Strategy

The Social, Economic and Demographic Characteristics of Barbadian Young Adults

Business Intelligence, Strategy Design /

The next population census for Barbados is due in two years in 2020. By this time, the oldest Millennials will be 40 years old, comfortably in the middle of adulthood. This article considers how young adulthood has changed between the 2000 and 2010 Population census in Barbados, focusing on differences in timing and degree. The main finding is that Young Adults in 2010 were delaying starting a family and getting married, possibly due to longer stints of formal education and higher probabilities of unemployment.

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The Barbados Mortgage Market After Nine Years of Economic Strain

Strategy Design, The Economy /

The mortgage market has proven to be one of the more resilient consumer financial markets in Barbados, growing at elevated rates long after the economic downturn began. But from 2013, growth has been subdued. This article investigates key indicators that may explain the resilience of the mortgage market and shed some light on what will be required to spark a revival in mortgage growth.

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Exploring the Green Economy in Barbados

Strategy Design, The Economy /

The Barbados Green Economy Scoping Study provides an assessment of the potential of greening various industries in Barbados (tourism, agriculture, fisheries, housing and transport) as well as outlines a roadmap for promoting the spread of this idea throughout other areas of the economy and society. Through a stakeholder consultation process, the study outlines opportunities for greening each of the above areas within the context of the key cross-cutting issues of water, land, energy and waste.

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Small Business Financing in Barbados Are there really insufficient options?

Strategy Design /

In Barbados, there appears to be a general consensus that small businesses are vital contributors to economic growth in Barbados. There also appears to be widespread agreement that access to financing is a challenge in Barbados. This article explores the range of financing options available in Barbados and raises the possibility that the financing challenge may reflect mismatches between financiers and borrowers, and not the lack of financing.

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The Recovery of Consumer Spending

Business Intelligence, Operationalising Strategy, Strategy Design, The Economy /

The Barbados economy appears to be emerging from a prolonged economic slump, fueled mostly by personal consumption. In large measure, funding challenges appear to explain the contraction in consumer spending experienced throughout the downturn, and the shift from purchasing non-essential items (such as vehicles) to purchasing essential items (such as food) over the last 7 years. The year 2015, however, may turn out to be a pivotal year, as all sources of funding appear to be on the rise. This is positive news for consumer goods and retail businesses, as 2015 could mark the return of at least moderate growth in consumer spending.

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The ‘New’ British Visitor to Barbados

Business Intelligence, Strategy Design, The Economy /

Since the late 2000s the number of British visitors to Barbados has fallen considerably. We investigate demographics and travel patterns and find that the ‘new‘ visitor is very different from the pre-2008 visitor, with different spending patterns, demographic characteristics and travel planning behaviour. This shift raises important considerations about the future of the British market in Barbados.

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Where Did the Brits Go?

Business Intelligence, Strategy Design, The Economy /

One of the indirect effects of the global financial crisis on Barbados has been a reduction in visitor arrivals. While arrivals from all of Barbados’ main source markets felt the impact, the British market has been particularly hard hit: not only has the total number of visitors declined, but visitor expenditure has also fallen. There are a number of potential explanations that have ben posited. We examine these theories in this article.

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Increasing Downside Risks in Consumer Market Outlook for 2018

Business Intelligence, Operationalising Strategy, Strategy Design, The Economy /

The downside risks to our forecasts for the Barbados economy are particularly prevalent in the consumer market, as consumers are likely to bear the brunt of the budgetary measures introduced by the Government of Barbados in June 2018. Growth in nominal personal consumption has been depressed since 2014, a trend we expect to continue in 2018.

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Negative Outlook for Barbados Economy in 2018

The Economy /

There are many downside risks impacting on our outlook for the Barbados economy in 2018. Barbados is currently facing a number of economic challenges: it has one of the highest debt to GDP ratios in the world, it recently defaulted on its external debt obligations, the fiscal deficit remains stubbornly high and its stock of international reserves (in months of imports) is below international benchmarks.

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