Most recent papers:

• Virtual Influencers in Marketing and Business: A Systematic Review of Theories, Contexts, Characteristics, and Methods.
  Truong Thi Hue, Nguyen Thanh Phat.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 4 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis study systematically synthesizes research on virtual influencers (VIs) in business through the lens of the theory‐context‐characteristics‐methodology (TCCM) framework. Following the SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol, a systematic search and screening process was conducted, combining a macro‐level performance analysis of the broader literature with an in‐depth TCCM‐based content analysis of a journal‐filtered subset. The findings reveal that the field is heavily anchored in parasocial interaction theory and the source credibility model, concentrates empirically on tourism and hospitality contexts, and relies predominantly on quantitative and experimental methods. Limited integration exists between these established relational theories and emerging AI‐specific concerns, including algorithmic transparency, ethical risks, cultural variation, and long‐term consumer effects. This creates a central tension between social effectiveness and artificiality risk. The review contributes a structured knowledge map and a theory‐driven future research agenda emphasizing integrative model building, broader contextual and cross‐cultural investigation, and methodological diversity. These insights provide a foundation for advancing context‐sensitive and ethically informed scholarship on VIs in business.\n"]

  August 04, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70247   open full text
• Blockchain‐Enabled Traceability for Sustainable Consumption: Themes, Trends and a Research Agenda.
  Khanh Huy Nguyen, An Khang Trinh, Mai Dong Tran.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 4 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nSustainability attributes are often credence features, creating information frictions that can erode consumer confidence in sustainable products. Blockchain has been proposed as a credibility and coordination infrastructure that enhances transparency and traceability across supply chains, yet research at the blockchain–sustainable consumption interface remains fragmented. This study maps the intellectual structure and temporal evolution of this emerging domain using a bibliometric‐systematic literature review. A focused topic search of the Web of Science Core Collection (blockchain* AND (‘sustainab*’ NEAR/2 ‘consum*’)) yielded 112 records; after screening, 84 peer‐reviewed English‐language journal articles published between 2019 and 2026 were analysed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Keyword co‐occurrence, co‐citation, bibliographic coupling, co‐authorship analysis, timeline mapping and burst detection identify four dominant clusters: blockchain for circular supply chain performance; blockchain‐enabled transparency and sustainable consumer adoption; blockchain traceability in sustainable food consumption and pricing and competition in blockchain‐traceable supply chains. The findings indicate a shift from solution design and circular economy framing to traceability‐centred research that integrates consumer behaviour with supply chain management, with recent citation bursts highlighting behavioural mechanisms and supply chain management (2025–2026). The review consolidates dispersed evidence and advances a research agenda that emphasises boundary conditions, comparative disclosure regimes and stronger behavioural and operational validation.\n"]

  August 04, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70244   open full text
• Subscription‐Based Video on Demand Markets and Consumers: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda.
  Tanyeri Uslu, Ayşe Deniz Ünan Göktan.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 4 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis study provides an integrative review of subscription‐based video on demand (SVOD) consumption research published between 2015 and 2024, synthesizing 128 peer‐reviewed articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus. The review maps the theoretical foundations, geographical contexts, key research characteristics, and methodological approaches that shape the field using the TCCM framework. Findings reveal that SVOD consumption research is empirically driven and predominantly Western‐centric, with uses and gratifications, technology acceptance model, and cultural proximity emerging as frequently adopted theoretical perspectives. Five recurring thematic clusters are identified: algorithms and user agency; co‐created promotion and audience construction; consumer preference and media substitution; the domestication and intensification of SVOD engagement; and value‐expectation dynamics and consumer commitment. To strengthen the managerial and applied relevance of the review, the study complements the TCCM analysis with a 4P/4C marketing perspective, highlighting how content strategies, pricing, promotion, accessibility, and convenience jointly shape consumer value. Overall, the analysis demonstrates that SVOD consumption constitutes a hybrid media regime in which individual tastes and preferences intersect with processes of massification and transnationalization, as well as platform governance, domestication, and co‐creation of value. The study contributes by offering a structured synthesis of a fragmented literature and by outlining a research agenda that integrates consumer experience, platform strategies, and regulatory concerns.\n"]

  August 04, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70246   open full text
• Closing the Loop on Clothing Waste: Nudging and Incentives for Take‐Back Programs.
  Yujeong Won, Seyoon Jang, Yuri Lee.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 5 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThe environmental impact of textile waste disposal is a global concern, yet empirical research on consumers' participation in clothing take‐back programs at the disposal stage remains limited. Drawing on the push–pull–mooring (PPM) framework, this study examines consumers' switching intention from conventional clothing disposal to participation in formal take‐back programs and investigates how anchoring nudges and incentives condition this process. Two scenario‐based experiments were conducted using simulated social media posts promoting clothing return campaigns. Study 1 analyzed data from 250 Korean consumers assigned to a peer‐based anchoring nudge, a goal‐based anchoring nudge, or a control condition. Study 2 employed a 2 × 3 factorial design with 295 participants, combining the two anchoring nudges with social, financial, or no‐incentive conditions. PLS‐SEM and two‐stage interaction analyses revealed that push and pull factors increased switching intention, whereas mooring factors reduced it. Across both studies, pull factors exerted the strongest effect. The findings from Study 1 further indicated that anchoring nudges attenuated the negative effect of mooring factors. Study 2 demonstrated that incentives strengthened the effects of push and pull factors when they aligned with the reference point emphasized by the nudge: social incentives were most effective when paired with participation‐based social reference points, whereas financial incentives produced the strongest effects when linked to concrete return targets. These findings suggest that clothing take‐back campaigns should align motivational appeals, behavioral reference points, and reward structures while positioning consumer participation as part of broader textile circularity efforts.\n"]

  August 03, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70242   open full text
• Demystifying the Impact of Homophily on Continued Use Intention of AI‐Avatar–Assisted Shopping: Length of Shopping Experience as a Moderator.
  Neeru Sharma, Johra Kayeser Fatima, Sabina Yasmin.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 6 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis study examines the social‐cognitive mechanisms driving consumers' continued use intention of AI‐enabled shopping avatars in online retail. Grounded in the Computers Are Social Actors Paradigm, the study investigates how consumers' evaluations of AI‐avatar characteristics shape perceived homophily and subsequent relational and value‐based responses. Survey data from 1932 Australian consumers with prior AI‐avatar shopping experience were analysed using SmartPLS. Results indicate that perceived self‐efficacy and perceived competence are the strongest predictors of homophily, followed by anthropomorphism, system trust and perceived vulnerability. Homophily strongly influences perceived attractiveness and perceived warmth, while its direct effect on perceived value is comparatively weaker. Perceived attractiveness and warmth significantly enhance perceived value, which in turn drives continued use intention towards AI‐avatar–assisted shopping services. Multi‐group analysis further reveals that longer AI experience strengthens the effects of homophily on attractiveness and warmth but does not significantly moderate its relationship with perceived value. The findings extend understanding of AI‐mediated retail interactions by demonstrating how socially constructed perceptions of similarity shape relational evaluations and continued use intention of AI shopping avatars. The study also provides practical insights for designing AI avatars that are both socially engaging and value enhancing.\n"]

  August 02, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70243   open full text
• From Use to Value: How Immersive Virtual Reality Experiences Create Consumer Wellbeing.
  Dong Hong Zhu, Wen Qi Zhang.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 9 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nAdvances in immersive virtual reality (VR) technology and declining device prices have made it increasingly feasible for people to experience various VR applications in their daily lives. Activities that were previously performed in the physical world or in two‐dimensional digital environments can now be experienced in immersive VR environments. However, it remains unclear how immersive VR experiences create consumer wellbeing compared to other scenarios that can serve the same purpose. This study focuses on incremental value to fill this gap. Using a qualitative multi‐method approach, we analyze posts from 1372 actual VR device consumers and conduct in‐depth interviews with 18 students. The results find that immersive VR experiences can provide consumers with incremental utilitarian, hedonic, social, and epistemic value. These incremental values are associated with consumers' quality of life in terms of health, comfort, and hedonism, and may therefore contribute to consumer wellbeing. This study extends research on value and consumer wellbeing, and provides insights into improving consumer and social wellbeing, as well as corporate management practices.\n"]

  July 30, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70241   open full text
• Virtual Influencer and User Engagement: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda.
  Priyanka, Anil Kumar Kashyap, Satyabhusan Dash.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. 10 days ago
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 5, September 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nSocial media has emerged as a prominent tool for marketers offering direct access to billions of consumers. Its ability to build networks and share content propagates influencer marketing, where brands partner with trusted online personalities (influencers) to promote products or services. Currently, when marketers need more control and scalability, virtual influencers (VIs) are evolving as novel phenomena for endorsement and communication. This study presents a systematic literature review to provide a comprehensive view on user engagement with VIs. Guided by the Theory‐Context‐Characteristics‐Methodology (TCCM) and Input‐Mediator‐Outcome (IMO) frameworks, the study examines how VIs foster engagement and shape behavioral outcomes. The SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol ensured rigor, with 32 articles published in 21 ABDC‐listed journals retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. The study draws four interrelated themes from the literature: (i) appearance, characteristics, and credibility; (ii) influencer type; (iii) content quality and expertise; and (iv) privacy concerns and risks. Theoretically, VIs and user engagement are argued primarily by using the uncanny valley, source credibility, parasocial interaction, anthropomorphism, and computers are social actors (CASA). Contextually, VIs and user engagement are examined on social media marketing platforms with minor appearances of immersive digital environments, online booking, live‐streaming, corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication, and tourism promotion. Within the IMO framework, we find influencer, content, comparison, receiver, brand, social, technological, and cause‐related factors that operate as inputs, mediators, moderators, and outcomes. Methodologically, experimental and cross‐sectional designs dominate. We propose a roadmap urging scholars to integrate AI elements into theoretical models, cross‐validate scales across cultures and economies, further combine theories, and adopt multiplatform longitudinal approaches in emerging markets to capture the evolving nature of VIs. This review advances knowledge by reconciling contradictory findings, integrating frameworks for thorough evaluation, and offering actionable insights for practitioners navigating the dynamic landscape of virtual influencer marketing.\n"]

  July 29, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70237   open full text
• Designing Online Product Displays: How Visual Complexity Shapes Consumer Product Attitude.
  Xionghui Leng, Ping Du, Yajing He, Yulan Shi, Wenqing Wei.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 05, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 4, July 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nOnline product images serve as a primary interface through which consumers acquire information, evaluate offers, and make purchase decisions. Retailers frequently manipulate these images by varying the number of items, colors, and layouts, thereby changing their visual complexity. Drawing on dual‐process theory and processing fluency theory, this study examines how the visual complexity of product display images interacts with product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian) to shape consumer product attitudes. Using one exploratory marketplace observation from a major e‐commerce platform and three scenario‐based experiments, we show a robust interaction: high visual complexity enhances attitudes toward hedonic products but weakens attitudes toward utilitarian products, whereas low visual complexity produces the opposite pattern. Further analyses indicate that these effects are consistent with distinct metacognitive mechanisms. Complex displays of hedonic products increase affective fluency, whereas simple displays of utilitarian products increase cognitive fluency, which in turn fosters more favorable product attitudes. These findings position visual complexity as a strategic design lever for online retailers and clarify when “more is more” versus “less is more” in visual merchandising across product types.\n"]

  July 05, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70229   open full text
• Consumer Vulnerability in Financial Product Innovation: An Ethics of Care Perspective.
  Zam Suan Mung, Peter McGhee, Ayesha Scott.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 26, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 4, July 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nInnovation plays a significant role in improving economic and societal outcomes. However, its benefits are often undermined by a failure to adequately consider evolving consumer needs and the multifaceted nature of consumer vulnerability, raising ethical concerns. While product innovation generally targets consumer interests, service providers, including those in essential sectors such as finance, often rely on standardised consumer profiles that overlook the complexities of consumers' lived circumstances. Addressing this gap requires a deeper understanding of how financial product innovation engages with consumer vulnerability and the conditions under which it may lead to harmful outcomes. To explore this, we conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) examining how product innovation is discussed in relation to ethics and consumer vulnerability in the financial sector. Adopting the ethics of care framework as an analytical lens, we examine the intersection of ethics and consumer vulnerability in financial product innovation. Our findings suggest that institutions adopt various approaches to ethical (financial) product innovation, with varying degrees of attentiveness to consumer needs and vulnerability, responsibility, inclusivity, partnership and collaboration. By applying the ethics of care lens, this SLR contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between (financial) product innovation and consumer vulnerability, highlighting tensions and gaps in how innovation processes address consumer needs and identifying directions for future research.\n"]

  June 26, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70228   open full text
• Rethinking Household Food Waste: What Really Matters in Everyday Food Management.
  Lucie Veselá, Jan Podroužek, Lea Kubíčková.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 20, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nHouseholds account for over half of total food waste in Europe, with everyday food‐management practices playing a central role in its generation. Targeted interventions at the consumption stage are therefore critical for reducing food waste and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. This study applies machine‐learning techniques to identify the behavioral determinants of household food waste using survey data from 1536 Czech households. Among the tested models, Random Forest achieved the highest predictive accuracy (59.1%), enabling the classification of households based on waste‐related behaviors. Households with minimal food waste typically practiced regular and planned shopping, relied on shopping lists, monitored food storage, understood expiration labels, and were price‐sensitive. In contrast, factors such as purchase location, food appearance, or taste preferences showed no predictive value. These findings highlight that not all behavioral drivers contribute equally to household food waste. The results offer policy‐relevant insights into designing interventions: promoting informed shopping, targeting less price‐sensitive consumers, and improving storage knowledge are key leverage points. Beyond its methodological contribution, the study advances the conceptual understanding of household food waste by showing that waste behavior is structured primarily around planning capacity, perceived behavioral control, stock management, and routine food‐management practices, whereas several commonly assumed factors have limited predictive relevance.\n"]

