meat dwindles, pork sales have jumped.  At the end of January, The Daily Telegraph reported that Cranswick, the largest British-owned pork processor, saw its shares increase 1.45pc after it released an upbeat trading statement.  “Bernard Hoggarth, chief executive, said that pork shoulder and rolled joints had sold particularly well, helped by being championed by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver as an ideal meat for consumers looking to cut down their food bills”.

The London Evening Standard also reported Pork as ‘the growing choice forBritain’s cash strapped households’, after pork sales gained market share over the festive season.

Cranswick’s finance director said ‘trading down’ was a big factor: “for the first time over Christmas we saw some evidence [of trading down] with some retailers selling fewer turkeys and more pork,” he said. “Lamb sales declined year-on-year as well.”

Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity

Manage

Managing costs through discounts, volume offers, and shopping around

An Ofcom report from December 2011, revealed that more consumers in the UK use the internet for shopping than any other major country. The report found that eight in ten UK internet users (79 per cent) had ordered goods or services online in 2010, this is higher than all our European neighbours. As well as shopping online, UK consumers are also spending more time on retail sites – an average of 84 minutes in January 2011, compared to around 20 minutes for consumers in mainland Europe.

A lot of this time spent online is used to manage spending, it has become common place to switch energy providers for a better deal, to transfer credit card balances for a lower rate, and to generally compare costs for insurance, holidays, the supermarket shop.

The chart below shows the increased trend in people comparing purchases online:

Consumer bodies are also encouraging the population to shop around; there are numerous websites advising people where to get the necessary information, and comparison websites are proving extremely popular.

The RAPP UK research found that:

 Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity

Reduce

Reducing volume or frequency of purchases

Consumers are looking to consume less is various aspects of their life; they are doing this either by reducing the volume bought, or even the frequency or purchases.

A great example of this can be seen by looking at the increased interest in handmade Christmas gifts and decorations.  During the recession there has been an increased interest in crafting activities with a return to the ‘make do and mend’ of by gone eras.  When you are watching the pennies, a more personal and emotional approach to gifts is often used.

Handmade Christmas ornaments have also proved a lot more popular over the last few years, they are also seen as a way to spend more quality time with the children; you can see a marked increase in people searching to find out how to make salt dough around Christmas time, compared to previous years.  

Rhea Simnett’s research showed that

22% of people placed a budget on their Christmas present spending this year. 

During  our own research we have uncovered what could be the start of some interesting (and uncomfortable in some cases) shifts in people’s response to austerity measures in the UK. We observed families going on holiday less often, and even not taking all the children with them; as well as the increased popularity of the staycation.  Some of our families have also had to reduce how often they reward their children for doing well at school or in after-school activities.  The below is a little taster of our research so far, take a look and let us know what you think.

View this video on vimeo.com

Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity

• Stop – stopping and delaying purchases
• Reduce – reducing volume or frequency of purchases
• Manage – managing costs through comparisons and shopping around
• Downgrade – looking for items that do the same, but cost a little less
• Smart – using vouchers, discount codes and loyalty schemes
• Swap – using a different means to achieve the same aim
• Treat – treating yourself to small items to make up for missing out on the big things

Naked Eye  will be spending time with families across the UK to get a closer understanding of how consumers’ habits are changing, and how they are using these strategies to manage their finances  in the economic downturn.

Stop

Not buying at all or delaying purchases until an unspecified time in the future

Many people have always been thrifty, regardless of economic conditions, but the recession has focused minds. Rhea Simnett found that:

46% say they have always thought twice about making small, “unnecessary” purchases

32% say they recently started to think twice about “unnecessary” purchases

17% have recently stopped going on an annual holiday

19% agree with “I will cancel one or more of my direct debits to charity”

During 2011 we have seen a significant increase in the ‘Stop’ trend, the example below demonstrates a real increase in people wanting to cancel their phone contracts and Sky contracts.  The data was collected from Google search trends:

Look out for our films on this topic and updates on @nakedeyelondon #austerity.

References:

1. http://www.warc.com/Blogs/RAPP_UK__a_report_from_Austerity_Britain.blog?ID=1334

In October 2010, the UK government announced £81bn of public spending cuts, but what effect does this really have on our lives? There are a lot of statistics out there, but Naked Eye will be spending time with some real families to observe the true impact of Austere Britain.

Money matters have always been key to family life and its wellbeing. Financial pressures can cause strains between couples as well as between parents and children. However, recent austerity measures have had a disproportionate effect on families’ incomes, and the Family and Parenting Institute (FPI) are now calling for the government to ‘family proof’ austerity measures, asking them to “reflect the long-term importance of family friendly working practices, a fair economy for families, the provision of essential services for families, and good quality housing and transport”.

