con‧sum‧er S3 W2 AC / kənsjumə $ -sumər / 名词 [可数名词]

someone who buys and uses products and services → consumption , producer :

Consumers will soon be paying higher airfares.

It will offer a wider choice of goods for the consumer (= consumers in general ) .

Consumer demand led to higher imports of manufactured goods.

Consumer spending was down by 0.1% last month.

sources of consumer advice

COLLOCATIONS

consumer + NOUN

consumer goods/products (= things that people buy for their own use ) Our demand for consumer goods increases all the time.

consumer demand (= the demand for things to buy ) Consumer demand decreased as a result of the recession.

consumer spending ( also consumer expenditure formal ) Higher taxes will reduce consumer spending.

a consumer group (= an organization that protects consumers’ rights ) There have been complaints from consumer groups about the high prices charged by some companies.

consumer prices Consumer prices rose 3.26% in December.

consumer choice Competition between businesses leads to more consumer choice.

the consumer market (= the people who buy consumer goods ) Our advertising is aimed at teenagers because they are our main consumer market.

a consumer society (= a society of people who want to buy a lot of things ) In the west, we live in a consumer society.

consumer durables British English (= things you buy that are expected to last, such as cars, televisions, or furniture ) Ownership of consumber durables is a reflection of standards of living.

consumer debt (= money people owe because they buy too much ) the growth in consumer debt

a consumer boom (= a time when people spend a lot more money on buying things than usual ) the consumer boom of the 1980s in Britain

形容词

the biggest/largest consumer of something The US is the world’s biggest oil consumer.

the average consumer The average consumer has become more price conscious.

a domestic consumer (= one that buys in the country where something is produced ) Demand from domestic consumers is increasing.

THESAURUS

customer someone who buys goods or services from a shop or company : Customers were waiting for the shop to open. | The bank is one of our biggest customers.

client someone who pays for a service from a professional person or company : He has a meeting with one of his clients. | The company buys and sells shares on behalf of their clients

shopper someone who goes to the shops looking for things to buy : The streets were full of Christmas shoppers.

guest someone who pays to stay in a hotel : Guests must leave their rooms by 10 am.

patron / peɪtrən / formal a customer of a particular shop, restaurant or hotel – usually written on signs : The notice said ‘Parking for Patrons Only’.

patient someone who is getting medical treatment from a doctor, or in a hospital : He is a patient of Dr Williams.

consumer anyone who buys goods or uses services – used when considering these people as a group who have particular rights, needs, or behaviour : Consumers are demanding more environmentally-friendly products. | the rights of the consumer | The law is designed to protect consumers who buy goods on the Internet.

market the number of people who want to buy a product, or the type of people who want to buy it : The market for organic food is growing all the time. | a magazine aimed at the youth market

clientele / kliəntel $ klaɪəntel, kli- / formal the type of customers that a particular shop, restaurant etc gets : The hotel has a very upmarket clientele. | They have a wealthy international clientele.