  May 20, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70223   open full text
• What Does Ethical Imagery Look Like? An Experimental Examination of Potential Donor Perceptions of Nonprofit Marketing Imagery.
  Aimee E. Smith, Cassandra M. Chapman, Matthew J. Hornsey, Jessica L. Spence, Roland Bleiker, Emma Hutchison.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 12, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nNonprofit humanitarian imagery has long sparked ethical concerns, yet these critiques often overlook how such images are received by potential donors—even though donor support is essential to nonprofit success. Most work seeking to understand ethical imagery has been largely conceptual or focused on single image attributes. To understand holistically how potential donors perceive humanitarian imagery, we surveyed a large sample of U.S. residents (N = 1990) and asked them to evaluate 186 real images used by an international humanitarian aid nonprofit. The findings revealed clear patterns in what Western audiences consider ethical. Positive portrayals of children (such as smiling) led to higher ethical ratings, while images showing malnutrition diminished them. Photos featuring smiling aid workers (regardless of ethnicity) also boosted ethical perceptions. Some of these patterns echo existing scholarly critiques, such as concerns about depicting suffering, while others diverge from prior arguments, including positive portrayals of aid workers. Together, results suggest that donor perceptions of ethical imagery may not fully align with theoretical critiques, highlighting the need to integrate audience perspectives into ongoing ethical debates. To resonate ethically with potential donors, international nonprofits should consider moving away from negative stereotypes and instead highlighting the positive impact of their work. International nonprofits can use these findings to refine their image selection processes and inform their ethical guidelines.\n"]

  May 12, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70220   open full text
• Message Framing and Self‐Control in Food Waste Reduction: Time of Day as a Situational Proxy for Self‐Control Resources.
  Hyun Seung Jin, Chang‐Hoan Cho, Hyoje Jay Kim, Benjamin Sheehan.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 09, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis research examines message strategies to motivate individuals to reduce food waste, focusing on whether and how framing effects depend on self‐control resources as a boundary condition. Study 1 shows that loss‐framed messages increased intentions to reduce food waste when self‐control was low, but no framing effect emerged when self‐control was high. Building on evidence that self‐control is generally higher in the morning and declines by evening, Study 2 used time of day as a situational proxy for self‐control resources. Results indicate that loss‐framed messages were more effective in the evening, increasing willingness to purchase imperfect food, but no framing effect was observed in the morning. Study 3 replicated this pattern and found that loss‐framed messages increased participants' motivation to seek information about reducing food waste in the evening, but not in the morning. Perceived severity of the negative consequences of food waste mediated this framing effect.\n"]

  May 09, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70222   open full text
• Who Is Talking to the AI Assistants? A Consumer Segmentation Analysis.
  Omar H. Fares, Xingwei (Nancy) Yang, Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 23, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nConversational AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are changing how people seek information, support, and advice; however, users still interact with them in different ways. This study examines consumer heterogeneity in conversational AI engagement through a cluster analysis of 391 North American participants. The study identifies three distinct user segments: Confident Individual Adopters, Hesitant Pragmatists, and Socially‐Driven Tech Enthusiasts. The segments differ in evaluations and in how positive and negative beliefs co‐occur, especially around anxiety, trust, privacy, and social influence. These results suggest that conversational AI adoption is not a simple spectrum. Instead, users fall into distinct groups shaped by different motivations, concerns, and expectations. These findings contribute to consumer behavior research by showing how a segmentation lens clarifies psychological heterogeneity in AI interactions and offers practical guidance for tailoring design and communication strategies across user groups.\n"]

  April 23, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70219   open full text
• Buying Goods for Doing Good? Searching for Answers From Consumers' Responses to Consumption Philanthropy.
  Xinying Zeng, Yaoqi Li, Yuning Weng, Tzung‐Cheng Huan.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 21, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nConsumption philanthropy, a marketing tool that combines purchasing behavior with charitable giving, is gaining more and more attention from hospitality companies. However, few studies have explored how to optimize consumption philanthropic statements to achieve stronger consumer responses. This study combines communication strategies with consumption philanthropy to explore what donation subject can be emphasized in consumption philanthropic statements to better stimulate consumers' purchase intentions. Two experiments were conducted to elucidate the persuasive effects and boundary conditions of consumption philanthropic statements that emphasize different donation subjects. The results suggest that joint donation of consumption philanthropic statements leads to stronger purchase intentions than either customer‐oriented or company‐oriented donation statements, as well as highlighting the mediating role of customer–company identification in the effect of consumption philanthropic statements on purchase intentions. In addition, it is emphasized that differential impacts from different donation subjects exist only in the context of low‐involvement consumers. This study explores how communication strategies can be adapted to achieve superior consumption philanthropy performance, which not only contributes to the consumption philanthropy literature but can also guide hospitality companies in improving their consumption philanthropy practices.\n"]

  April 21, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70218   open full text
• Decoding Information Cascades: The Role of Product Type and Gender in Online Shopping Decisions.
  Zhun Jiang, Peng Zhu, Chun Miao, Jiacun Wang, Xiaotong Li.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nOnline shopping platforms create an ideal environment for information cascades to occur. Utilizing real‐world consumer online shopping data from Tmall, we employ panel regression analysis, instrumental variable estimation, and panel quantile regression to empirically examine information cascades in consumer decision‐making and the moderating effects of product type and gender differences. Our results indicate that consumers' purchasing choices are significantly influenced by product sales rankings after controlling for network and word‐of‐mouth effects, as predicted by information cascade theory. Information cascades are more pronounced for experience goods than search goods, and they are more significant for female than male consumers in online product purchases. Our findings further suggest that gender differences exert a stronger moderating effect than product type on the impact of information cascades in online shopping. Specifically, information cascades are most pronounced for women purchasing experience goods online, followed by women purchasing search goods, men purchasing experience goods, and are least pronounced for men purchasing search goods.\n"]

  April 16, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70217   open full text
• Craving Luxury: The Impact of Distance Desire, Desire Satiation, and the Feel‐Good Factor on High‐Priced Purchase Intentions.
  Xinting Hou, Manfei Yao, Sedigheh Moghavvemi.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 15, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nUnderstanding tourists' intentions to buy high‐priced goods requires consideration of both motivational and emotional factors. This study explores the roles of distance desire, desire satiation, and the feel‐good factor as antecedents within the theory of planned behaviour. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling, necessary condition analysis, and combined importance–performance map analysis, this study assesses both sufficient and necessary conditions. The results indicate that all three constructs affect attitudes and perceived behavioural control, which in turn indirectly affect purchase intention. Desire satiation and the feel‐good factor are crucial for fostering positive attitudes, with the feel‐good factor also serving as a key constraint. These results extend the theory of planned behaviour by demonstrating that its cognitive foundation is affected not only by rational processes but also by motivational and emotional influences. This underscores the significance of addressing emotional needs and suppressed desires in influencing purchase decisions during tourism shopping.\n"]

  April 15, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70216   open full text
• Serving the Weak or Strong? The Strategic Role of Live‐Streamers' Service Inclusion in Live‐Streaming e‐Commerce.
  Xiaoqi Sun, Xiushuang Gong, Peiqi Zheng.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 08, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThe growing popularity of live‐streaming e‐commerce has transformed consumer shopping experiences, with live‐streamers playing a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior. Grounded in a theoretical framework that integrates authenticity and social responsibility, this study investigates how live‐streamers' service inclusion (serving weak vs. strong sellers) influences consumer purchase intention and loyalty. It highlights perceived live‐streamer authenticity as a key mechanism and examines the moderating effect of live‐streamer popularity. Four experiments with 860 participants reveal that live‐streamers serving weak (vs. strong) sellers are perceived as more authentic, leading to stronger purchase intention and live‐streamer loyalty. These effects are particularly pronounced for lesser‐known live‐streamers, for whom service inclusion constitutes a critical factor in building self‐authenticity. This study introduces service inclusion as a novel driver of consumer purchasing behavior in live‐streaming e‐commerce, demonstrating its potential to support underperforming sellers and promote marketplace fairness. The findings enrich the literature on live‐streaming e‐commerce and service inclusion while providing actionable insights for live‐streamers and platforms aiming to foster inclusivity and equity in the rapidly evolving e‐commerce ecosystems.\n"]

  April 08, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70214   open full text
• AI‐Enabled Consumer Services and Subjective Well‐Being.
  Tae‐Young Pak.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 08, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nArtificial intelligence (AI) is being rapidly integrated into consumer services, yet its impact on users' well‐being remains unclear. Moving beyond prior research on access and usage intentions, this study evaluates whether AI‐enabled consumer services enhance perceived quality of life. Using the 2024 Digital Information Gap Survey (N = 11,596) in South Korea, this study constructs a comprehensive AI engagement measure across eight domains (education, home automation, communication, media, finance, transportation, health, and generative AI) and examines its relationship with life satisfaction. The results of ordinary least squares and two‐stage least squares regressions (using digital education engagement as an instrument) show a positive association between AI use and life satisfaction, driven primarily by home automation and smart mobility services. Subgroup analyses indicate that the association observed in the general population is not significant among vulnerable populations, including rural workers, individuals with disabilities, and low‐income households. These findings suggest that AI‐enabled consumer services generally increase subjective well‐being, but the benefits depend on the service context and user characteristics.\n"]

  April 08, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70212   open full text
• Consumers Preferences for Presence‐Focused Nutrition Claims in China.
  Jingjing Wang, Chenguang Li, Xiaoxia Dong, Zhifeng Gao, Eileen Gibney, Shuhua Yang, Lauren McGuinness, Nessa Noronha, Emma Feeney.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 07, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nHighlighting the nutritional value through front‐of‐package nutrition labels is an effective way to make healthier food products stand out in order to attract consumers. However, there is a lack of discussion on presence‐focused nutrition claim (e.g., ‘high in calcium’) compared to absence‐focused nutrition claim (e.g., ‘reduced fat’), but the former may be more appealing when making food choices. This study aimed to identify the effects of front‐of‐pack nutrition content claims (‘source of’, ‘high in’) for protein, calcium, omega‐3 and vitamin D on Chinese consumers' willingness to pay for milk products. The random parameter logit model reveals that nutrition content claims about calcium led to greater acceptance and willingness to pay for the product, followed by omega‐3, protein and vitamin D. The claim ‘high in’ was more attractive than ‘source of’ for all nutrients considered. The latent class model identified four consumer groups based on their nutritional preferences, with heterogeneity explained by psychological factor and actual food intake. In light of these results, strategies emphasizing the calcium content of milk products or targeting ‘high in’ buyers are proposed.\n"]

  April 07, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70211   open full text
• Enough to Last? Subjective Financial Well‐Being in Retirement: The Role of Beliefs, Emotions, and Behaviors.
  Jody Evans, Teagan Altschwager.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 06, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nPopulation aging raises important questions about retirees' subjective financial well‐being (SFWB). Yet most research focuses on wealth accumulation, overlooking how SFWB unfolds during the decumulation stage of life. This study explores how SFWB manifests during retirement and the individual and ecosystem factors that influence it. Through focus groups and interviews with 272 Australian participants, including retirees and ecosystem members, we develop a dynamic tri‐component framework in which beliefs, emotions, and behaviors shape SFWB. We show that SFWB in retirement is not a static assessment of financial resources, but an evolving system that is influenced by unexpected life events, policy changes, planning engagement, and media narratives. Interventions like lifestyle‐based planning and scenario modelling can help retirees move from uncertainty and fear toward confidence and financial resilience. Our study extends prior models of FWB and offers practical pathways for supporting retirees through integrated cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies.\n"]

  April 06, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70207   open full text
• Are You Willing to Pay for “Greater Environmental Friendliness”? The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Products' Environmental Benefits.
  Demin Wan, Pengyi Shen, Aonan Zhu.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 31, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nWith the increasing popularity of green consumption, this study investigates how product environmental benefits influence consumers' willingness to pay. Drawing upon the illusion of control theory, the research specifically distinguishes between autonomous (AI‐driven) and static (non‐AI‐driven) environmental benefits, while also examining the mediating effect of perceived control and the moderating effect of environmental locus of control. Through one field and two scenario experiments, the study found that autonomous environmental benefits exert a stronger positive influence on willingness to pay compared to static benefits. Furthermore, this relationship is significantly mediated by perceived control, and this mediating effect is particularly pronounced for consumers with an external environmental locus of control. These findings extend the theoretical application of the illusion of control theory in the green consumption context and offer valuable insights for designing compelling environmentally friendly products and formulating effective green marketing strategies.\n"]

  March 31, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70215   open full text
• Customer Imagination—An Integrative Review.
  Hai‐Bich Huy Bui, Nguyen‐Hau Le.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 30, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nImagination is a fundamental cognitive function in every human's mind. However, in consumer research, the elusive concept of customer imagination was neglected for a long time and has only gained greater attention in the last few years. Based on the bibliometric analysis of 217 articles guided by the PRISMA protocol, this review maps the evolution and intellectual structure of the concept using performance analysis, co‐word analysis, and science mapping. The findings reveal that the literature is concentrated in three distinct research streams: a foundational cognitive stream focused on mental imagery; an experiential and technology‐driven stream centered on immersive technologies such as AR, VR, and metaverse; and an emerging stream focused on new frontiers like AI. In most of these studies, customer imagination is viewed as a natural capacity to transform external marketing information into mental representations for envisioning future happenings, leading to customer decisions. The review also indicates a paucity of studies on domain‐specific conceptualization and the roles of customer imagination before, during, and after their consumption experience. It then proposes a future research agenda organized around four key themes: (1) advancing the conceptualization and measurement of the construct in the marketing domain; (2) examining its antecedents, consequences, and relationships with other marketing concepts; (3) exploring its dynamic role across the entire consumption journey; and (4) developing appropriate methodological approaches for studying customer imagination.\n"]

  March 30, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70203   open full text
• Customer–Robot Interaction Beyond the First Encounter: A Reciprocal Framework and Quadrant Model for Value Co‐Creation.
  Long Pham, Tatbeeq Raza‐Ullah, Hamid Shaker.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 30, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nAs service robots move from factory floors to frontline service encounters, their success increasingly depends on the quality of customer‐robot interaction (CRI). Existing studies, however, remain fragmented and predominantly grounded in linear technology adoption models, offering limited insight into the dynamic and reciprocal nature of CRI over time. Addressing this gap, this systematic literature review synthesises 113 peer‐reviewed articles and makes two main contributions. First, it develops a reciprocal framework that conceptualises CRI as path‐dependent process in which drivers and barriers shape experiential responses, leading to attitudinal and behavioural outcomes that, in turn, recalibrate customer expectations through feedback loops. This framework advances prior one‐way technology adoption models (e.g., TAM/UTAUT) by focusing on the value creation through repeated interactions in robotic service encounters. Second, the review introduces a quadrant‐based model of robot‐task fit structured by task complexity and service goal orientations. Extending existing robot typologies, this model specifies when particular experiential mechanism dominate and how reciprocal feedback loops vary across four robot roles: mechanical, analytical, socially interactive, and empathetic. Together, these contributions offer a holistic and contingent understanding of CRI, generating actionable insights for future research developments and for the design of effective, human‐centric service robots.\n"]

