the old economy
noun[S]
ukusECONOMICS
traditionalindustriessuch asmanufacturing,consideredas agroup:
Examples ofmembersof theoldeconomyincludethesteel,automobile, andenergyindustries.
Someignoredthetechboombyinvestingin old-economycompaniessuch asbreweries.
Compare
the new economy