What were the causes most responsible for the consumer revolution in the eighteenth century?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Consumer consumption changed in this time period because goods became cheaper and more widely available. Instead of goods being targeted to or affordable only by the wealthy, there was less emphasis on goods as luxury and more on manufactured goods as necessary to the no longer self-sufficient household. Further, according to Smith's invisible hand theory, the creation of circles of trade that were dynamic and interlinked benefitted not just the individual, but society overall. Thus, an individual's interest in tea did not simply mean that the tea merchant benefitted, but so did the producer of teapots, the importers of china teacups, etc. What changed significantly in the eighteenth century is that middle and lower classes began to emulate the tastes of the wealthy and bought goods that were now cheaper and more widely available. Particularly in home furnishings, people began to create households that were more pleasant and more private, with better furniture and decorations. The accumulation of possessions can be attributed to more people working for a cash wage, more growth in the resale market, and holding goods in reserve against bad times.