  March 30, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70208   open full text
• Digital Content Consumption and Youth Consumers' Purchase Behaviour: How Short‐Form Videos Influence Generation Z Consumers in e‐Commerce.
  Pei‐Hsuan Tsai.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 30, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nFocusing on digital content marketing (DCM) and youth consumers' purchase behaviour, this study examined how short‐form videos, as a marketing tool for e‐commerce, influence the purchase intentions of Generation Z consumers in Taiwan, based on the value‐attitude‐behaviour (VAB) model. The multiple attribute decision‐making (MADM) method was adopted to examine 624 valid questionnaire sets. An influential network relations map (INRM) was constructed based on the causal relationships between the evaluation indicators identified using the decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. The results identified utilitarian value as the most significant factor influencing purchase intention, reflecting Generation Z consumers' emphasis on product functionality and practicality. Electronic word‐of‐mouth communication emerged as the central determinant of consumer behaviour, highlighting Generation Z consumers' reliance on peer‐generated reviews and recommendations from opinion leaders. This study's integration of the VAB model and MADM method improves theoretical understanding, while the findings offer e‐commerce platforms pertinent insights into how to effectively design and implement content strategies targeting Generation Z consumers for higher purchasing engagement.\n"]

  March 30, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70204   open full text
• Why Consumers Resist Electric Cars: An Analysis of Purchase Barriers.
  Gandolfo Dominici, Mario Tani, Elena‐Mădălina Vătămănescu, Dan‐Cristian Dabija.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 30, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nMost research on fully electric cars (ECs) still focuses on adoption drivers, treating obstacles either residually or as the simple inverse of drivers. This leaves practitioners with unprioritised lists of barriers and little guidance on which deterrents to tackle first, especially in late‐adopting contexts. Southern Italy—characterised by high car ownership, low EC uptake, and infrastructural constraints—offers a critical setting to examine latent resistance. We reframe the Kano model as a diagnostic for innovation resistance and adopt a three‐phase qualitative design: expert interviews to scope ownership frictions; a focus group to explore how consumers articulate them; and a Kano questionnaire to classify EC attributes and identify which ones trigger dissatisfaction when unmet and which yield proportional gains when improved. The analysis classifies ten attributes into two must‐be, six one‐dimensional, and two indifferent categories. Battery durability/warranty clarity and recharging infrastructure emerge as high‐priority levers, while resale value and “cool factor” are currently indifferent. By mapping Kano categories onto innovation‐resistance mechanisms, the study proposes a transferable framework for diagnosing resistance in late‐adopting markets and clarifies when functional versus symbolic attributes dominate. Implications are derived for firms (warranty transparency, cost‐containment, infrastructure partnerships) and policy makers (infrastructure reliability, disclosure standards, risk‐sharing instruments).\n"]

  March 30, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70205   open full text
• How TikTok Influences Gen Z's Consumer Decisions: A Systematic Review.
  Yan Lu, Xinyang Ding, Yujun Lin.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 29, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis systematic review synthesizes existing research on how TikTok influences Gen Z consumer decision‐making. As the platform's popularity surges, its unique features—including the algorithm‐driven “For You” page, influencer marketing, and live streaming formats—form a distinctive ecosystem. Analysis based on the PRISMA framework reveals two core influence pathways: (1) Cognitive Trust, which encompasses how algorithmic recommendations drive product discovery and shape preferences, while influencer endorsements and authentic reviews establish rational trust and brand awareness; and (2) Affective Trust, which arises as immersive content fosters emotional resonance and a sense of presence, leveraging FoMO and instant gratification to prompt impulse purchases. Findings indicate TikTok has transcended social networking to become a powerful engine integrating entertainment, social interaction, and commerce, fundamentally reshaping the consumer journey from awareness to purchase.\n"]

  March 29, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70206   open full text
• Consumer Behavior in the Gig Economy Model: Systematic Literature Analysis and Prominent Dynamics.
  Zübeyir Çelik, Mehmet Sağlam, Reha Saydan.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 29, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis study presents a systematic review of studies on consumer behavior in the gig economy. 32 documents obtained from Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases were analyzed and 17 studies were included in the review. The literature has only examined factors influencing consumer behavior within the context of the gig economy. There is no systematic literature review that includes comprehensive and multidimensional analysis techniques. The study is original in terms of examining the relationships and clustering tendencies between variables by using content analysis, bibliometric analysis and network analysis methods together and tries to fill this gap in the literature. As a result of the review carried out using SPAR‐4 SLR protocol, factors affecting consumer behavior in the gig economy were determined, interrelationships among these factors were explored through network analysis by VOSviewer and UCINET software. The study revealed that service quality and social impact were the most dominant factors, and also showed that some factors formed certain cluster structures and that only study attributes could affect the inclusion of a publication in an indexed journal/conference proceedings book. As a result of the study, the findings were discussed, theoretical and practical implications and future research directions were included.\n"]

  March 29, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70209   open full text
• “Don't Fail With Me. I Will Complain”! A Study on Consumer Negative Emotions and Behaviours.
  Matheus Frohlich Marquetto, Marta Olivia Rovedder de Oliveira, Amélia Maria Pinto da Cunha Brandão.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 29, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis paper aims to understand the motivations of consumers in emerging countries to express negativity on social media, respect e‐commerce service failures, and identify the most prevalent negative emotions revealed. In Study 1, 54 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with individuals who had recently complained about online stores on the X platform, and the data were analysed using content analysis. Study 2 employed structural equation modelling (N = 520) and drew on consumers who had complained on the X social media platform. The results show personal, social and consumer‐to‐company‐oriented motivations for negative eWOM on X. The most recurrent negative emotions were anger and dissatisfaction. The results also revealed that gender influences consumer emotions and behaviours. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study demonstrates for the first time that, from the perspective of emerging countries, a low level of negativity, that is, dissatisfaction, is a sufficient motivation trigger for consumer complaints and even to avoid new purchases from the company.\n"]

  March 29, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70200   open full text
• Promotion Complexity and Consumer Confusion: Evidence of the Dark Side of Online Sales Events.
  Chun Fong LEI, Mimmy M. C. Kong.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 29, 2026
  ["International Journal of Consumer Studies, Volume 50, Issue 3, May 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis study investigates the negative impacts of complex marketing initiatives during online sales events, also known as online shopping carnivals (OSCs). We focus on consumer confusion and how it affects consumer behavior. OSCs, such as China's Double Eleven, can boost sales and consumer engagement, but they also present challenges. Using data from a scenario‐based survey, this research examines how the complexity of marketing initiatives run by platforms and merchants increases consumer confusion, reduces purchase intention, leads to negative word‐of‐mouth, and decreases perceived enjoyment. The results suggest that although marketing initiatives are designed to enhance consumer engagement, their complexity can result in undesirable outcomes. This highlights the dark side of OSCs. Our findings have valuable implications for e‐commerce practitioners seeking to optimize their marketing strategies and ensure satisfied customers during OSCs. In particular, platforms and merchants may benefit from simplifying marketing terms and collaborating to avoid conflicting offers, thereby reducing consumers' cognitive overload.\n"]

  March 29, 2026   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.70210   open full text
• Transitioning into a ‘Throwaway Planet'.
  John McCollough, Mehmet Fatih Bayramoglu, Miao He.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 17, 2017
  It is generally considered to be safer for the environment to repair a malfunctioning product for further reuse than to dispose of it and replace it with a newly manufactured product, unless the product is being replaced with a more energy efficient alternative (Nguyen, Lobo, and Greenland, 2017; Kim, Keoleian, and Horie, 2006; Boustani, Sahni, Graves, and Gutowski, 2010). However, whereas America has long been labeled a ‘throwaway society', this paper presents the results of an international consumer survey which demonstrates that as other nations develop with respect to GDP per Capita (Gross Domestic Product per Capita), they too start transitioning into throwaway societies. This transition then calls into account of just how environmentally damaging this practice will become. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 17, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12402   open full text
• Consumers as legitimating agents: how consumer‐citizens challenge marketer legitimacy on social media.
  Ella Lillqvist, Johanna Moisander, Fuat Firat.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 14, 2017
  Previous research has shown that consumers increasingly challenge the legitimacy of marketers and unsolicited marketing communication in online contexts. Based on a qualitative study, this article examines how and for what reasons consumers challenge marketer legitimacy—the perceived appropriateness of marketers and their activities—in the empirical context of Reddit, a popular social news and community website. The study suggests that consumers challenge or accept marketer legitimacy in online communities based on particular, community and situation specific, legitimacy criteria that reflect and reproduce the values and norms of the community. In doing so, it is argued, consumers play a role as legitimating agents—consumer‐citizens that have the power to confer or deny legitimacy in the context of business‐society relations. Overall, the study advances knowledge in the field of consumer studies in two ways. Firstly, it builds a symbolic interactionist perspective on consumer‐citizens as legitimating agents who enact their active citizenship role in the marketplace by assessing and constructing marketer legitimacy in online communities. Secondly, it offers an empirically grounded account of how and for what reasons consumer‐citizens challenge or accept the legitimacy of marketers and unsolicited marketing communication in online communities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 14, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12401   open full text
• The Impact of Household Life‐Cycle Stages on Subjective Well‐Being: Considering the Effect of Household Expenditures in Hungary.
  Agnes Neulinger, Márta Radó.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 13, 2017
  The household life‐cycle stage is a significant contributor to the perception of subjective well‐being, however, the effect of household expenditures of life‐cycles on subjective well‐being has not been thoroughly explored. The present study evaluates the level of subjective well‐being across the various life‐cycle stages using a matching method on a Hungarian national sample. This approach is appropriate for studies using observational data because the administration of a true experimental design is usually not feasible for this type of research. The main finding of the paper is that controlling for the expenditure structure significantly modifies the effect of life‐cycle on subjective well‐being, which is varied across life‐cycle stages and shown to be highly dependent on household expenditures. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 13, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12397   open full text
• Comparing stated and realized preferences for shade‐grown vs. conventionally grown coffee.
  Christie Klimas, Ellen Webb.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 13, 2017
  We used both stated preference and revealed preference data to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for shade‐grown coffee as compared with conventionally grown coffee. Stated preference data was collected using contingent valuation studies. Revealed preference data came from an experiment where all survey participants received a personally identifiable voucher redeemable for a free bakery item when the holder purchased a coffee. We compared estimates of mean and median WTP a price premium for shade‐grown coffee from stated preference data with similar estimates from revealed preference data. We used a logit model to evaluate the effect of explanatory variables (measures of environmental attitudes, personal norms for pro‐environmental behavior, and demographic variables) on respondents' WTP a price premium for shade grown coffee. Model parameters were estimated using the maximum likelihood approach. Respondents with higher scores on measures of environmental attitudes and personal norms for pro‐environmental behavior were, on average, willing to pay more for shade‐grown coffee. While this paper examined a specific case, purchase of shade‐grown coffee, our results confirmed that stated environmental concern was a good predictor of pro‐environmental behavior. We found that mean and median WTP estimates from stated preference methods were higher, but not significantly different than mean and median WTP estimates from actual purchases, indicating convergent validity between stated and realized preference methods. The majority of individuals both stated WTP a price premium and purchased shade‐grown coffee at a price premium. We did, however notice some interesting behavior at the individual level where stated preferences under‐predicted realized preferences at low price‐premia and over‐predicted realized preferences at high price premia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 13, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12399   open full text
• From Nostalgia For The Recent Past And Beyond: The Temporal Frames Of Recalled Consumption Experiences.
  Toni Ryynänen, Visa Heinonen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 13, 2017
  Studies of nostalgia are one of the research subfields of recalled consumption experiences. In addition to the nostalgic recall, the consumers' remembered experiences situate in other temporal frames, a theme rarely touched in the extant research. The aim of this research was to examine the differences between nostalgic and other recalled consumption experiences by identifying and analysing the characteristics of the temporal frames. The data set for this task comprised 480 descriptions of consumers' experiences involving an everyday consumer object. An interpretive approach was utilised to analyse the temporal frames. The results of the study indicate that the consumers described their memories in four temporal structures. These are the strong nostalgia from childhood, light nostalgia from youth, descriptions of recent past, and memories linked to consumption practices and traditions that will be fostered in the future. The article proposes a conceptual framework describing the temporal frames of consumers' remembered consumption experiences that opens further avenues for research alongside of nostalgic recall. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 13, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12398   open full text
• Older consumers' perceptions of functional foods and non‐edible health‐enhancing innovations.
  Riikka Puhakka, Raisa Valve, Aki Sinkkonen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 13, 2017
  Increasing interest in health and well‐being is likely to drive a growth in demand for products that have positive effects on health. Consumers' acceptance of and willingness to buy functional foods has been widely studied, but there has not been research on consumers' attitudes towards innovative non‐edible products with health effects. This study examines how older consumers perceive functional foods and novel non‐edible health‐enhancing products, how willing they are to purchase such products, and how health orientation influences their views. As an example of a ‘radical' innovation, consumers' acceptance of rubbing their hands in a specific soil‐based mixture to modulate the immune system is explored. The research material, 13 thematic interviews, was collected in Lahti region, Finland, in 2015. The study indicates that the older consumers' market is not homogeneous. Based on a qualitative, in‐depth approach, the study distinguishes four consumer segments with different lay understandings of health and attitudes towards health‐enhancing products, which influence people's willingness to purchase such products. The segments are health‐seeking consumers, cautious consumers, critical consumers, and natural health consumers. Various motives and barriers for using products with health claims are also identified. The case of rubbing hands in organic soil‐based mixture indicates the difficulty of predicting which consumer segment will first adopt this kind of ‘radical' innovation. The results highlight that the credence qualities of a novel product must be communicated and advertised before entering the market while also taking into account the sensory properties of the product. ‘Radical innovations' must be in a form that consumers can easily accept. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 13, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12400   open full text
• A Cross‐Cultural and Cross‐Gender Analysis of Compulsive Buying Behaviour's Core Dimensions.
  Agata Maccarrone‐Eaglen, Peter Schofield.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 11, 2017
  This study seeks to address the disagreement in the literature about compulsive buying behavior's (CBB) dimensional structure and tests for cross‐cultural and cross‐gender invariance in young British, Chinese, Czech and Spanish consumers using structural equation modelling. The results show that CBB has two compulsive dimensions: Compulsive Purchasing (CP), and Self‐control Impaired Spending (SIS). These dimensions are cross‐culturally invariant, although the influence of SIS on CBB is higher in more developed countries, particularly among females. The confirmation of the SIS dimension and the external validity of the CBB construct established through the cross‐cultural invariance in CBB dimensions indicate that screening tools should be revised accordingly. The SIS dimension has possibly been previously misinterpreted as impulsive and/or as spontaneous buying and may explain the higher incidence of CBB among female consumers. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 11, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12396   open full text
• Consumers' Motivations and Roles in Rooting for or against Underdog Consumer.
  Haithem Zourrig, Kamel El Hedhli.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 11, 2017
  When wronged customers feel powerless they could bring publicly their fight against offending firms. Doing so could help to put the perpetrator firms under pressure and urge them to restore fairness. While some consumers could express their commitment to wronged consumers, others may disagree and disapprove their fight. This paper investigates consumers' motivations and roles in supporting and rooting against powerless customers‐ referred here as underdogs. Using a netnography approach to analyze online participants' postings, we identified two types of roles: supportive and unsupportive roles. The former consist of five consumers' roles that are endorsed when rooting for underdogs, namely the Admirer, the Rebel, the Learner, the Opportunist, and the Lawyer. The latter consists of four roles adopted by opponent consumers when rooting against underdogs, namely the Sarcastic, the Elitist, the Conformist, and the Schadenfreudist. Understanding consumers' roles and motivations in rooting for the underdogs, is helpful for firms in managing their defensive marketing efforts and reduce the anti‐corporate attitudes. Likewise, knowing what motivates consumers to root against an underdog may help in capitalizing on supportive attitudes and to reinforce the commitment toward the firm. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 11, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12395   open full text
• Secondary school tuck shop options and student choices: a cross‐sectional survey.
  Ada WW Ma, Wong Man Chun.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 11, 2017
  Obesity in children is rapidly becoming a major public health problem in Hong Kong; the prevalence of overweight in children increased from 16.2% to 22.2% between 1998 and 2008. Healthy eating programs and policies exist, but only for primary schools, and students' eating habits change when they are exposed to the new environment in secondary schools. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between available food in secondary school tuck shops and students' purchasing preferences. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted from mid‐March to mid‐April 2016 across six secondary schools, using a questionnaire to measure students' healthy eating knowledge and eating habits and a checklist to explore food options in each school's tuck shop. Linear regression was used to explore the relationship between eating knowledge and eating habits and logistic regression to explore the relationship between available foods at the tuck shops and the children's purchasing preferences. A total of 374 junior secondary students participated in the survey. A weak, positive correlation was found between healthy eating knowledge and healthy eating habits. No association was found between available food at tuck shops and children's purchasing preferences, although 81% of the students reported that they would choose healthy food at the tuck shops if offered. The results reveal a definite knowledge‐attitude gap where healthy eating is concerned. Despite there being no significant association between the food offerings in tuck shops and students' measured purchasing preferences (p > 0.05), most students stated that they would choose healthy food if offered, illustrating the urgent need to assess the variety and nutritional quality of foods available in secondary school tuck shops. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 11, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12394   open full text
• Second‐hand Clothing Consumption: A Generational Cohort Analysis of the Chinese Market.
  Jianfang Liang, Yingjiao Xu.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 09, 2017
  China's rapidly growing economy and consumption are creating serious environmental problems in the country. The throwaway trend credited to fast fashion changes and short‐lived styles made textiles and clothing a new body of solid wastes, resulting in a negative environmental consequence in China. While minimizing consumption of textiles and apparel cannot be the primary solution to environmental problems, it is important to enhance consumer awareness of the impact of their daily consumption on the environment and to promote environmentally sustainable apparel consumption and disposal behaviors. From a generational cohort perspective, this study aims to gain an insight of Chinese consumers' behaviors toward second‐hand clothing, in terms of their consumption intentions and the influence of consumers' perceived values, perceived concerns, and descriptive norms on their purchase intentions. Data for this study were collected through a survey of 350 Chinese consumers across the four generational cohorts in China, including the Post‐60s, Post‐70s, Post‐80s, and Post‐90s. It was observed that Chinese consumers, in general, had a strong resistance toward second‐hand clothing consumption, with the Post‐70s having the strongest resistance. Significant differences were identified among the four cohorts. The younger generations perceived higher values and held higher purchase intentions than their older counterparts. Different motivations were also identified among the four cohorts in their second‐hand clothing consumption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 09, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12393   open full text
• Determinants of How Individuals Choose, Eat and Waste – Providing Common Ground to Enhance Sustainable Food Consumption Out‐Of‐Home.
  Bettina A. Lorenz, Nina Langen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 07, 2017
  The transformation of food consumption in wealthy economies is regarded as an essential measure to reach global sustainability goals. However, existing policies and research activities to change food consumption in the increasingly relevant out‐of‐home sector relate to a wide set of options on how to influence behaviors and may be criticized to lack a general focus. Against this background, our study provides a structured review of the large existing research body on the determinants of individuals' food choices and food consumption out‐of‐home. It structures the various research approaches and findings for 110 selected papers according to a general ecological framework where personal, social and environmental determinants for food behaviors are considered. By providing a collective overview and linking results for different behavioral aspects and settings, this study supports a more general understanding of consumer food behavior in out‐of‐home settings. Consequently, it also provides a means to identify research gaps and to suggest relevant aspects for future research to draw from the combination of findings and to enhance sustainability in food consumption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  October 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12392   open full text
• Fluidity of places in everyday food consumption: Introducing snackscapes.
  Henna Syrjälä, Harri T. Luomala, Minna Autio.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. September 20, 2017
  Snack consumption encompasses the repetitive habits of consumers in various everyday life spaces. Despite the pervasiveness of snack consumption worldwide, the phenomenon of snacking has not been given extensive attention, unlike other areas of food consumption research. Yet, snacking shows certain distinctive features, such as fluidity of places. This study leans on foodscape literature and introduces the concept of snackscape, which enables us to showcase the multiplicity of places in snacking culture. While prior foodscape studies are located in certain tangible places, such as urban surroundings, festival sites or particular geographical areas, snackscapes demonstrate how snacks may be consumed, for instance, on the move from one place to another, or in a variety of places that are not part of one's ordinary routines, such as on a picnic or a holiday trip to a foreign country. The findings show how places of habitual snack consumption vary from time to time—or are even on the move. This is a powerful demonstration of how a routine‐like consumption practice takes place in everyday life. This study also highlights important consumer policy issues, especially in regard to young consumers and their snacking habits. Thereby, the study brings forward the agentic capacity of snackscapes having implications on engaging in healthier snack consumption.

