Guccis or Gadgets?

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By Hannan Fairfield.

How people spend their discretionary income – the cash that goes to clothing, electronics, recreation, household goods, alcohol – depends a lot on where they live. People living in Japan

spend more on recreation than they do on clothing, electronics and household goods combined. Americans spend a lot of money on everything.

When you have some extra cash padding your wallet, do you reach for the latest jeans or the sleekest new music player? Much of that decision, it seems, depends on where you live.

If you live in Greece, Italy or Egypt, you’ll probably choose textiles over technology. Greeks spend almost 13 times more money on clothing as they do on electronics.

“Italians and other Europeans love fashion; the greatest designs in the world come from those regions,” said Todd D. Slater, a retail analyst for Lazard Capital Markets in New York.

If you live in Australia or Taiwan, you might be more tempted by a new laptop computer or flat-screen television. Australians spend only 1.4 times more cash on clothes than they do on consumer electronics.

“Some areas in the Pacific Basin are technologically savvy, and clothing is very casual,” Mr. Slater said. “In Australia, what else do you need besides a bathing suit and a pair of Uggs?”