It takes time to Empower Consumers !

The year 2019 will be remembered as the year of consumer empowerment with the passage of Consumer Protection Act 2019 after 30 years. It has been a long haul for many consumer organizations working in the space of consumer education including Consumer Voice, to finally get the Bill  passed into an Act. Just to remind everyone that mere passage of the Act doesn’t mean final victory as rules are yet to be framed. So we have embarked on the next phase of submitting our views so that Rules when finalized, doesn’t miss out major issues which will disturb consumer protection processes.

Having said that, the year that passed by saw a tumultuous struggle for consumer voices against malpractices by the sellers. Prominent space was occupied by the E Commerce section which on one hand has gained tremendous consumer traction while on the other hand it unraveled the proof that if left unregulated, the industry can wreak havoc with the consumers. Hopefully 2020 will see a better traction since E Commerce will be a part of the Consumer Protection Act.

There is also a huge concern about the financial services with products being dumped to consumers with misleading promises. This is evident from the number of complaints we have received in 2019. This needs a check and I am sure that the financial sector will occupy a major attention span for consumer organizations.

Food safety, nutrition and hygiene have made some significant progress with the Eat Right India movement but the ground level masses are yet to receive its benefits. Urban and rural lives have been affected by Non Communicable Disease (NCDs). The very fact that government has recognized public health as a major concern is a point that benefits all strata of consumers.

With the Act in place, it is the time for implementation in coordination with various government departments. 2020 will be a busy year for Consumer VOICE as we will focus on awareness and sensitization. It is up to civil society organizations to take their voices to the right levels so that significant gains can be made in the area of consumer health, wealth and safety.

Wishing all our friends a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2020 from Consumer Voice family !   

For other articles by Consumer VOICE COO’s Desk, click here

We have already started thinking about how and how much consumerism and the role that it plays in the future, will change in the post Coronavirus scenario.

COVID-19 is spreading like wild fire throughout the world creating a path of death and destruction. Unfortunately, India has also fallen prey to this. The world is in danger of falling into a Great Depression, with millions of unemployed workers across the globe. With industries staring at a blank immediate future, the impact will especially hit the poor – both in terms of health and economics; many cannot even afford to wash their hands because of lack of water.

In India, especially, the small and medium scale Industries along with agriculture which form the backbone of our economy are on the brink of collapse as predicted by some experts. Millions of small wage earners are grappling to survive this ordeal and already the farm losses have started mounting. Social or physical distancing is a distant dream for slum dwellers and small factory workers.

People are stocking up on all kinds of food and other necessities, including medicines, should COVID-19 linger on for weeks or months. So the actions and reactions of COVID -19 are already visible. Consumer actions and reactions are a cause of the unprecedented crisis for a developing nation. Future seems to be very uncertain!

One can therefore predict that this period of deprivation and anxiety will usher new consumer attitudes and behaviors that will change the nature of future businesses.  Finally consumers will think twice what they consume, how much they consume, and how all this is influenced by class issues and inequality.  A new equitable buying and usage patterns will surely emerge bypassing class, creed, caste and income levels.

Business firms have an intrinsic interest in endlessly expanding consumption for the purpose of higher profits.  They rely on three disciplines to boost consumption and brand preference.  The first is innovation to produce attractive new products and brands to enchant customer interest and purchase.  The second is marketing that supplies the tools to reach out to consumers and motivate and facilitate their purchasing.  The third discipline is credit to enable people to buy more than they could normally buy on their low incomes.  Businesses aim to make consumption our way of life.  To keep their productive equipment and factories going, they must ritualize some consumer behavior.  All these 3 factors will see a changing pattern in the near future.

To sum up one can say that consumers will neither be swayed by availability, conveniences, choices, discounts or peer competitions. This COVID -19 phase would pass by surely through medical interventions, but it will usher in something called increased savings and their spending which has traditionally supported 70 percent of our economy.  If this goes down, our economy contracts in size.  A slowdown in economic growth will lead to more unemployment.  Add to the fact that more jobs are being lost to AI and robots. This will require capitalism to spend more on unemployment insurance, social Security, food stamps, food kitchens, and social assistance.

For other articles by Consumer VOICE COO’s Desk, click here