  September 20, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12389   open full text
• The concept of consumer vulnerability: Scale development and validation.
  Hua Yu Shi, Feng Jie Jing, Yan Yang, Bang Nguyen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. September 20, 2017
  Although studies of nonrational consumer behaviour in the fields of psychology and marketing are widespread, few scholars have discussed this issue from the integrated perspective of individual characteristics and consumer welfare. Extant research has introduced the concept of consumer vulnerability to deepen the study of nonrational behaviour. The present research defines consumer vulnerability as an individual characteristic, that is, a tendency to be influenced by an external stimulation or temptation that leads to decisions harmful to the person's own welfare. To operationalize this concept, this study develops a consumer vulnerability scale. Results from exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis reveal the following seven dimensions of consumer vulnerability: product knowledge, product promotion, marketing and emotional stress, social pressure, purchasing power, refunds policy and discrimination ability. After verifying the scale's reliability and validity, this study confirms that it can be applied to measure the degree to which consumer welfare has been harmed and predict nonrational decision‐making behaviour. Limitations and future research directions also are discussed.

  September 20, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12390   open full text
• Perceptions of food quality: Evidence from a survey in Shanghai.
  Francesca Hansstein, Wang Keqiang, Liu Hongmei.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. September 04, 2017
  Recent food scandals in China significantly decreased the level of consumer trust toward the food chain, and, at the same time, increased the demand for food quality and safety. This paper investigated perceptions and determinants of food quality among a sample of households in Shanghai. Survey questionnaires were collected between June and December 2014, and a total of 509 interviews were completed. Questions asked about food purchasing behaviours, dietary habits, and the importance of food quality when food shopping. Socio‐demographic and socio‐economic variables were also collected. We used ordered logit regressions to investigate the most significant factors associated with food quality. We found that respondents who frequently bought vegetables were 31% more likely to look for quality attributes (p < .1) and respondents who often bought rice 28% more (p < .01). Branding was also positively associated with the demand for food quality. In particular, consumers considering brand an important element were 25% more likely to believe that the product was of high quality (p < .05). Among socio‐economic variables, higher income and education were significantly associated with food quality demand. Our results indicated that consumers in Shanghai paid increasing attention to food quality, and they especially associated it with traditional foods and brand. We suggested that policy makers and stakeholders in the food chain should strengthen food quality certification systems, and help consumers make better and more informed choices.

  September 04, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12388   open full text
• Above all, garnish and presentation: An evaluation of Fanny Cradock's contribution to home cooking in Britain.
  Kevin Geddes.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 24, 2017
  The development of cooking on television, and the associated rise in ‘celebrity chefs’ is often seen as a modern phenomenon involving cooks like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson in Britain. Fanny Cradock (1909–1994) is from time to time credited as a pioneer in television cooking and Britain's ‘first celebrity chef’. However little detail of her career has been documented, despite working as a journalist, radio and television presenter, food demonstrator, writer of fiction, children's books and cookbooks spanning from 1942 until 1986. Cradock was prominent on television between 1955 and 1975, with her final appearance in 1985. Cradock is as often remembered for her colourful character as for the colourful food she presented and her name remains synonymous with elaborate cooking in ball gowns, using copious amounts of food colouring and aspic, and for berating her husband who assisted her on stage, on television, and in print. However, from Cradock's personal archive a far more substantive contribution to home cooking through the development of television cooking and cookbooks, looking at her undocumented ideas and innovations. Additional archive materials and collections of newspaper clippings collected between 1942 and 1982 by Cradock herself shed light on how she was perceived at the time, her role as an entrepreneur and her own ‘brand’ identity. From this documentary evidence, it is argued that Cradock deserves to be much better remembered for her contribution to British food culture.

  August 24, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12387   open full text
• Debunking the myth of general consumer rejection of green genetic engineering: Empirical evidence from Germany.
  Olivier K. Butkowski, Ashkan Pakseresht, Carl Johan Lagerkvist, Stefanie Bröring.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 15, 2017
  The emergence of a more sustainable economy in Europe was accompanied by a range of bio‐based products and technologies. As a prominent example, green genetic engineering opens up multiple options to increase agricultural production, but its public acceptance seems to vary by application area. Risk perception explains consumer acceptance of green genetic engineering, which is a necessary precondition for wider technology adoption. This study investigates risk perceptions for four major sources of risk: health related, environmental, socioeconomic and ethical. Data were collected in a laboratory experiment in Germany, with a total of 439 participants. A between‐subject design was employed. The four experimental treatment groups comprised two policy scenarios, namely one only permitting research and development and the other allowing full commercialization of genetically modified products, and two product end‐uses, bioenergy and food. The study shows significant end‐use differences in both the type of policy scenario and the risk dimension in question. In particular, health risks were generally perceived to be lower for bioenergy than food whenever full commercialization was pursued. Furthermore, full commercialization of genetically modified food prompted higher concerns about personal health, whereas use of crops for bioenergy production was broadly related to higher levels of socioeconomic risk. Finally, although the majority of consumers identified health risks as being most relevant, the consequences for the environment evoked the greatest degree of risk perception. In general, our findings lend support for the notion that the policy regime is the most important determinant for risk perception, followed by the type of risk dimension and level of trust in industry.

  August 15, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12385   open full text
• Sodium content in foods: Brazilian consumers’ opinions, subjective knowledge and purchase intent.
  Jéssica F. Rodrigues, Rafaela C. Pereira, Andressa A. Silva, Andrey O. Mendes, João de Deus S. Carneiro.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 11, 2017
  This study attempted to gain insights on Brazilian consumers’ subjective knowledge of sodium content in processed and homemade foods and their purchase intent for products with reduced‐sodium content. A questionnaire was distributed to 409 consumers selected by convenience quota sampling. We found that Brazilian consumers were concerned about the amount of salt (sodium chloride) in the products they consumed, regardless of educational levels, income, age, lifestyles, or health conditions. However, they still considered their consumption to be above WHO‐recommended limits and had little subjective knowledge about the term ‘sodium’. While processed products were considered the main contributors of high‐sodium intake, participants were not concerned about addition of salt at the table and salt in homemade food. The majority of respondents rarely read the sodium content on food labels; however, men and older individuals were more likely to read label information on sodium content. Products with reduced sodium were found to have market appeal, which justifies investments in research to develop these products. Therefore, in addition to the efforts to reduce sodium in the processed‐food industry, it is necessary to promote awareness about the importance of food labelling, especially sodium content, and the need to reduce salt in homemade food and additions during meals.

  August 11, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12386   open full text
• Vulnerable older consumers: New persuasion knowledge achievement measure.
  Katalin Balázs, Ágnes Bene, István Hidegkuti.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 09, 2017
  This research describes a new persuasion knowledge measure for older consumers which can be applied for both diagnostic and preventive purposes. Persuasion knowledge refers to information, attitudes, beliefs and schemas guiding our behaviour in situations where persuasion is involved. Many older consumers belong to a specific, vulnerable group, who often fail to maintain their interest in persuasive situations, so the proposed measure could serve a better understanding of their behaviour. First, a new, situation‐based achievement measure, entitled ‘Persuasion Knowledge Achievement Measure’ (PKAM), was developed in university samples (N = 530) in several stages. Afterwards, the developed measure was adapted to older individuals, resulting in the Persuasion Knowledge Achievement Measure for Older People (PKAM‐OP). Following a pilot study with personally‐assisted data collection (N = 50), the examinees were reached through an elderly care network in a two‐stage procedure (N = 183, N = 116). The psychometric analyses of the data show a high level of reliability and validity for both tests. The results of the main research studies indicate that there are two subscales of the measure: ‘Agreeableness’ and ‘Persuasion Knowledge’. Based on the empirical data, the subscales provide reliable measures of features which guide behaviour in persuasive situations. In sum, PKAM‐OP can fulfil theoretical and practical needs in research and prevention interventions focusing on older consumers.

  August 09, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12383   open full text
• Characteristics of food‐wasting consumers in the Czech Republic.
  Alena Filipová, Veronika Mokrejšová, Zdeněk Šulc, Jiří Zeman.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 07, 2017
  This paper investigates food waste at the consumer stage of the food chain. The authors conducted a questionnaire survey with 259 respondents to identify the key characteristics of food‐wasting consumers and to suggest strategies to improve food‐wasting behaviour. The results of the survey confirmed that the rate at which food is wasted depends on the age, economic status and education of the person managing food in a household, on the household's income per person and on total household income. Younger people, students, economically active people and people from higher‐income households (both per household and per person) waste more, while pensioners waste much less than other groups. However, the sex of the food manager is not associated with food waste. These demographic characteristics should be considered when designing consumer education campaigns focussed on changing consumer motivation and behaviour. This paper also recommends other solutions tailored for specific demographic groups: Younger people and students may be influenced by the actions of opinion leaders within social networks, and technical devices enabling better food management could help them reduce waste. Supporting work‐life balance, broadening the network of food delivery services and implementing corporate initiatives that support food waste prevention could help economically active people reduce their food waste. Additionally, offers of ready‐to‐eat food should be expanded for people with higher incomes.

