ABSTRACT
It is unsurprising that marketers attach such strategic importance to the West European market-place. The region’s consumers, and there are some 400 million of them, are amongst the world’s most affluent with per capita income at around $30,000 purchasing power parity (PPP). Consumption levels in Western Europe are amongst the highest in the world with sizeable markets for consumer durables and other categories of goods. The bulk of the region sits within the borders of the European Union (EU), which is itself the world’s largest international trading bloc.
