{"id":24679,"date":"2023-02-07T16:06:39","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T15:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/lobservatoire-cetelem-de-la-consommation\/une-offre-claire"},"modified":"2025-11-27T18:02:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:02:31","slug":"a-simple-offering","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/lobservatoire-cetelem-de-la-consommation\/from-forced-choice-to-smart-purchase-a-low-cost-to-suit-everyone\/a-simple-offering","title":{"rendered":"A simple offering"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Low prices and reduced services<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Low-cost offerings are marketed by powerful specialist brands and enjoy a strong presence in three key sectors, but does that mean they are well regarded by Europeans? The answer is a resounding yes. The overall image that just over 8 out of 10 consumers have of such offerings reflects the idea that these companies focus on keeping prices as low as possible, while providing services that are stripped down to the essentials. Ultimately, this is the \u201cdictionary definition\u201d of the low-cost approach. Almost as many associate low-cost offerings with companies that specialise in this approach. More interestingly, a similar number of Europeans associate the concept with the low-cost offerings of \u201ctraditional\u201d brands that have chosen to develop products and services specifically for this market, in some cases selling them through specialist subsidiaries (Fig. 12)<\/strong>. This result suggests that the sector is not solely the preserve of \u201cpure plays\u201d, but that it is open and constantly evolving, offering opportunities to brands whose roots are elsewhere. From a geographical perspective, respondents from Mediterranean countries are again the most vocal on these issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Marketed by powerful specialist brands, low-cost product offerings are viewed in a positive light by 8 out of 10 Europeans.<\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Fig 12 – Agreement with statements about the low-cost market\n <\/p>\n \n \n Download this infographic for your presentations\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n

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\n \"Graph\n \n The infographic presents the percentage of respondents who agree with several descriptions of the low-cost market. Each item includes the total percentage of agreement and the percentage of those who are “completely in agreement”.\n\nData by statement\n\nProducts are cheaper because they are reduced to the essentials\n\nCompletely in agreement: 30%\n\nTotal agreement: 83%\n\nCompanies specialize in this type of offer\n\nCompletely in agreement: 24%\n\nTotal agreement: 81%\n\nTraditional companies offer lower-cost ranges\n\nCompletely in agreement: 22%\n\nTotal agreement: 79%\n\nMaximum cost reduction through offshoring\n\nCompletely in agreement: 21%\n\nTotal agreement: 74%\n\nPromotional offers proposed by traditional retailers\n\nCompletely in agreement: 20%\n\nTotal agreement: 72%\n\nCost reduction through pressure on wages and working conditions\n\nCompletely in agreement: 19%\n\nTotal agreement: 68%\n\nMarket present in all commercial sectors\n\nCompletely in agreement: 17%\n\nTotal agreement: 67%\n\nMain lesson\n\nRespondents predominantly associate low-cost with cost reduction, specialization of certain companies, and the presence of the model in many sectors.\n\nSource: Cetelem Observatory 2023\n <\/span>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Clearly identified products and services<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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To define the low-cost concept more precisely, Europeans identify four key criteria (Fig. 13). First of all, nearly 8 out of 10 say that low-cost products are identifiable by their lack of frills, in terms of packaging, optional extras, etc. This is a view held most firmly by the Italians and Spanish, while the Slovaks and Swedes are the least likely to point to this characteristic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n Fig 13 – Perception of characteristics associated with low-cost\n <\/p>\n \n \n Download this infographic for your presentations\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n

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\n \"Bars\n \n The infographic measures, in percentage, the extent to which ten characteristics “fit well or poorly” with low-cost products or services. Four categories are represented: “Fits very well”, “Fits rather well”, “Fits rather poorly”, “Fits very poorly”.\n\nData by aspect:\nPreserve the essentials of products and eliminate the superfluous (packaging, options)\nFits very well: 18%\nFits rather well: 59%\nFits rather poorly: 20%\nFits very poorly: 3%\nTotal fits well: 77% – Total fits poorly: 23%\n\nEasy to identify\n16% \/ 57% \/ 23% \/ 4%\nTotal fits well: 73% – Fits poorly: 27%\n\nUnbranded products and services\n18% \/ 54% \/ 23% \/ 5%\nTotal fits well: 72% – Fits poorly: 28%\n\nProducts with expensive additional options\n14% \/ 57% \/ 24% \/ 5%\nTotal fits well: 71% – Fits poorly: 29%\n\nProducts and services offering a wide range of choices\n14% \/ 52% \/ 29% \/ 5%\nTotal fits well: 66% – Fits poorly: 34%\n\nQuality equivalent to traditional products\n12% \/ 46% \/ 34% \/ 8%\nTotal fits well: 58% – Fits poorly: 42%\n\nNegative impact on the environment\n11% \/ 39% \/ 40% \/ 10%\nTotal fits well: 50% – Fits poorly: 50%\n\nDisappointing once purchased\n10% \/ 39% \/ 42% \/ 9%\nTotal fits well: 49% – Fits poorly: 51%\n\nNegative social impact\n10% \/ 34% \/ 43% \/ 13%\nTotal fits well: 44% – Fits poorly: 56%\n\nDangerous to health or safety\n9% \/ 32% \/ 42% \/ 17%\nTotal fits well: 41% – Fits poorly: 59%\n\nAspects related to simplicity and the absence of superfluous features are perceived as the most closely associated with low-cost. Negative dimensions (social impact, health, quality) are more divisive.\n\nSource: Cetelem Observatory 2023\n <\/span>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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An almost equal proportion believe that low-cost products are easy to identify, because they are unbranded and feature add-ons that are inexpensive when they are available (73%, 72% and 71%). These are attributes that the Spanish and Italians are the most likely to highlight, along with the French and the British on certain points.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Certain more \u201cqualitative\u201d criteria generate mixed responses in the European countries with the most advanced economies. Indeed, more than 1 in 2 German, French and British respondents believe that low-cost products have a negative impact on the environment or are disappointing once purchased. The majority of German and French consumers also agree that low-cost products have a negative social impact.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Decent value for money<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Overall, the qualitative aspects of low-cost products leave Europeans somewhat divided. 57% feel that they offer good value for money (Fig. 14)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The vast majority of people are of this opinion and this is especially true in Hungary, Portugal and Slovakia. However, this is a minority view in Belgium and Bulgaria. Regular buyers of low-cost items are more likely to state that they offer good value for money (66%).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n Fig 14 – General perception of the quality of low-cost products\n <\/p>\n \n \n Download this infographic for your presentations\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n

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\n \"Three\n \n The infographic presents three ring charts. They compare the perception of the quality of low-cost products according to whether respondents consume them frequently or rarely\/never.\n\nChart 1 – Entire population\nGood quality\/price ratio: 57%\nPoor quality: 43%\n\nChart 2 – Frequent low-cost consumers\nGood quality\/price ratio: 66%\nPoor quality: 34%\n\nChart 3 – Infrequent or non-consumers\nGood quality\/price ratio: 46%\nPoor quality: 54%\n\nThe perception of quality varies greatly depending on usage intensity: frequent consumers are significantly more positive than non-consumers.\n\nSource: Cetelem Observatory 2023\n <\/span>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The Essential<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Low prices and reduced services Low-cost offerings are marketed by powerful specialist brands and enjoy a strong presence in three key sectors, but does that mean they are well regarded by Europeans? The answer is a resounding yes. The overall image that just over 8 out of 10 consumers have of such offerings reflects the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1925,"featured_media":24363,"parent":24626,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"t-etude-chapitre.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24679","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1925"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24679"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33467,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24679\/revisions\/33467"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}