  August 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12384   open full text
• Values, socially conscious behaviour and consumption emotions as predictors of Canadians’ intent to buy fair trade products.
  Riadh Ladhari, Nina Michèle Tchetgna.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 31, 2017
  Over the last two decades, a growing concern about ethical behaviour has been observed among consumers. Ethically minded consumers are more inclined towards the consumption of ethical goods, such as green products and fair trade (hereafter, ‘FT’) products, organic products and local products. Establishing the motives that predict FT consumption behaviour provides ground for understanding how consumers make purchase decisions. This research postulates that the intention of buying FT products is influenced by socially conscious behaviour, consumers’ values and emotions. The study, conducted among 268 Canadian consumers, shows that the high intention of buying FT products is linked to high levels of pride, enthusiasm, satisfaction, happiness and joy related to FT product consumption. The FT consumption experience provides consumers with hedonic gratification. It shows that the higher the levels of self‐centred, equality and social justice values are, the higher the intention of buying FT products. An increase in socially conscious behaviour generates an increase in intention of purchasing FT products. The research contributes to a preliminary analysis of the role of emotions in this field and calls for the development of cognitive‐affective models of purchase and consumption behaviour. Understanding the dimensions of hedonic values and the significance of pleasure experience is essential to the development of the theory and practices of FT consumption.

  July 31, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12382   open full text
• Effects of socio‐demographic factors on laundry behaviours in Europe and their implications on sustainability.
  Farnaz Alborzi, Angelika Schmitz, Rainer Stamminger.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 26, 2017
  The continuing rise of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is leading to catastrophic damage in many parts of the world over the coming decades unless GHG emissions can be controlled quickly. The objective of reducing GHG emissions can only be accomplished when all the sectors contributing to GHG emission act responsibly. The contribution of the household to GHG emission was 19.6% in the European Union (EU) in 2013. The energy consumption for laundry washing in the EU, estimated at 24.2 TWh/year, is a substantial share of household energy use. As the use phase of the washing machine is the dominant stage where the environmental impact occurs, this paper addresses some of the EU consumers’ washing and drying behaviour in the laundry process. Information on consumers’ behaviour regarding the laundry process was collected by a semi‐representative survey in eleven EU countries in 2015, including more than 5,000 participants. The main outcome of the study is that consumers’ behaviour regarding the laundry process differs substantially between the EU countries. Moreover, socio‐demographic characteristics of households affect the overall sustainability profile of the laundry process.

  July 26, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12380   open full text
• Jingle bells or ‘green’ bells? The impact of socially responsible consumption principles upon consumer behaviour at Christmas time.
  Élisabeth Robinot, Myriam Ertz, Fabien Durif.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 18, 2017
  Socially responsible consumption (SRC) behaviours have progressed over the last few years and appear to show signs of a lasting trend. Situations of atypical consumption such as Christmas time, however, raise an important and as of yet unexplored question: What are the influences of unusual situations upon the relationship between people's socially responsible profile and their socially responsible purchase intentions (SRPI)? The objective of this article is thus to use the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, ) and environment‐based variables, called ‘atmospherics’, to answer to this question. A Web survey on a total sample of 301 Canadian consumers, shows that people's past SRC behaviours are positively related to their SRPI in unusual situations. Moreover, the atmosphere of the place consumers are situated in has a negative moderating influence upon this relationship. This result is explained by a change in people's attitude toward SRC. However, this negative moderating effect of atmosphere is contained and constrained by social desirability in the form of subjective norms on SRC and the level of behavioural control consumers perceive.

  July 18, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12373   open full text
• Bringing complexity and convergence governance to consumer policy.
  Sue L. T. McGregor.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 10, 2017
  Consumer policy is already being shaped by a combination of governance models. This position paper argues that complexity‐oriented convergence models are a timely addition. Modern day consumer policy is characterized as interactive and integrative, replete with shifting boundaries and coalitions and evolving roles for each of state, market and society. This paper focused on governance in the consumer policy arena, arguing that this process needs to acknowledge and reconcile complexity. After describing the basic tenets of complexity theory, two characteristics of contemporary tri‐sector interaction (i.e., sector blurring and sector distortion) were discussed. These boundary characteristics necessitate the need for approaches that can accommodate complexity during consumer policy governance. Three examples of the latter were profiled: sector convergence, network governance and cross‐sector governance. These conceptualizations accommodate the dynamics, complexity and emergence of contemporary consumer policy governance.

  July 10, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12381   open full text
• Consumers’ evaluations of the efficiency of actions to improve environmental quality: A comparative study between Brazil and China.
  Emerson Wagner Mainardes, Tatiana Yeh, Aureo Leal.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 07, 2017
  There is a gap in our knowledge about environmentally conscious consumers in industrialized economies and the desire to achieve sustainable economies. Given that most aspects of consumer behaviour are culture bound, this paper contributes by comparing consumers’ evaluations of the efficiency of actions to improve environmental quality in two of the most promising industrializing consumer societies: Brazil and China. The proposed conceptual framework includes environmental concerns, perceived consumer effectiveness, green attitudes, green behaviours and external motivators as constructs to explain the perception of efficient environmental support. Field research was conducted in Brazil with 1,149 respondents, and in China with 632 respondents to test the model. The results suggested that the belief that environmental quality can be improved is directly associated with consumers’ internal and external motivators. However, cultural traits drove important differences in the evaluation of the efficiency of such improvements. Specifically, Chinese people tended to rely on collective leadership to create the conditions necessary for improving environmental quality, while they remained concerned with the current status. In contrast, Brazilians accepted more personal responsibility for the results, although they face important constraints, such as the availability of products.

  July 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12379   open full text
• Consumer vulnerability and complaint handling: Challenges, opportunities and dispute system design.
  Carol Brennan, Tania Sourdin, Jane Williams, Naomi Burstyner, Chris Gill.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 30, 2017
  Effectively designed complaint handling systems play a key role in enabling vulnerable consumers to complain and obtain redress. This article examines current research into consumer vulnerability, highlighting its multidimensional and expansive nature. Contemporary understandings of consumer vulnerability recognize that the interaction between a wide range of market and consumer characteristics can combine to place any individual at risk of vulnerability. While this broad definition of consumer vulnerability reflects the complex reality of consumers’ experiences, it poses a key challenge for designers of complaint handling systems: how can they identify and respond to an issue which can potentially affect everyone? Drawing on current research and practice in the United Kingdom and Australia, the article analyses the impact of consumer vulnerability on third party dispute resolution schemes and considers the role these complaint handling organizations can play in supporting their complainants. Third party complaint handling organizations, including a range of Alternative Dispute Resolution services such as ombudsman organizations, can play a key role in increasing access to justice for vulnerable consumer groups and provide specific assistance for individual complainants during the process. It is an opportune time to review whether the needs of consumers at risk of vulnerability are being met within complaint processes and the extent to which third party complaint handlers support those who are most vulnerable to seek redress. Empowering vulnerable consumers to complain presents specific challenges. The article discusses the application of a new model of consumer dispute system design to show how complaint handling organizations can meet the needs of the most vulnerable consumers throughout the process.

  June 30, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12377   open full text
• Consumers’ perceptions of food waste: A pilot study of U.S. students.
  Lydia Zepeda, Lorraine Balaine.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 22, 2017
  Participants in this pilot study are asked to rank their perceptions of food waste by choosing between pairs of four types of foods of equal weight: chicken, cheese, bread and peas. We examine whether these perceptions are consistent for proportionally different weights and whether they are linked to the perceived cost of the items. The subjects (n = 106) who are students are randomly assigned to one of three information treatments: a control, a food waste video or the text of the food waste video. We find that the subjects have very accurate perceptions of the environmental impacts of food waste and the relative wastefulness of different food groups. These perceptions are not related to cooking skills or frequency. We find that the perceptions are consistent for proportionally different weights of food: 25 and 50 g. We also find that the perceptions are linked to participants’ assessments of the relative prices of the foods. However, while the participants have somewhat accurate estimates of the relative prices, they vastly overestimate the actual prices of foods. This implies that more accurate information about the true prices could actually decrease their perceptions of the wastefulness of throwing out food. Given that the participants had highly accurate perceptions of the environmental impacts of food waste and the relative wastefulness of animal vs. plant products, we found no significant increase in overall accuracy of perceptions due to information treatment, except for bread, for those who saw the food waste video.

  June 22, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12376   open full text
• Use of microcredit for household income and consumption smoothing by low income communities.
  Vathsala Wickramasinghe, Dilshan Fernando.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 13, 2017
  This paper discusses findings of a study that investigated income, savings and consumption patterns of low income people and critical factors that influence the use of microcredit—a form of small instant loans targeted for low income people—for household income and consumption smoothing. The sample of the study consisted of households from low income communities living in a lower‐middle income country—Sri Lanka. It was found that microcredit borrowers were using the loans for purposes that can be identified as income and consumption smoothing, which is beyond the ideas and intended practice of microcredit. The findings suggest that the consequences of using microcredit for income and consumption smoothing could be costly for households and the society at large.

  June 13, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12378   open full text
• Carbon information on vegetables: How does it affect the buying process?
  Paul Lampert, Klaus Menrad, Agnes Emberger‐Klein.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 13, 2017
  Information on the climate impact of a food product has practically not been communicated in Germany, even though it could provide important acknowledgement of producers’ actions in low‐carbon production. So far, carbon labelling has predominantly been discussed without taking into account German consumers’ opinions (proven by empirical data) on this issue, even though involving the consumer in the considerations of a Carbon Label is essential for its success. Especially the question, if information on the product carbon footprint is a considerable factor within the search process of a purchase decision, was of special interest in this work. To answer these questions, we analysed consumers’ information‐seeking behaviour using an information display matrix (IDM) experiment with 232 participants. The IDM is a process tracing technique which allows to track the information search in a buying process. Our results show that basically the place of origin is the most important criterion for the purchase decision, followed by price and production method (conventional/organic). In contrast, the sustainability information (i.e., carbon footprint and water consumption) are at a low level of importance. Comparing two locally produced products with the help of a multinominal logistic regression‐model, it seems that the group of consumers preferring organic products is influenced in the purchase decision by the carbon footprint information. In summary it can be stated that although some people may be basically interested in carbon labelling of fresh food, the purchase decision would probably be hardly influenced by a carbon label on vegetables at present. The majority of people are more concerned about factors like origin and price so that Carbon Labelling would only be a viable option for a small group of consumers.

  June 13, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12375   open full text
• Consumer creativity influenced by hope, integral emotions and socio‐economic status.
  Carlos Andres Trujillo, Jose Antonio Rosa.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 02, 2017
  Low socio economic stratum (SES) consumers face constrains that engender creativity as they try to solve consumption problems using the scant products and services available by repurposing such products. This research investigates mechanisms by which hope and integral emotions interact with SES to influence consumer creativity. Experiments with low and high SES participants in an emerging economy show that when hope is enhanced, positive integral emotions are directed to creativity by all consumers, but when hope is diminished, positive integral emotions are not consistently directed to creativity. SES exerts a moderating role when hope is diminished, and only high SES participants are able to cope with the absence of hope by redirecting dominance feelings to creativity. Results suggest that increasing hope among low SES consumers can enhance their creativity, and that hope can be enhanced through actions undertaken by companies and public organizations.

  June 02, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12369   open full text
• Gender, generation and sustainable consumption: Exploring the behaviour of consumers from Izmir, Turkey.
  Zeki Atıl Bulut, Füsun Kökalan Çımrin, Onur Doğan.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2017
  This study investigates the relationship between consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviour and both gender and generation‐related individual differences in a sample of Turkish consumers. A total of 393 participants from different generations and gender took part in the study. To measure sustainable consumption behaviour, we used four‐dimensional sustainable consumption behaviour scale. The results showed that generation is associated with unneeded consumption as a dimension of sustainable consumption behaviour. Consumers who are Baby Boomers found to have the highest level of unneeded consumption behaviour while Gen‐Zers have fewest. Additionally, data supported the association between gender and sustainable consumption behaviour. Women showed a higher level of sustainable consumption behaviour both in overall behaviour and tendency to reuse products. Taken together, the findings suggest that gender and generation of consumers can differentiate sustainable consumption behaviour. The implications of these findings, as well as the limitations and future directions, are also discussed.

  May 16, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12371   open full text
• Green apparel buying behaviour: A study on Indian youth.
  Arpita Khare, Amrut Sadachar.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2017
  Changes in demographics and availability of global clothing brands have brought several changes in Indian apparel industry. Green or organic clothing brands are becoming popular among Indians and likely to contribute to the revenues of apparel sector. Global and national apparel manufacturers have introduced organic clothing lines to cater to ecological conscious consumers. The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII), past green behaviour, green peer influence and green apparel knowledge on Indian youth's green apparel buying behaviour. A mix of convenience and random sampling was used for data collection. The sample (n = 981) comprised of youth of age group 18–24 years. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings suggest that past green behaviour influenced green apparel buying behaviour. Green peer influence and green apparel knowledge had no impact on green apparel buying behaviour. Moreover, CSII had no influence on green apparel buying behaviour. The findings differ from earlier studies that suggest influence of social norms and peer group had an effect on green buying behaviour. Practical implications of the present study are discussed.

  May 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12367   open full text
• Cultural orientations and environmental sustainability in households: A comparative analysis of Hispanics and non‐Hispanic Whites in the United States.
  Yu Liu, Sigal Segev.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2017
  This article explores the effect of cultural orientations on the sustainable household behaviours of Hispanic immigrants and non‐Hispanic Whites in the United States. A model is tested in which the personal‐level cultural orientations of interdependence‐independence determine consumers' environmental value and concern, which in turn, affect sustainable behaviours (recycling, water, electricity and energy conservation). Results from a sample of 338 Hispanic immigrants and 249 non‐Hispanic Whites indicate that interdependence predicts environmental values among non‐Hispanic Whites. For the Hispanic sample, neither interdependence nor independence predict environmental value. In both samples, environmental value is positively associated with environmental concern, which is positively related to sustainable behaviours. The relationships between environmental concern and all four behaviours are relatively weaker among Hispanics compared to non‐Hispanic Whites, suggesting that immigrants have not yet fully embraced mainstream American pro‐environmental ideals and practices. Our study sheds light on cultural differences regarding environmental values and concerns, and implies theoretical and practical recommendations for marketers in the United States.

