For decades, the Swiss economy has thrived by catering to the demands of the global elite for quality goods and discreet financial services.
In fact, many Bavarian businesses say their biggest problem these days is a shortage of skilled workers to fill positions that would help meet a growing demand for German quality goods.
As post-communist economies grow, so will the demand for quality steel, particularly from the large automotive and white-goods manufacturers.
Thanks to a boom in demand for quality U.S. wine, and a buy-and-hold ethic for good land, Beckstoffer now owns 3,000 acres, worth perhaps $200 million, in Napa and Mendocino counties.
There is an increasing demand for quality fiction.
Poor education systems have lowered the demand for quality media.
Meanwhile, societal demand for quality healthcare is ever increasing.
"There is a demand for good quality," she said of the items she crochets, "and when it is handmade I choose the colors and the threads".
"With the Wall Street settlement, there's a rising demand for good quality independent research," said Kenneth Shea, managing director for global equity research at S.& P. "Even sophisticated investors who understood how the game was being played, with all the inherent biases, have been looking for an alternative to analyst reports".
As a result, given the public demand for good quality and prompt national healthcare, policymakers have extensively focused on average and excessive waiting time as key performance indicators.
