Figure 26
Volume sales of batteries, by type, 2005-09
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Change 2005-09
m m m m m
%
Column1
Column2
Column3
Column4
Column5
Column6
Column7
Alkaline
492
516
517
512
481
-2
Zinc Carbon
80
76
69
65
69
-14
Recharge Cells
9
11
13
14
14
56
Specialist/other
16
16
16
20
20
25
Total
596
620
615
611
584
-
According to the information given in Figure 26, I have designed a graph which represents the sales of zinc batteries for period between 2005 up to 2009, (Figure C). We can see that in 2005 there were more zinc batteries sales, 80 million, than any other given years, followed by 2006, 76 million. In 2007 we can see sales dropping further to 69 million, and 2008 declined more to 65 million. In 2009 we can see sales picking up again to 69 million. Although in year 2005 and 2006, there were more sales of zinc batteries, but we can see that alkaline batteries are still the most popular batteries with most sales, (see figure 29). This is because alkaline batteries are good quality and stay longer than zinc batteries. The decrease in sales in 2007 to 2008 can be due to recession, people did not have a lot of money, so they were saving by buying long lasting batteries, alkaline batteries, hence we see that alkaline batteries had most sales in 2007 and 2008, (Figure 29). In 2009 the sales of zinc batteries picked up again, this is due to people recovering from recession. We can see that when zinc battery sales picked up in 2009, there is a drop in alkaline battery sales. This means people started to have money, and buying more zinc batteries, which are cheaper. This can be explained more in terms of income elasticity of demand. Income elasticity of demand is the responsiveness of demand to changes in income. People tend to spend more on goods
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