  May 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12370   open full text
• Usage and understanding of food labels among Lebanese shoppers.
  Hussein F. Hassan, Hani Dimassi.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2017
  Food labelling is a population‐based approach to health education that enables consumers to make better choices by providing information at the point of purchase. This study aimed to assess the food label usage and understanding and factors affecting them among Lebanese supermarket shoppers. A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 748 supermarket shoppers in Lebanon between December 2013 and February 2014 using a pre‐coded structured questionnaire. About 29.3 of the shoppers check the food labels every time they buy a food product and 15.7% never do it. Shoppers who do not read food labels identified the long time needed in reading them as top reason (34.9%), while 9.8% answered that they do not understand them. About 55.4%of the surveyed shoppers read the food labels at the supermarkets. About 44.4% of participants agreed that reading food labels is very important, while 30.3% read the food labels depending on the purchased product. Then 19.4% of participants complained that food labels contain too much information and 13.8% claimed that food labels are difficult to understand. About 60.3% think that food labels have helped people in changing their eating habits, while health and nutrition claims affected the product selection among 59.8% of participants. The food label knowledge score average was 63.1%. Older, obese shoppers having kids, suffering from chronic illness or allergies, following a specific diet and residing in big cities scored significantly (p < .05) higher. The low knowledge score necessitates the nutrition education on how to read and use the food labels. Groceries would be the perfect place to reach out mass consumers.

  May 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12368   open full text
• Promoting green buildings: Do Chinese consumers care about green building enhancements?
  Wen Luo, Mamoru Kanzaki, Koji Matsushita.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2017
  This paper explores sustainability‐related choices about buildings by analysing how consumers rated the relative importance of various attributes of conventional and green buildings. It also analyses how consumers judge environmental and health‐oriented improvements in green buildings. Unlike previous studies, this research applied conjoint analysis to explore the green building market at the consumer's level by regarding green buildings as nondurable green products and services. We used a survey to gather consumer preferences about several green building hotel models which partly applied green energy, modern wood structures and improved indoor environmental quality (IEQ). In total, 341 consumers participated the survey in two of China's largest cities: Beijing and Shanghai. The results revealed that green energy was the most preferred attribute of green buildings, exerting an even stronger overall effect on consumer choice than price. Afterwards, we identified distinct consumer segments and determined the background characteristics of each segment based on the similarities in the preferences for each attribute. The largest consumer segment, consisting of younger consumers, ranked green energy as the most important criterion. However, an improved indoor environmental quality was generally not highly ranked, and individuals in the consumer segment, which included more older and female consumers, were more likely to reject modern wood structures. The results also revealed that higher‐income individuals were most concerned with price, and consumers with higher levels of education were willing to pay more to support green buildings.

  May 07, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12364   open full text
• Collaborative apparel consumption in the digital sharing economy: An agenda for academic inquiry.
  Hyejune Park, Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 02, 2017
  While apparel businesses leveraging the sharing economy have begun to emerge in recent years, academic research on “sharing” consumption for apparel is extremely limited. To fill this research gap, the researchers analyze current literature to present a conceptual framework that offers a durable theoretical foundation about the concept of collaborative consumption for apparel. Using a metatheory approach, the researchers develop a framework that explores how two major Internet‐supported collaborative consumption modes (utility‐based nonownership and redistributed ownership) manifest in an apparel context. Next, the researchers explore the implications of each consumption mode to understand the consumer's relationship with the product, peers, and businesses involved in these sharing schemes. A series of research propositions are also developed to stimulate discussion and future research about collaborative apparel consumption.

  May 02, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12354   open full text
• An assessment of organic apparel, environmental beliefs and consumer preferences via fashion innovativeness.
  Delisia Matthews, Lori Rothenberg.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 02, 2017
  The topic of organic apparel has been widely discussed among academics and practitioners in recent years. While numerous studies have been done on the topic, few studies to date have assessed the topic of fashion innovativeness and its influence on attitudes towards organic apparel. In addition, an evaluation of consumer preferences for organic apparel from a conjoint analysis perspective has not been implemented. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to identify which organic apparel attributes are most important to high fashion innovativeness and low fashion innovativeness groups. Furthermore, the variables of environmental beliefs and attitudes towards purchasing organic apparel were assessed. An online survey was developed to measure the variables, including a full profile discrete choice design used to measure attribute preferences for t‐shirts. The data were analyzed using a multinomial logit model and desirability indices. The results indicated that the low fashion innovativeness group preferred organic and eco‐friendly apparel more than the high fashion innovativeness group. In addition, when examining high fashion innovativeness and low fashion innovativeness groups overall, the preferred t‐shirt was Dri‐Fit, Cotton Jersey Knit, Made In America, Eco‐Friendly and $25.00. However, when examining high fashion innovativeness and low fashion innovativeness groups separately for the preferred t‐shirt, differences appeared in Sustainable. The results suggest that high fashion innovativeness and low fashion innovativeness groups may desire different organic apparel attributes when considering organic apparel.

  May 02, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12362   open full text
• The digital divide experienced by older consumers in smart environments.
  Hyesun Hwang, Su‐Jung Nam.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 02, 2017
  The continuing transition of the Internet from wired to mobile has facilitated changes in Internet use. By focusing on older consumers as a potentially disadvantaged group, this study examines whether smart environments have the potential to bridge the digital divide. Data were derived from an analysis of the 2013 South Korean Information Divide data set (n = 2386 for those 60 years and older; n = 5841 for those under 60 years). The existence of a digital divide in the smart environment was verified by comparing younger and older South Koreans; this showed that continuing consumer education is needed to enhance older people's experience and skills regarding information and in its use of communication technology. The digital divide was measured based on three aspects: accessibility, competence, and usage. In smart environments, gaps in accessibility and competence between the age groups increased whereas the gap in information usage decreased. Compared with the personal computer‐based environment, members of both groups in the smart environment exhibited increased usage levels with regard to social relationship services, while the gap between the groups with regard to use of convenience services was reduced.

  May 02, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12358   open full text
• Does party identification associate with consumer preferences? Analyzing Finnish consumers in 2009 and 2014.
  Aki Koivula, Pekka Räsänen, Arttu Saarinen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 12, 2017
  This article examines the association between Finn's political orientation and preferences regarding hedonistic and mundane consumer activities. Data derived from national‐level surveys collected in Finland in 2009 (n=1,202) and 2014 (n=1,351) suggests that political party identification is an important predictor of perceived consumption, even after controlling for the effects of key socio‐demographic factors. In general, supporters of the right‐wing National Coalition Party consider themselves as high‐level consumers more often than the supporters of other political parties do. The results also show that there have been very few temporal changes in the association between party identification and consumption preferences. The effect of party identification is stronger for hedonistic activities than for mundane activities. It is argued that political party identification has similar impact on individual's consumer preferences as other lifestyle and social network factors have. The findings offer us new possibilities for further research addressing consumer activities, and other behavioural correlates of political orientation.

  April 12, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12355   open full text
• Knowing how to use and understand recipes: What arithmetical understanding is needed when students with mild intellectual disabilities use recipes in practical cooking lessons in Home Economics?
  Albina Granberg, Göran Brante, Viktoria Olsson, Ylva Mattsson Sydner.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 09, 2017
  The aim of this study was to explore what arithmetical understanding is needed when students with mild intellectual disabilities use recipes during practical cooking lessons in Home Economics. The settings were compulsory schools in Sweden attended by students with intellectual disabilities. Sixteen lessons in Home Economics during which cooking took place were observed. In total, 37 students and three teachers participated. All students had a mild intellectual disability. Their ages varied, but most were between 13 and 14 years old. The sociocultural perspective on learning, combined with a literacy framework, was used as a theoretical foundation for the study. Main findings are that students need an arithmetical understanding of (i) how to interpret numbers, (ii) how to interpret and use units, and (iii) how to compute when using recipes. The knowledge and skills needed to be able to use a recipe are featured in the concept recipe literacy, capturing both theoretical, declarative knowledge and the more practical, procedural knowledge. Recipe literacy can be used to theorize the use of recipes when learning to cook, as in Home Economics.

  April 09, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12357   open full text
• Food co‐operatives sustainably managing common pool resources as hyper‐communities as outlined by Consumer Culture Theory.
  Simon Berge.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 09, 2017
  This paper presents the interview results from nine managers operating in the co‐operative food sector in Ontario, Canada. The interview results are framed within the context of Consumer Culture Theory to show how co‐operatives can be considered hyper‐communities that are built around an opposition to the current economic system's management of food as a common pool resource. The co‐operative managers interviewed present a view that co‐operatives act as drivers of sustainable innovation by allowing individuals to act as a group with a common interest in sustainable practices. The co‐operative model provides these hyper‐communities with guidance to interact with the economic system through the co‐operative principles. The co‐operative principles assist co‐operative managers in establishing member control over the common pool resource. This paper supports the growing literature on the co‐operative economy and self‐governance of common pool resources for a sustainable future.

  April 09, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12359   open full text
• Household characteristics and the change of financial risk tolerance during the financial crisis in the United States.
  Tsun‐Feng Chiang, Jing Jian Xiao.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 09, 2017
  This study examines how household financial risk tolerance is affected during the period of 2007 and 2009, which covered the eve and trough of the financial crisis in the United States and what types of households are associated with the change of risk tolerance. Risk tolerance is measured by two objective indicators, narrowly and broadly defined stock ownership, and a subjective indicator, risk taking attitude. Using panel data from 2007 to 2009 Survey of Consumer Finances, results show that during the financial crisis, the households in general are more risk averse, indicated by withdrawing from stock markets and holding a less risk taking attitude. In addition, Black and Hispanic households are more likely and households with higher education are less likely to withdraw from stock markets. Older households are less likely to change in risk tolerance during the financial crisis, as are richer households. The findings show panel data could generate novel results and contribute to the literature of financial risk tolerance.

  April 09, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12356   open full text
• Thoughts, attitudes and profile of Brazilian consumers regarding food irradiation.
  Tarcísio Lima Filho, Suzana Maria Della Lucia, Rondinelli Moulin Lima.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 04, 2017
  This study aimed to examine the neophobia, knowledge, thoughts, and opinions related to food irradiation among consumers living in a small city in Brazil through the application of a behavioral and sociodemographic questionnaire. It was found that the 271 respondents had little knowledge about the process of food irradiation and had low intent to purchase irradiated food; several consumers associated irradiated food with radioactivity and cancer. Individuals with better knowledge about irradiation and those who are young, single, did not live with children, and had higher levels of education and higher monthly family incomes were more likely to buy irradiated foods than others. These results describe the profile of potential consumers of irradiated foods and the knowledge, thoughts and opinions of the residents of a small city relative to food irradiation. This data could assist industries that irradiate foods to adopt strategies that ensure greater acceptance of their products.

  April 04, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12360   open full text
• Ageing and consumption in Finland: The effect of age and life course stage on ecological, economical and self‐indulgent consumption among late middle‐agers and young adults between 1999 and 2014.
  Sanna‐Mari Kuoppamäki, Terhi‐Anna Wilska, Sakari Taipale.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 04, 2017
  Previous studies on ageing consumers have mainly focused on chronological age and generational values or studied ageing and consumption with cross‐sectional data. Few quantitative studies exist that examine the effect of age together with life course on consumption using longitudinal data. To bridge this gap, the article examines ageing and attitudes towards consumption in Finland, focusing particularly on late middle‐agers (46–60 year‐olds) in comparison with young adults (18–30 year‐olds) between 1999 and 2014. The article explores three consumption patterns based on attitudinal statements: ecological, economical and self‐indulgent consumption. Through analysis of a nationally representative survey study in Finland (N = 8,543), the article reveals that in all years under examination, late middle‐agers reported more ecological attitudes towards consumption than young adults. In 1999 and 2004, the attitudes of late middle‐agers appeared more economical, but age‐related differences in economical attitudes disappeared between 2009 and 2014. In each year, late middle‐agers reported less self‐indulgent attitudes than young adults, and these age‐related differences did not remarkably change between 1999 and 2014. The results indicate that in 1999 and 2004, ecological and economical attitudes towards consumption were best predicted by age at the year of the study. In later years, ecological attitudes were more closely determined by life course stage, that is household type and other socio‐demographic determinants. Regarding economical attitudes, generational or cohort effects were pronounced among late middle‐agers in 1999. In contrast, the significance of age remained throughout the years for self‐indulgent attitudes, indicating the absence of generational or cohort effects.

  April 04, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12353   open full text
• Playing with class: Middle‐class intensive mothering and the consumption of children's toys in Vietnam.
  Khanh Le‐Phuong Nguyen, Vicki Harman, Benedetta Cappellini.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 31, 2017
  This article explores the way in which Vietnamese mothers purchase, gift and share toys with their children. The study utilises a qualitative design comprising semi‐structured interviews with 10 Vietnamese middle‐class professional working mothers of children aged between 5 and 9. This research highlights the way in which toys defined as “good” by mothers need to fulfil a number of important practical and social functions: they act as an investment in the child's future, as a reward, and as a means for mothers to buy time for themselves. The findings illustrate how these functions are influenced by Confucian and Western discourses of intensive mothering, generating a localized style of middle‐class intensive mothering, characterized by what we have called the ideal of the triple excellent and intensive mother.

  March 31, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12349   open full text
• Debt problems, home‐leaving, and boomeranging: A register‐based perspective on economic consequences of moving away from parental home.
  Atte Oksanen, Mikko Aaltonen, Karoliina Majamaa, Kati Rantala.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 12, 2017
  This article analyses the development of financial problems after leaving one's parental home, and considers how financial problems are associated with likelihood of boomeranging (i.e., adult children returning to parental home). The 9‐year follow‐up study focused on a nationally representative sample of Finnish young people between the ages of 15 and 25 who moved out from their parental home between 2006 and 2009 (n = 9,196). The measure of debt problems was based on monthly data on debt enforcement, a legal matter which may bring serious consequences for the debtors. The primary within‐individual, longitudinal analyses showed that debt problems increased directly after leaving parental home. Education and family background were significant predictors of debt problems in the four years after leaving parental home. Early leavers had significantly more debt problems than later leavers. Debt problems were associated with a higher likelihood of moving back to parental home. The results imply that it is important to support economic decision‐making during early adulthood.

