Of course, if the yuan becomes stronger versus the dollar that also means the dollar has weakened. This will make it even more important for U.S. citizens to have a way to access cash when needed as their buying power outside the U.S. can be less, making imported products and travel to other countries more expensive in comparison.

All of these scenarios are said to be good for the United States regardless. Although some experts believe that Asia will not have enough consumers to offset the drop in consumption in America. If they do increase as a world power and begin to buy more American goods, then the stronger yuan benefits Americans, even as the dollar declines. If the dollar declines, internally American-made goods look more attractive to people living in the United States and this can spur more commerce for homegrown goods.

The big mystery isn’t whether Asia will be a major player; it is how much influence they will have as a global player. For that reason, you can prepare for either a prolonged recession or a shorter one, by having some cash on hand. However, many experts are optimistic that Asia will play a leading role in pulling the world out of an economic downturn, including the United States.

Several Consumer Reports on Asian Consumers:

China Trend Watch - 2006 (PDF, 3.7mb)

Little Emperors, the first wave of China’s one-child policy, are entering the workforce. Having worked hard at school with a period of unprecedented growth, this most dedicated consumer group in China is enjoying income levels unmatched by that of previous generations. Born and raised in a period of economic boom, Little Emperors have grown up on a steady diet of foreign brands and western notions of consumption which they have happily adopted. Their voracious consumption will be the backbone of continued growth across China, creating new market opportunities for manufacturers and retailers.

Global Consumer Attitudes Towards Online Shopping, October 2005 (PDF, 251k)

More than 627 million people have shopped online, including over 325 million within the last month. Of them, over 212 million online shoppers mention Books as among the last three items they purchased online.

Consumers and Designer Brands: A Global ACNielsen Report (PDF, 3.07mb)
According to a recent ACNielsen survey, Ralph Lauren is currently the most popular designer brand globally, but Gucci and Giorgio Armani are the most aspired to, if money were no object. ACNielsen’s global online survey was conducted on the Internet in November, 2005, asking 21,000 consumers in 42 markets across Europe, Asia Pacific, UAE, North and Latin America about their current and aspirational fashion brand purchasing.

ACNielsen Global Consumer Opinions Survey – Cost of Living, April 2006 (PDF, 350k)

The ACNielsen Global Consumer Opinions Survey regarding money saving strategies when the cost of living rises was conducted in 42 markets across North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and South Africa. More than 23,500 consumers were surveyed online in November 2005 to gauge their approach to their budgets when times are tough. Download the data report (PDF, 4 MB) to see some of the interesting similarities and differences between regions and countries..

Asia Pacific Consumer Confidence Survey, 1st Half 2005 (PDF, 291k)

Asian consumers are clearly the world’s most optimistic at the moment, while the vast majority of Europeans and Americans remain firmly in the doldrums. Asia’s buoyant outlook is being driven by the emerging consumer powerhouses of China and India, while some of Europe’s largest economies of France, Germany and Italy are struggling with negative (or flat) growth, increasing unemployment and pockets of political instability.

Global Consumer Confidence Report - September 2006 (PDF, 204k)

While overall consumer confidence has been sustained, globally, consumers continue to cite the Economy (47%), Health (37%) and Job Security (31%) as their major concerns for the next six months. This latest ACNielsen Online Consumer Confidence and Opinion Survey, conducted in late May/early June, polled about 21,780 internet users in 40 markets from Europe, Asia Pacific, North America to the Baltics.

More can be found here: ACNielsen Global Consumer Reports

The report cited was developed by New York Internet marketing firm eMarketer on electronic business-to-consumer sales in China, Japan and Korea targeted to western companies that plan to expand their operation to these countries.

Reason why these are market to break, according to the report:

• Competition from domestic rivals but from growing regional powers like South Korea’s online retailer and auctioneer Gmarket, which went public last year and plans to enter the Japan and China markets soon.
• Customer preferences, unlike in the west, where online retailers ship products from regional mailing centers, security-conscious Japanese consumers prefer to order online but pickup their goods and pay for them in cash, either at a nearby convenience store, or COD
• In South Korea, mall owners have created cyber-malls in which they host online retailers and help them by offering transaction, logistical and customer service support

The article also mentioned about how the serious lack of telecommunications infrastructure in India and China continues to plague the availability of home Internet access

Read full article here: Asia a Tough Market for Internet Commerce

The 23 pages report that the article use can be purchase here: Asia-Pacific B2C E-Commerce: China, Japan and South Korea (eMarketer.com)