Follow us at @nakedeyelondon #austerity for more on this topic, and come back to the blog to see further insights.

Key findings:

• Many rioters conceded their involvement in looting was simply opportunism – an opportunity to acquire goods they could not ordinarily afford, and a chance to obtain ‘free stuff’
• Rioters were generally poorer than the country at large
• Other motivating grievances were also at play – from increase in tuition fees, closure of youth services – many complained of perceived social and economic injustices. Widespread anger and frustration at the police– particularly relating a sense of a lack of respect and discriminatory treatment
• Gangs behaved in an atypical manner during the riots – temporarily suspending hostilities, creating what was effectively a four-day ‘truce’
• Although mainly young and male, those involved came from a cross-section of local communities
• Facebook and Twitter were not used in any significant way, but  Blackberry Messenger (BBM) was used extensively
• 81% of those interviewed said they thought that the riots would happen again

Source: Guardian – Reading The Riots report

Many of these findings were familiar to us from our conversations with Leon and Helena in Woolwich, 100 days after the riots. The study highlighted some key points relating to the riots:

…initial assumptions must be questioned: David Cameron may now feel he spoke too hastily when he asserted on the 11^th August that ‘gangs were at the heart of the protests and have been behind the co-ordinated attacks.’  Social media use was also different to how it was perceived initially.

…one ‘event’, but many stakeholders: police politicians teachers, businesses and brands, parents, and young people – very few, if anyone, in our society can say that they are unaffected by this issue. Accordingly, we think everyone should take responsibility in looking at what positive role they can play in the riots’ aftermath.

…a multifaceted issue requires multiple perspectives: the study importantly allows us to hear what the rioters themselves have to say, but this should not overshadow other important perspectives which we can learn from, such as those like Leon and Helena,. young people who did not riot but were in similar social circumstances. I raised the point in a live webchat with the Guardian researchers that this viewpoint had not been given much attention but was equally important – they agreed. Phase 2 of the Guardian/LSE study will involve community debates and interviews with magistrates and district judges.

…action must follow discussions: One of the most worrying findings from the study is that that 81% thought that the riots would recur. Whilst it is extremely important that we discuss and uncover the motives behind the riots, we need to take actions on the findings to ensure that no repeats of this year’s events are to follow.

The last point highlights that there is more to be said and to be done on this issue in the New Year, and we’ll be following this closely and commenting on the debate and findings from the next phases of these studies.

Since I last blogged we’ve released our full-length film 100 Days after the Riots with a more detailed look at the role of community, opportunity, and poverty.

View this video on vimeo.com

View this video on vimeo.com

We’ve been anticipating the arrival of the Olympic Torch since 2005, but no one could have predicted the kind of flame the rioters would bring to London and other parts of England just one year before London 2012. For those few days I was glued to my computer, on constant ‘refresh’, moving between tabs of video footage on BBC News, posts and comments on Facebook, and streams of tweets and retweets on Twitter. Everyone talks about Londoners being cold and distant, but that week (I’m pretty sure) I could feel some solidarity in the air, even along the deathly silent wavelengths of the Tube, as people looked over each others’ shoulders onto the front pages of the Metro, which were plastered with images of London burning.

The riots were condemned almost universally, but there were many different questions and interpretations following the events. I was glad to see that they weren’t played off as a one-off sensationalist piece, as they could well have been. Instead the analyses have been lengthy and varied, and are still continuing even now; there has been a flurry of new research data and television programmes on the riots over the last month especially. All of this has fed into the discussions that kicked off in the summer, and has shaped and re-shaped this developing story.

Source: School Census, Ministry of Justice / BBC News.

Part of the reason why the riots have stimulated so much discussion is that there are so many different angles to look at it from. Social commentators, youth workers, politicians, experts and the general public alike have dissected it from all sides, trying to make sense of what happened and, more often than not, looking for someone or some group responsible/to blame. Many have focused on young people themselves, or have looked to societal factors, such as social deprivation, the negative influence of consumerist culture and the use of social media. The opportunity to criticise the police and politicians wasn’t missed -the police for their lack of presence and power during the riots as well as the handling of Mark Duggan’s shooting, and similarities have been made between the looters and expense fiddling MPs and greedy bankers – who affects our livelihood more, yet who is more likely to be punished? Psychologists have explored aspects such as crowd psychology, and the mindset behind the intoxicating ‘thrill’ of looting, which the recent NatCen report1 revealed to be a major motivating factor for the rioters.