  March 12, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12348   open full text
• The impact of consumer decision‐making styles on consumer confusion in Mauritius: An empirical analysis.
  Sachin Coothoopermal, Hemant Chittoo.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 10, 2017
  This article investigates the effects of consumer decision‐making styles on consumer confusion and harm. While consumer confusion has been well documented in the literature, this investigation attempts to bridge our understanding on its relationship with consumer decision‐making styles. Empirical data was collected from a field survey where 400 consumers selected at 20 supermarkets in Mauritius were asked to respond to a questionnaire measuring three variables under study: consumer confusion, consumer decision‐making styles, and situational factors. Findings from the MANOVA parametric test showed that there is a significant difference between consumer decision‐making styles and consumer confusion. Even when covariate situational factors were controlled through the parametric test MANCOVA, results still showed a significant difference between consumer decision‐making styles and consumer confusion. More specifically, ANCOVA tests showed that the findings were specifically significant for three types of confusion: product confusion, packaging confusion, and product complexity. The study tends to confirm that a consumer's style of decision making does impact on consumer confusion.

  March 10, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12343   open full text
• Use of behavioral reasoning theory to examine the role of social responsibility in attitudes toward apparel donation.
  MinJung Park, Hyojung Cho, Kim K. P. Johnson, Jennifer Yurchisin.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 05, 2017
  Drawing on behavioral reasoning theory, this study investigated drivers of young consumers’ apparel donation behavior. By examining the impact of values (i.e., benevolence and power) and reasons (i.e., other‐oriented reasons and self‐oriented reasons) on attitudes, this study highlights the different motivations individuals have for donating clothing. As predicted, benevolence was positively related to other‐oriented reasons for donations and power was positively related to self‐oriented reasons for donations. Both other‐ and self‐oriented reasons for donating influenced attitudes related to apparel donation behavior. These findings offer an overarching explanation for the seemingly disparate reasons for apparel donation previously identified.

  March 05, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12347   open full text
• Genetically modified foods: Consumer awareness, opinions and attitudes in selected EU countries.
  Stanisław Popek, Michał Halagarda.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 26, 2017
  The dynamic development of biotechnology in recent years has raised serious public concerns about the possible risks arising from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The aim of this study was to investigate consumer opinions regarding genetically modified (GM) foods. The research also aimed at verifying the differences in the attitudes of respondents from two, relatively culturally diverse research sites. To obtain empirical data a face‐to‐face survey was conducted in 2015. It covered a total of 976 randomly selected individuals. The study was performed in the capital of the United Kingdom—London and the Polish capital—Warsaw. The results of the study show that almost half of the respondents were familiar with the GMO concept. According to the respondents, the greatest benefits arising from the genetic modification are: enhanced shelf‐life of food and crops' resistance to extreme climatic conditions. The main disadvantages were: unpredictable consequences of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) modification, production of species‐specific toxins and food allergenicity. Over two thirds of people surveyed support the idea of the obligatory labeling of GM foods. The information presented on food packaging should primarily include potential contraindications to the consumption, indication that food was produced using transgenic sources and a warning about potential allergenicity. An almost equal number of respondents showed intention for purchasing GM food products, an intention to act otherwise, or was not decided. As many as 27.7% of survey participants showed negative attitudes toward GM foods, whereas only 19.8% predominantly positive. It is worth noticing that, with only one exception, no statistically significant differences were observed between the opinions of Polish and British respondents.

  February 26, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12345   open full text
• The barriers and drivers of seafood consumption in Australia: A narrative literature review.
  Julia K. Christenson, Gabrielle M. O'Kane, Anna K. Farmery, Alexandra McManus.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 12, 2017
  Although seafood is considered to be an important part of a healthy and balanced diet, many Australians still do not consume the recommended amounts for good health. Fish is an excellent source of protein, omega‐3 fatty acids and other nutrients, and studies have shown that seafood‐rich diets can have a lower impact on the environment than diets high in other animal proteins. Concerns about health and sustainability have led to an increased interest in understanding consumers' attitudes toward seafood. This review aims to assess the current knowledge on drivers and barriers to seafood consumption in the Australian context. Systematic search strategies were used to identify relevant peer‐reviewed journal articles from three electronic databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science and Science Direct) and grey literature reports from targeted government and industry websites. Accepted studies investigated drivers and/or barriers to seafood consumption in Australia through qualitative, quantitative, or mixed method designs. Initial searches identified 504 publications from which fourteen met the criteria for the review process. The reviewed studies revealed that influences on seafood consumption in Australia are similar to those identified in other developed countries. The leading drivers of seafood consumption are health, taste, and convenience, while the main barriers are price, availability, concerns about quality, and a lack of confidence in selecting and preparing seafood. Some possible intervention strategies targeted toward these factors are explored in the discussion. Future research should focus on designing and implementing specific interventions so that their effectiveness in increasing seafood consumption in Australia can be assessed.

  February 12, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12342   open full text
• Motivation, opportunity, and ability: Understanding new habits and changes adopted for weight management.
  Taylor Willmott, Joy Parkinson.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 06, 2017
  As obesity rates continue to rise, both effective prevention and treatment programs are urgently required. Combating obesity requires weight management programs that are accessible and scalable to large numbers of people. There is growing evidence that commercial programs, which combine behavior change techniques with the key motivators for changing habits, are effective as the first line in helping people adopt healthier dietary and activity patterns. In particular, digital programs have the potential to provide a service to large numbers of people, be widely accessible and cost effective for the individual. However, to date, digital programs have been relatively under‐utilized and under‐evaluated. There is little published evidence on the performance of programs on a large scale, outside of partnerships with primary care, where participants self‐refer and pay a nominal fee. The purpose of the following study was to examine the interrelated effect of motivation, opportunity, and ability on the behavioral outcomes of a digital commercial weight management program. To address this aim, a thematic content analysis of participants' qualitative responses to habits learned and changes adopted was conducted. Findings reveal that habits learned and changes adopted as a result of participating in the program influence not only weight loss outcomes but other health and well‐being outcomes as well.

  February 06, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12340   open full text
• Perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward sustainable fashion: Application of Q and Q‐R methodologies.
  Sanga Song, Eunju Ko.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 03, 2017
  While sustainability has increasingly attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners, consumer attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable consumption have not yet been elucidated. The decision‐making process around sustainable consumption involves diverse and complex considerations including some forms of compromise (tradeoff). In addition, sustainability is a broad and subjective concept, and is not a primary attribute of a product Impacting the choices of consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to apply new methods to overcome the limitations of conventional evidence‐based research. This research uses Q and Q‐R methodologies to identify consumers' subjective viewpoints toward sustainable fashion and to present socio‐demographic differences across segments of sustainable fashion consumers. Study 1 uses Q methodology to interview 26 consumers and to identify four types of decision makers: doubtful egoists, single‐minded bystanders, wavering intellects, and opinion leaders. Study 2 uses Q‐R methodology to verify the psychological and socio‐demographic variables among 328 consumers. The research provides useful suggestions for selecting and approaching target consumer segments in the sustainable fashion industry.

  February 03, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12335   open full text
• Scope of improvement in water usage efficiency in manual dishwashing: A multicountry study by questionnaire survey.
  Writi Maitra, Lara Belke, Rainer Stamminger, Bert Nijhuis, Clara Presti.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 01, 2017
  Over recent decades, water conservation have become increasingly an utmost important issue for debate, and this includes the domestic sector. Reducing demand water by improving the efficiency of water use in domestic sector requires an understanding of how water is used and in what ways water savings can be realized. The focus of this global, web‐based, consumer questionnaire survey was to analyze individual consumer attitudes towards using water in manual dishwashing and understand the likelihood of a prospect of changing the daily manual dishwashing method resulting to a more efficient domestic usage of water. This study was designed to investigate the manual dishwashing technique used in the 5249 households of nine different countries ‐ China, Germany, Italy, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, India, South Africa and Argentina. Besides socio‐demographics, technical questions like cleaning steps, hygiene questions motivational question, environmental awareness questions, questions on payment for water and electricity, questions on information sources about household work were included in the study. It was found that the awareness to conserve water was common among the Asian participants but it necessarily was not practiced in the households as individual washing of dishes was found to be quite high. Among the many outcomes, important one was that ‘running tap method’ was found to be most prevalent (86%) among Russian participants, complimenting their detached approach towards conserving domestic water usage. In South American countries like Brazil (66%) and Argentina (51%), high occurrence of ‘running tap rinse’ was found to be a common practice, confirming the lack of conscious use of water in manual dishwashing in the subcontinent. Based on the overall responses, awareness of a new and efficient technique of manual dishwashing could be propagated through the most voted mediums of Internet (81%) and TV (69%).

  February 01, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12334   open full text
• Market strategy for promoting green consumption: Consumer preference and policy implications for laundry detergent.
  Manseok Jo, Jungwoo Shin.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 25, 2017
  Green consumption is a very common phrase in our daily lives, yet product characteristics that mainly contribute to the diffusion of green products are largely unknown. Based on microeconomic theory, we conduct a conjoint survey of consumer preferences for a ubiquitous green product—laundry detergent. We analyze the correlation between consumers' demographic variables and attributes of laundry detergents through a hierarchical Bayesian mixed logit model. We find that consumer preferences for attributes display significant heterogeneity. Age and income significantly influence the marginal preferences for attributes. An examination of consumer willingness to pay and of the relative importance of each attribute reveals that price and base material are the most important attributes. Green attributes, such as skin irritation potential and biodegradability, tend to be less important. This study also examines preference heterogeneity based on previous purchase experience. To promote green consumption, we emphasize the need for policies that reduce the value‐action gap.

  January 25, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12339   open full text
• Using photo interviews to explore children's food preferences.
  Siril Alm, Svein Ottar Olsen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 23, 2017
  This methodological paper elaborates on the pitfalls and potentials for using participatory photo interviews that explore children's experiences with food. It aims to show how participatory photo interviews can give a deeper understanding of children's food preferences. Such knowledge will be useful to other researchers who wish to apply the method in social studies involving children and food. We studied 12 families comprising seven‐ and eight‐year‐old children and their parents to illustrate how this method can be used to identify and understand children's food preferences. The children took photographs over a one‐week period while eating family dinners at home and grocery shopping with their parents. The photos were then used to elicit information during separate in‐depth interviews. Qualitative data analysis software (NVivo 10) was used to content analyse the data. We found that participant photo interviews were a useful method for helping children to remember and describe the sensory, cognitive and affective situational associations of their meals. This approach helped to explore interesting aspects of children's preferences such as their response to raw vegetables, the importance of controlling and choosing meal ingredients and ambivalent food preferences. We discuss parental involvement during data collection as it represents one of the methodological pitfalls. Another limitation is the risk of sensitive information to be breached. We conclude that participatory photo interviews have potential for future food research involving children and may provide information difficult to elicit using other methods.

  January 23, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12338   open full text
• Expectancy‐value theory contributes to understanding consumer attitudes towards cow's milk alternatives and variants.
  Elizabeth Kempen, Josephine Kasambala, Lorna Christie, Elize Symington, Lizette Jooste, Tertia Van Eeden.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 23, 2017
  Although South Africans mostly consume cow's milk, cow's milk alternatives/variants are increasingly becoming popular and this could be attributed to higher demand and changing consumer attitudes. Using expectancy‐value theory approach, this study aimed to explore consumers' beliefs that exist to influence their attitude towards cow's milk alternatives/variants and consequently the acceptance or non‐acceptance thereof. Thirteen focus groups, each with four to eight participants, were conducted at the University of South Africa (Unisa) Science Campus in Florida, Gauteng, South Africa. Genders were separated to improve the facilitation of the discussion. The semi‐structured discussions explored and gave an insight into consumer attitudes and perceptions that influence acceptance of cow's milk alternatives/variants. The recorded discussions were transcribed and the content was analyzed for emerging themes and categories by two independent parties, who then compared these emerging themes and categories. Results showed that the primary factors that influence consumers' beliefs and, ultimately, attitude formation and predisposition to accept or reject cow's milk alternatives/variants are acquired through knowledge and perceptions coming from (1) direct experiences, such as familiarity with the products' internal and external attributes, conditional willingness and causal factors, (2) indirect experiences ingrained from childhood and (3) association, where consumers had no reference to the product to attach attributes for belief formation, leading to being astonished at the thought, being curious about the product or having no interest in it. This study demonstrated that consumers' acceptance of cow's milk alternatives/variants will ultimately depend on product‐related expectations.

  January 23, 2017   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12331   open full text
• Consumption of special diets among adolescents from 1999 to 2013: A population‐based study in Finland.
  Heli Parviainen, Anna‐Liisa Elorinne, Pertti Väisänen, Arja Rimpelä.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 27, 2016
  Special diets are consumed as a treatment for diseases such as food allergies, diabetes, lactose intolerance, and coeliac disease. Lifestyle‐related diets, such as vegetarian, weight‐reducing, sports, bodybuilding, and low‐carbohydrate diets, can also be called special diets. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of and reasons for special diet consumption as a therapeutic measure or as a lifestyle‐related choice among 12‐ to 18‐year‐old Finns. Nationwide cross‐sectional data were collected by mailed, self‐administered questionnaires in 1999, 2001, 2007, and 2013. The number of respondents varied from 3535 to 8219, and response rates ranged from 38% to 76%. Consumption of special diets, both for therapeutic purposes and as a lifestyle‐related choice, showed a significant increasing trend in 12‐ to 18‐year‐olds from 1999 to 2013 (p < .001). During the study period, the most frequently‐reported single diets in adolescents were vegetarian and lactose intolerance diets. However, a fluctuation trend was observed in the consumption of different lifestyle‐related diets. Further, a growing number of respondents, especially girls, reported simultaneous consumption of a combination of two or more therapeutic and/or lifestyle‐related diets. The reason(s) for choosing a therapeutic diet seems to stay constant during the studied period. In contrast, a wide variety of reasons such as health, wellbeing, body weight, ethical, and ideological reasons, and the avoidance of some specific foods were given for the consumption of lifestyle‐related diets. Our study results correspond well to the increased prevalence of common illnesses in Finland. Data also reveal the properties of special diet consumption among adolescents in the long run, and this highlights the need to further educate Finnish adolescents on nutrition literacy.

  December 27, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12332   open full text
• Editorial: International Journal of Consumer Studies: For January 2017.
  Katherine Hughes.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 23, 2016
  There is no abstract available for this paper.

