经济危机难挡新加坡人爱美之心

Despite the threat of job losses and the country's deepest economic recession, seven in 10 Singaporeans will continue to spend on beauty products and services, a small industry survey showed.

One in every two polled said they spent at least S$50 ($33) a month on beauty products and a third said they would be cutting back on other lifestyle choices, not beauty, according to a survey by the organizer of the BeautyAsia 2009 exhibition.

"I don't think any of us has ever really appreciated how important looking good is to Singaporeans," show organizer Gillian Loh said in a statement.

"For the majority, it is a 'must-have' rather than a luxury."

Shopping is considered a pastime for many people in this small city-state of 4.6 million and cosmetics counters at department stores on central Orchard Road are often crowded.

The poll fits in with what economists often call the "lipstick factor," referring to the historic rise in sales of beauty products as consumers spend on small luxuries to offset their overall belt-tightening.

Despite the government's dire warning the economy could shrink by five percent this year, around 36 percent of respondents said they would keep their current standard of living, according to the poll of just under 100 people aged over 18, which was conducted in January.

Even those who said they would review their beauty spending would just switch to house brands over designer levels, it said.

一项小型行业调查显示，尽管面临失业威胁，国家陷入迄今最严重的经济衰退，但70%的新加坡人还将继续维持在美容产品和服务方面的开支。

这项调查由“2009亚洲美容美发展览”的主办方发起。调查显示：有一半的受访者称他们每月至少要在美容产品上花费50新币（33美元）；三分之一的人称他们将削减其它生活开支，但不会在美容上省钱。

展览组织者Gillian Loh在一份声明中说：“我认为我们从来都没有真正认识到美丽的外表对于新加坡人来说有多么重要。”

“对于大多数人来说，这是生活的必需品，而非奢侈品。”

在这个仅有46万人口的小国，购物被很多人视为一种消遣方式，在其市中心乌节路百货商场的化妆品柜台前，总是挤满了人。

这项调查的结果与经济学家常说的“口红效应”相一致，即当消费者为削减总体开支而只购买一些小奢侈品时，化妆品的销量会大幅上升。

尽管新加坡政府发出警告说今年国民经济可能会缩减5%，但约36%的受访者称他们将保持目前的生活水准。该调查于上月开展，仅对不到100名18岁以上的人进行了访问。

即使称要重新考虑美容开支的受访者也只是将从高档品牌转为普通品牌。

Vocabulary: 

belt-tightening:节省开支