A | B |
Attorney General | state citizens from fraud and criminal acts |
Better Business Bureau | Persuades businesses to remedy problems or fulfill promises for a product or service |
Brand names | Products sold by national manufacturers and have names everyone recognizes (Jif Peanut Butter, American Eagle) |
Consumer Information Center | Provides information on government publications on topics of interest to consumers |
Consumer Product Safety Commission | Promotes safety from unreasonable risk of injury from products; sets safety requirements; tests products; conducts research and education programs |
Convenience goods | Goods consumers buy regularly without much effort (milk, bread) |
Demand | The amount of goods or services consumers are willing and able to buy |
Department of Transportation | Sets requirements for motor vehicle safety, maintenance, and fuel economy; tests vehicles and other auto products for compliance with laws |
Department stores | Stores that have a variety of departments and sell many products; sales people in each department (Belk, Dillard’s, JC Penny) |
Discretionary Income | Income that is left over after a consumer’s basic needs have been met |
Division of Standards | maintains scales, packages, gasoline pumps, and labels to guarantee true weights and measurements |
Environmental Protection Agency | Works with businesses to reduce pollution and make environment healthier |
Equilibrium Price | The price at which the amount supplied and the amount demanded come together |
Federal Trade Commission | Federal agency that enforces laws and regulations concerning unfair advertising |
Food and Drug Administration | Sets and maintains purity and safety standards for food, drugs, and cosmetics; ensures accurate labeling; removes unsafe products from the market |
Generic Brands | No name, unbranded products sold at reduced prices |
Law of Demand | Consumers will buy less of an item at a higher price than at a lower price |
Law of Supply | The higher the price, the more producers will supply; the lower the price, the less producers will supply |
Limited Line | Sells only one type of merchandise (Foot Locker, GAP) |
Mass Merchandisers | Stores that sell a variety of items at reasonable, low prices (Wal-Mart, Target) |
Market Economy | Basic economic decisions are based on the actions of buyers and sellers in the market |
Marketplace | Any place where individuals buy and sell goods and services |
Nondiscretionary Income | Income used to purchase items to meet basic needs |
Off-Price stores | Purchase various manufacturers’ overruns and sell at reduced prices (TJ Maxx) |
Outlet Stores | Run by a manufacturer and sells only their brands at reduced prices (Levis, Nike @ Smithfield Outlet) |
Price | The amount of money given or asked for when goods or services are bought or sold |
Public Utilities Commission | Regulates utility rates |
Shopping Goods | Consumers purchase after looking around and comparing products |
Shortage | An under-supply of a product |
Specialty goods | Goods that consumers buy because of a specific brand or company; consumers will accept no substitution for that item |
Store Brands | only by certain stores: Kenmore (Sears); Arizona (JC Penny) |
Super Stores | Extremely large—Sells mass merchandise, groceries (Super Wal-Mart, Super Target) |
Supply | Amount of goods or services that producers will provide |
Surplus | An over-supply of a product |
US Postal Service | Enforces laws against fraud by mail; helps consumers recover money; provides information on common mail fraud schemes |