There may be more golf courses and fewer discos. There will be increasing demand for personal services. In developed European markets, consumers have become more value-oriented and they demand high standards when paying for premium products and services . But they are also willing to experiment and to try new products and services. In less developed European markets, economic reforms and changes in lifestyles mean the opportunity to purchase the goods and services, which are already familiar in mature markets.
Consumers face ever-widening choices.
There will be greater consumer willingness, looking ahead, to pay money to save time and guide these choices. These trends are all combining to reduce the importance of natural boundaries of country and language. Mobile people increasingly recognise products and services they see when travelling. Businesses can also deploy new ways of doing business, such as call centres and the internet, to overcome the boundaries traditionally created by distance and culture. Changing employment and consumption patterns, together with the erosion of natural boundaries and a reduced role for the state in welfare provision, are also leading to different socio-political attitudes.