Op de pof

Summary

Buying on the instalment plan is far from popular in The Netherlands. A survey of Dutch households, taken in 1965, shows that over twothirds of those interviewed rated purchasing goods „on tick” negatively.

However, families in the earlier stages of the life cycle and those in middle income brackets looked upon consumer credit with less disfavour than those outside these groups. This differential pattern of attitudes is approximately reflected in actual behavior.

Multivariate analysis of 1965-data on the use of retail instalment credit by Dutch households points out that

• 1) the use of instalment credit is mainly influenced by the family life cycle stage, the younger families (e.g. those with children under 15) using this type of credit significantly more frequently than the older families;

• 2) the use of instalment credit is associated more with the lower and lower-middle income groups than with the higher income brackets.

Furthermore, the average family buying on the instalment plan shows under-average savings with savings banks. In all, less than 30 pCt of the households reported ever having bought on the instalment plan.