We’ve all heard these different viewpoints from the politicians, media and experts, about ‘the youth’ and the riots, but what do young people themselves think? Naked Eye went to Woolwich to speak to Helena and Leon, two young people from the area. They didn’t participate in the riots themselves; our focus was to talk to, and learn about their lives as young people living in one of these affected areas – the issues they face, and their experience of, and opinions on the riots. The last few months have given us all a bit of time to reflect – what are their thoughts on what happened?

Our time with Helena and Leon gave us several things to consider. The first was that whilst we might nostalgically look back to our younger years as a time of freedom and possibilities, many young people today are increasingly feeling it to be a burden. Being there not too long ago myself, I am still mindful of the pressure and expectation put on young people during that time between formal education and (what seems like) the ‘rest of life’, to be able to make life decisions and create and shape a future for yourself. This phase has always been difficult, but in the context of current cuts to youth services, the EMA and increase in tuition fees, things haven’t exactly become easier. If this wasn’t enough, the rioters’ socio-economic stats show their lives to be lacking in basic financial and educational needs – an additional barrier keeping them at a standstill.

This lack of basic needs ties into the ‘having nothing, and therefore nothing to lose’ mentality of the rioters, which resonated strongly throughout our discussions with Helena and Leon, in particular relating to community, wealth and opportunity.

The absence of community, in terms of young people’s relationships with the people and places around them (whether that be those close to them or the wider community) has resulted in many young people feeling put down and unsupported at a time when they are trying to get somewhere. Negative media publicity, stops and searches by police, lack of basic support at home: all this leaves room for little, if any, encouragement. The extreme actions displayed by the rioters’ own created community that week show how strong these feelings of separation and disaffection have become.

Secondly, financial poverty is another real issue that must be addressed. The stats show this, but if we think in real terms what that means, consider this: what hope do we have if we have young people in our society who think of prison as a better and more comfortable place than their own homes? It is hardly a surprise that with this mindset, the rioters had little to hold them back.

Finally, the lack of opportunities, especially in light of the cuts, paints a depressing picture for young people’s future prospects. What struck us most, however, was how success, in the eyes of many young people, is being seen more and more in material terms and the goods that reflect success, rather than focusing on positive qualities and values like ambition and focus, that lead to that success. The extremity of the level of expectation and attainment is also striking. Instead of working at long-term goals gradually, many young people are just looking to see what they can ‘get’ in the short-term, with only the ‘lights and diamonds’ at the end in mind. Peer pressure, fuelled by celebrity culture, has not helped in fostering this mentality.

Whilst there is no doubt that the rioters’ behaviour that week should be condemned, there is no definitive answer as to why the riots happened, at least not yet, and it is important that we continue to challenge, and ask questions as the ‘investigation’ develops further. We at Naked Eye will carry on our own thread on our blog, commenting on new findings and reports as they emerge, feeding them into our own discussions on this issue, and continuing to ask questions not just of the experts and the politicians, but also of young people themselves.

Amy Ohta

100 days on, the initial hysteria has given way to more informed reflection and analysis, ranging from formal reports and comprehensive studies to even a Channel 4 drama starring David Morrissey, set to be one of the highlights of our Christmas TV schedule. While I’m waiting with intrigue to watch this, I still hope that the riots don’t become subject to too much dramatisation, but continue to be grounded in serious discussions centred around those affected most.

Among those are young people themselves. We went to Woolwich to talk to two young people affected by the riots. Helena and Leon did not take part themselves – what we wanted to know was: What was the night of the riots like there? What are the issues for young people today that might have led the rioters to these actions? And, 100 days after the riots, what have we learnt?

View this video on vimeo.com

Hearing about Helena and Leon’s experiences and opinions in the backdrop of all that has been said in the media prompted us to think about, and look at the issue of the riots more in-depth. Check out our thought-piece on the London Riots.

I’ll be continuing to comment via our blog and twitter @nakedeyelondon #nakedeyeriots as further reports and findings emerge.

The key ones to keep front of mind:

1. Film allows us to see and capture a range of activities in their natural settings over an extended period of time
2. It supports field notes, verifies accounts and claimed observations
3. It allows reflexive analysis. Rewind – review (repeat)
4. Uncovers telling details
5. By sharing film with participants we gain access to emic accounts so the scope of interpretation increases
6. Ethnographers can draw connections between participants claimed versus actual behaviour.

The statistics show that 13% of looters were from gangs. This contradicts the message from Secretary Iain Duncan Smith at the Conservative Party conference earlier this month that gangs had played a “significant part” in the riots.

Social deprivation appears the key consideration and as Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert points out “the fact that half of recorded crimes were for offences like stealing and looting shows that most of what we saw was motivated by opportunity and greed”.

References http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15426720