Non-Price Determinants of Demand

Non-price determinants of demand refer to factors other than the current price that can potentially influence the need for a service or product, resulting in a shift in its demand curve. In other words, these factors are very crucial economically as they can impact the demand for a service or product, irrespective of its current price.

• The term "non-price determinants of demand" refers to elements outside the current price that could influence the need for a service or product, shifting the demand curve.
• Expected price, price of comparable items, income, and quantity of prospective consumers are the four main subcategories of the non-price drivers of demand.
• The non-price determinants of demand are crucial for businesses when developing promotion and marketing strategies if they wish to promote their products effectively.

It is very commonly seen that economists usually emphasize the importance of price in the determining of demand for a service or product in the market. Consequently, we find that price is added to the demand in almost all demand curves. But various other factors also affect the need for a service or product. Moreover, additional research proves that price is not the only variable affecting the demand curve. The demand curve can also be affected by several other underlying determinants called the non-price factors.

Example #1

One of the major non-price factors to impact the demand curve is income. So, let us take an example to illustrate the influence of income on demand for organic vegetables, which is considered a product with elastic demand.

During a decade, the per capita income of a particular country witnessed significant improvement that resulted in a noticeable shift in lifestyle. Consequently, the per capita consumption of organic vegetables also saw a drastic increase. Here, we can see that income (non-price factor) has resulted in the demand for organic vegetables.

Example #2

Now, let us look at another non-price factor (the price of complementary goods) to illustrate the concept. Let us take the example of the demand for passenger vehicles and the cost of gasoline.

When there is a significant decline in the price of gasoline, it can be seen that there is an increase in the purchase of passenger vehicles as people prefer to use their vehicles rather than shared commute arrangements. So, here we can see that the price of gasoline (non-price factor) has resulted in the change in demand for passenger vehicles.

The non-price determinants of demand can be classified into four major categories: -

#1 - Expected Price

When the price of a particular product is expected to drop soon, then it is likely that the demand for that product may fall or become flat until the expected change crystallizes. Similarly, if the price of that product is expected to increase, then its demand may surge in the short term in anticipation of the increase.

#2 - Price of Related Goods

Another critical non-price determinant of demand is the price of related goods – substitute goods and complementary goods.

Substitute goods are those whose price change has an inverse impact on the demand for related goods. For example, if the price of substitute goods increases, the demand for the associated goods falls and vice versa.

On the other hand, complementary goods are those whose price change directly impacts the demand for related goods. Unlike substitute goods, the price of complementary goods and the demand for associated goods move in tandem.

#3 - Income

Consumer income is one of the most important non-price determinants of demand. In addition, consumer income is one of the most important non-price determinants of demand for normal and inferior goods.
Normal goods are those goods whose demand moves in sync with the income. When the consumer income increases, the demand for normal goods also increases accordingly, while the demand decreases or ceases entirely in case of a decline in income.

Normal goods are those goods whose demand moves in sync with the income. When the consumer income increases, the demand for normal goods also increases accordingly, while the demand decreases or ceases entirely in case of a decline in income.

Inferior goods are those that consumers tend to avoid as their income increases. Please note that cheap goods are not always low quality, but generally, the demand for such goods declines with increased consumer income and vice versa. An inverse relationship between demand and consumer income. 

#4 - Number of Potential Consumers

The number of potential consumers indicates the portion of the potential buyers in any given market. When the number of potential consumers increases, then it is likely that the demand for the available goods, products, and services will also increase. Similarly, a decrease in potential consumers results in a demand reduction. 

From the perspective of companies who intend to market their product effectively, the demand’s non-price determinants play a crucial part in developing promotion and marketing strategies. Furthermore, these non-price factors can change a product’s life span due to innumerable things, such as climate, branding, demography, etc. Therefore, it is important to keep track of these factors over and above the primary pricing factor to market the product efficiently.

This article is a guide to non-price determinants of demand definition. We discuss non-price determinants of demand examples, graphs, and benefits. Also, you can learn more about it from the following articles: -

• Unitary Elastic Demand
• Inelastic Demand Examples
• Aggregate Demand Formula
• Cross Price Elasticity of Demand