The Study of the Demand of the Population and Problems of Information

The comprehensive study of social needs and consumer demand is one of the important directions in further raising the scientific level of planning. Of particular importance in this area of research is the elaboration and construction of scientifically substantiated forecasts of the demand of the population, the existence of which makes it possible to resolve many important practical problems in the development of the national economy. Among the latter are: optimization of the structure of social production in accordance with social needs and the demand of the population; the compilation of plans for the development of individual branches of industry that produce consumer goods and of related branches that deliver the raw materials, supplies, and equipment for their production; the elaboration of commodity supply plans for retail trade, plans for the optimal distribution of commodity resources between urban and rural trade, as well as between individual regions and districts throughout the country, plans for the optimal control of commodity stocks, etc.