Writing Task 2 Topic - Consumer Goods

People in the community can buy cheaper products nowadays.

Do advantages outweigh disadvantages?

Band 8.0 Model Answer

The development of technology combined with living in the city gives people the chance
to purchase products at cheaper prices. While I agree that this opportunity is
advantageous to some extent, I am seriously concerned that the drawbacks it brings can
be detrimental to the living society.

It is understandable that being able to buy cheaper product is substantially beneficial.

Saving money is probably the first and foremost merit of this trend. Instead of spending
a significant amount of monthly expenditure on clothes or basic necessities as they used
to do in the previous years, consumers can now spare a larger proportion of their budget
on important needs including better education and nutrition. In addition, the availability
of low-priced products grants consumers more spending choices and boost overall
consumption. Since products become more affordable and accessible, even low-income
people now can purchase a certain range of consumer goods to satisfy their different
needs. Thanks to this, people from all walks of life can enjoy sufficient living without
paying much.

However, I strongly believe that purchasing cheaper goods has its downsides which
seem overshadow the benefits. Firstly, health threats to consumers and workers are two
major problems of this trend. To save costs, manufactures may accept the usage of
unsafe cheap chemicals and low-quality ingredients which undoubtedly affect
customers’ health. Moreover, mass production is also associated with worker
exploitation and international outsourcing systems that render poor countries labour-
intensive. Secondly, cost-effectiveness of this practice is not guaranteed since products
of lower prices usually come with short shelf life and low quality. Therefore, in certain
cases, customers may not save money but also have to spend more than they should
have to fix or to purchase new products.

In conclusion, people’s access to cheaper products has its own good sides. However, the
shortcomings are more remarkable that they should be taken into serious consideration.