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Ni Consumers Are Key To Vibrant Economy

Wednesday 27 June 2007

With spending power of £14 billion and rising, Northern Ireland consumers are big business. Yet each household here loses £358 every year because they don’t know their consumer rights or complain effectively when things go wrong. The statement came at the prestigious third international Consumer Sciences Research Conference, opened by Eleanor Gill, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council.

As keynote speaker at the Conference and Visiting Professor at the University of Ulster, Eleanor Gill said: “Confident and responsible consumers have the power to build a vibrant economy by helping businesses perform and compete better.  However, they can lose out on the best deals because they don’t complain, shop around or demand value for their hard-earned cash. Building consumer power by improving consumer skills is a challenge for professionals and academics alike.”

The Conference – Improving Consumer Skills – Improving Consumer Choice - takes place at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown from 27 to 29 June with leading Consumer Science experts from all over the world.  Delegates will hear contributors discuss issues like the 21 century consumer, buying on the Internet, effective money management and the impact of debt, food safety and diet.

  1. Consumer Council media contact: Susie Brown, telephone, 028 9067 4807 or e-mail, sbrown@consumercouncil.org.uk.  
  2. The Consumer Council is an independent consumer organisation, working to bring about change to benefit Northern Ireland’s consumers. The Council campaigns for high standards of service and protection and a fair deal for all. It also carries out research, gives advice and publishes reports and other publications. It deals with individual complaints about electricity, natural gas, coal, passenger transport and water.
  3. For more information, visit our website at www.consumercouncil.org.uk

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