From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishconsumercon‧sum‧er /kənˈsjuːmə $ -ˈsuːmər/ ●●○ S3 W3 AWL noun [countable] BBTBUYsomeone 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► see thesaurus at customerCOLLOCATIONSconsumer + NOUNconsumer 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 pricesConsumer prices rose 3.26% in December.consumer choiceCompetition 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 consumer durables is a reflection of standards of living.consumer debt (=money people owe because they buy too much)the growth in consumer debta consumer boom (=a time when people spend a lot more money on buying things than usual)the consumer boom of the 1980s in Britainadjectivesthe biggest/largest consumer of somethingThe US is the world’s biggest oil consumer.the average consumerThe 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.
Examples from the Corpus
consumer• Consumer spending rose 0.7 percent in November.• Consumers will soon be paying higher air fares.• Only 25% of the price a consumer pays for vegetables goes to the farmer.• The uncertain outlook for consumer spending has encouraged City analysts to trim their profit forecasts from around £11m to nearer £10m.• Improved consumer choice is one of the benefits of a free market.• Supermarkets are responding to increased consumer demand for organic products.• The lowest level of growth will be in the household and small consumer sector.• Decision-process models also assume that consumer learning and experience will build up and affect future purchase situations.• The travel agents' group want more protection for the consumer.• Because the price the consumer would have to pay in ignoring the subliminal message is just too high.• The lack of comprehension can be attributed in part to the paucity of electronic commerce applications that the consumer has personally experienced.• Any increase in the cost of transporting goods will be passed on to the consumer.• But the loss of traditional jobs is also contributing to consumer unease.• The equipment probably will be rented to consumers.consumer advice• For consumer advice relating to product safety, contact your local Trading Standards Officer.• Whether you're buying online or off, the Net is an invaluable mine of consumer advice.• We set up a national network of consumer advice centres: the Government closed them down.• As much as the Net is the greatest source of consumer advice, it's also the great source of misinformation.From Longman Business Dictionaryconsumercon‧sum‧er /kənˈsjuːmə-ˈsuːmər/ noun [countable]1MARKETINGa person who buys goods, products, and services for their own use, not for business use or to resellDemand for autos is increasing as consumers feel more confident about the economy.Oil price rises will be passed on to the consumer (=consumers in general) in higher costs.research on consumer behaviour2ECONOMICSa person, organization, industry, or country that uses products, services, energy, or natural materialsSouth Africa is one the world’s major coal producers and a significant coal consumer. 