  December 23, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12337   open full text
• Educating limited resource older adults for better choices to lower risk of food insecurity.
  Carolyn L. Bird, Jacquelyn W. McClelland.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 23, 2016
  United States (U.S.) national and North Carolina state data on older adult food insecurity in combination with associated poor nutrition‐related health outcomes point to a critical need for interventions to improve their food security. Nearly 8% of North Carolinians aged 60 and older and 11% of those aged 50–59 are food insecure, placing North Carolina in the top ten states in the U.S. for food insecurity for both age groups. Therefore, the Better Choices intervention was designed to educate limited‐income older adults in ways to manage their meager resources to purchase more and healthier foods. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Better Choices intervention in improving the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of participants concerning their food money resource management. Older adults (n = 453) with ages ranging from 59 to over 90 years participated in 8 weeks of educational programming delivered by educators in 15 participating North Carolina counties. In a cross‐over program design participating counties were randomly assigned to two groups, to create a control for the food money resource management treatment. A three‐points‐in‐time survey supported longitudinal measurement. Independent samples t‐tests showed no significant differences between groups at baseline. Paired sample t‐test results show the intervention was effective with statistically significant improvement of participants' knowledge regarding preparing a healthy meal on a budget, beans as a low‐cost alternative to meat, and the use of unit pricing to compare products to identify the best value. Participant‐developed action plans reflected planned behavior change. Study results show this group of older adults were capable of and willing to adopt new behaviors for a healthier lifestyle. While not a representative sample, the broad applicability of adult learning and planned behavior theories underpinning the program lead us to conclude that the methods and theories applied in this intervention should be of use to educators and practitioners serving limited‐resource older adult populations.

  December 23, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12333   open full text
• The “ideal” food consumer in Home Economics: A study of Swedish textbooks from 1962 to 2011.
  Lolita Eriksson, Karin Hjälmeskog.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 15, 2016
  Is the ideal food consumer, educated in Home Economics in Sweden, one who makes sustainable choices? By examining Home Economics textbooks for lower secondary school published from 1962 to 2011, we explored what kind of food consumers emerged and thus open up a discussion on sustainability and food consumption. One standard textbook from each decade, in total six, was included in the study, and the passages dealing with food, as core content, were analyzed. Discourse analysis was used to reveal different characterizations of the ideal consumers, specifically in relation to sustainable food consumption. Three different discourses emerged: (a) the healthy and obedient consumer, (b) the healthy, thrifty, and caring consumer, and (c) the healthy, thrifty, and environmentally conscious consumer. There were both similarities and differences among these consumers, specifically regarding what knowledge they are shown to need and how they are supposed to learn. All three consumers are primarily motivated by health arguments, even though health is related to finances in the second and to both finances and environment in the third case. Furthermore, we found a common tendency for textbooks to express knowledge in a prescriptive way, with the implied belief that people are rational food consumers. This tendency leads us to suggest that the discussion about future consumer education and textbooks could be broadened and strengthened by the inclusion of a participative and critical approach and social responsibility.

  December 15, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12329   open full text
• Load profiles and flexibility in operation of washing machines and dishwashers in Europe.
  Rainer Stamminger, Angelika Schmitz.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 27, 2016
  While the energy generation system is changing towards the use of more renewable energies, the problem of how to deal with fluctuating energy supply is increasing. Smart appliances in households are often referenced as one possible solution, as their operation may be shifted in time and, thus, used to balance an unstable energy supply. The potential of such appliances has been studied to date mainly in pilot installations with a very limited number of participants or by making assumptions on what might be possible. With this work, a semi‐representative approach for 12 European countries was used to assess actual consumer habits for the use of washing machines and dishwashers which then could be used to calculate average load profiles for those appliances depending on the time of the day. Using these profiles, it is strait forward to calculate how much load may be shifted by those appliances in a demand response application. This allows aggregators or energy utilities to assign clear financial benefits to the shifting potential of those appliances. Consumers use the shifting of appliance operation already today for various reasons. Investigating these reasons allows to learn already a lot about the flexibility of consumers.

  November 27, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12325   open full text
• The ecological conscious consumer behaviour: are the activists different?
  Ana Brochado, Nídia Teiga, Fernando Oliveira‐Brochado.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 27, 2016
  In recent decades, concern about the environment has been increasing. Many individuals are now more worried about their purchasing behaviour and the consequences their actions could have for the environment. Managers are becoming more committed to responding to individual needs and desires in a responsible way, taking into account possible environmental damage. Previous studies concentrated more on explaining this phenomenon through demographic variables, but the trend now is towards explaining this through psychographic and environmental variables, which have already been shown to be the most significant in this context. This study sought to establish the relationship between activists and ecologically conscious consumer behaviour (ECCB) by analyzing the profile of green consumers (i.e. demographic and psychographic variables). To reach this objective, an online survey was conducted. The results of data analyses support the conclusion that activism is the strongest predictor of ECCB.

  November 27, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12321   open full text
• Fashion interest as a driver for consumer textile waste management: reuse, recycle or disposal.
  Sabine Weber, Jennifer Lynes, Steven B. Young.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 22, 2016
  Past studies have considered the impact of fashion on consumer textile disposal behaviour, but have focused mainly on drivers of clothing waste. There is a lack of research that examines consumer attitudes towards fashion and their disposal methods. This study conducted an online survey of 410 people in Ontario, Canada with varying demographic characteristics to assess how they currently manage their textile waste including resell, swap, take‐back, donation and disposal. Respondents were asked about their fashion interest and shopping frequency and were assigned a fashion index value. The fashion index value is not a means of grouping consumers but is instead a continuum to model interest in fashion, with one extreme representing fashion consumers and the other representing non‐fashion consumers. Statistical analysis was then used to establish whether there is a link between textile waste behaviour and fashion index. The results indicate that consumers with a high fashion index (i.e. fashion consumers) and consumers with low fashion index (i.e. non‐fashion consumers) manage their textile waste differently. While the majority of participants donate and dispose of unwanted clothes, fashion consumers are more interested and more likely to participate in alternative methods (e.g. resell, swap, and take back) for removing unwanted textiles. Although fashion consumers produce more textile waste than non‐fashion consumers, textile consumption cannot be directly equated with textile waste since fashion consumers were found to have a lower disposal rate than non‐fashion consumers (38 percent to 50 percent, respectively). The distinct disposal characteristics of fashion and non‐fashion consumers (i.e. interest and willingness to participate in alternative channels) allows strategies to be tailored accordingly so that the amount of waste going to landfill can be reduced.

  November 22, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12328   open full text
• Behavioural factors in young people's fruit consumption.
  Joana Rita Silvestre Godinho, Helena Maria Batista Alves.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 21, 2016
  This study aims to find out the determinant factors affecting fruit consumption behaviour in Portuguese young people, based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model, and determine if this model explains differences according to gender, age and rural/urban environments. This research is innovative because it tests the HAPA model with young people, and because it adds social support to the HAPA model as an extra predictor of young people's behaviour. To gather the data, a questionnaire survey was applied in two public schools, one in a rural area and the other in a city. The survey was answered by 266 Portuguese young people, aged 15–21 years, from the 10th to the 12th grades. Authorization for the survey was given in advance, from the Ministry of Education, schools and parents, after which the survey was performed. Before applying the questionnaire, two pre‐tests were carried out, each with ten participants and with similar characteristics to the population studied. This study analyses action self‐efficacy, outcome expectancies, action planning, risk perception, intention, maintenance self‐efficacy and social support variables. The result was obtained through a two‐step process, by determining the measurement and structural model, using Smart PLS 2.0. The results show that young females have more factors determining fruit consumption, with greater social support for action self‐efficacy, greater maintenance self‐efficacy through action self‐efficacy, and greater perception of risk regarding fruit consumption. In terms of age, young people over 16 years present greater outcome expectations for the intention, greater perception of risk and action self‐efficacy for fruit consumption. The multi‐group analysis referring to differences between young people living in rural or urban environments did not show proof of the model giving a better explanation of one situation or the other. It can be concluded that the HAPA model is appropriate to the investigation of behaviour factors that influence young people's fruit consumption. The results also indicate that in the scope of the behaviour analysed the proposed model gives a better explanation for females and for those over 16 years.

  November 21, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12319   open full text
• Consumer education and empowerment in Europe: recent developments in policy and practice.
  Carol Brennan, Ivo Vlaev, Michael Blakemore, Nicola Smith.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 17, 2016
  This article develops the findings of an evaluation of European Commission consumer education, information and capacity building actions conducted in 2011, with an examination of action taken by 2016 to address the recommendations. Based on empirical research of documents, in‐depth interviews, focus groups and semi‐structured surveys of Directorate General for Health and Consumers and Directorate General for Education and Culture policy networks, it discusses the journey taken to improve consumer education and empowerment throughout Europe. Implementation of the recommendations aims to transform consumer education and empowerment in Europe, with integrated and updated resources for the maximum number of teachers across the European Union, where teachers can focus the resources on consumer education activities relevant for their learners. A key focus of the new developments is to deliver higher European Union (pan‐European) added‐value, better coordination and synergies with national activities.

  November 17, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12322   open full text
• Education and the empowerment of women in household decision‐making in Spain.
  Cecilia Albert, Josep‐Oriol Escardíbul.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 15, 2016
  It was analysed whether investment in the education of both women and men serves to empower wives resulting in more balanced household decisions being taken on matters related to consumption and financial management. They considered that household decision‐making could be made by mainly the wife, mainly the husband or the couple acting jointly. They then applied multinomial probit models to the Spanish Living Conditions Survey of 2010. Results show that, when controlling for demographic, family and labour market characteristics, the level of education of both the husband and wife has a positive effect in terms of a more egalitarian decision‐making process in relation to three areas of expenditure: daily shopping, expensive purchases of consumer durables and significant expenditure on children. However, only women's education has a positive effect on borrowing money and no effect of education is observed with regard to the use of savings. Results are less conclusive for households where decisions are taken primarily by the wife or husband, since men's education increases the role of husbands in the household making‐decision process whereas no effect of wives' education is observed.

  November 15, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12326   open full text
• Understanding bottled water consumption in a high‐poverty context: empirical evidence from a small town in Guatemala.
  William F. Vásquez.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 10, 2016
  This research investigated the determinants of bottled water consumption using household survey data from a small, poor town in Guatemala. Hurdle (two‐part) models were estimated to account for 73.3% of sampled households that did not consume bottled water. Findings indicated that the vast majority of respondents perceived minimal health risks from drinking bottled water. In contrast, few respondents (3.2%) believed that tap water is totally safe to drink. Estimation results indicated that bottled water consumption was positively associated to health risk perceptions, household income, education and market access. Household size had a negative effect on the likelihood of consuming bottled water. However, once the household had decided to consume bottled water, its consumption increased with each additional household member.

  November 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12327   open full text
• A multivariate study of over‐indebtedness' causes and consequences.
  Begoña Gutiérrez‐Nieto, Carlos Serrano‐Cinca, Marta CuestaߚGonzález.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 10, 2016
  This paper proposes a comprehensive explanatory model to explain both causes and consequences of over‐indebtedness. It presents as causes some borrower aspects, such as propensity to indebtedness and low financial literacy. Other causes are borrower circumstances: adverse external shocks, borrower internal problems and financial institutions' pressure. The model incorporates consequences on the borrower, the lender and the society. The model has been tested with a survey filled in by experts and over‐indebted individuals. Results have been analysed using multivariate techniques, including canonical correlations. There are differences in the opinions of experts and individuals: the latter blame external shocks or financial institutions' pressure, while the former find relevant factors the financial illiteracy or the tendency to imitate others. Experts and individuals agree on the consequences: poverty growth in the society and declining borrower's welfare. The paper concludes with the need to improve financial literacy, especially in the risks involved in over‐indebtedness.

  November 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12324   open full text
• Energy efficient household appliances in emerging markets: the influence of consumers' values and knowledge on their attitudes and purchase behaviour.
  The Ninh Nguyen, Antonio Lobo, Steven Greenland.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 10, 2016
  This research integrates both motivational and cognitive approaches to better understand consumers' purchase behaviour of energy efficient household appliances in emerging markets. A unique values, knowledge, attitudes and behaviour model was developed, and then validated by obtaining data from Vietnamese consumers which yielded 682 usable responses. The findings confirm that consumers with stronger adherence to egoistic values are more likely to develop negative attitudes towards environmental protection, and they tend to formulate positive attitudes towards individual inconvenience associated with the purchase of energy efficient appliances. In contrast, biospheric and altruistic values facilitate consumers' purchase behaviour by enhancing their attitudes towards environmental protection, and by also reducing their attitudes in relation to individual inconvenience. Interestingly, consumers with high knowledge about energy efficient appliances tend to believe that the purchase of such products is important for environmental protection, and they are likely to negate the perception of inconvenience associated with the purchase. Attitudes were found to be significant determinants of both purchase intention and behaviour. The implications for policymakers, marketers and other stakeholders are discussed and future research directions presented.

  November 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12323   open full text
• Consumer decision‐making styles and post purchase behaviour of poor for Fast Moving Consumer Goods.
  Arvind Kumar, Anupama Vohra, Hamendra Kumar Dangi.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 10, 2016
  More than half of the world's population is poor. Certainly, their purchasing power cannot be compared with that of the riches, but it is their collective purchase potential which makes them a substantial market. The fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs), on the other hand, are the fourth largest industry in the world. FMCGs are relatively low cost products and the poor, by necessity, spend a significant amount of their income on FMCGs. So, by virtue of being a large consumer base for FMCGs, the poor are a promising market for the FMCG marketers. But little is known about their buying behaviour for FMCGs as only a few studies have been conducted on them in this regard. This study aims to explore their shopping orientations towards price, quality and brand for FMCGs in the context of one of the largest developing countries like India by exploring their consumer decision‐making styles (CDMSs), especially their price consciousness, quality consciousness, brand consciousness and brand loyalty. Besides it, it also explores their post purchase behaviour and testifies its mechanism with the above mentioned CDMSs in the present context through structured equation modelling.

  November 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12320   open full text
• Financial literacy and savings decisions by adult financial consumers in Zimbabwe.
  Conrad Murendo, Kingstone Mutsonziwa.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 17, 2016
  We use survey data from a sample of 4000 adult financial consumers in Zimbabwe to analyse the determinants of financial literacy and its effect on individual's savings decisions. Results show that women have lower financial literacy than men. Furthermore, individuals' residing in rural areas exhibit lower financial literacy compared with urban financial consumers. Financial literacy and financial services interventions targeting women and rural individuals should be strengthened. Econometric results show that financial literacy positively influences savings behaviour for both rural and urban individuals. Furthermore, financial literacy positively influences informal and formal savings. Policy interventions that foster financial literacy are needed to improve individuals saving behaviours.

  October 17, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12318   open full text
• Cleanliness and consumption: exploring material and social structuring of domestic cleaning practices.
  Tullia Jack.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 17, 2016
  In line with increasing international trends of energy efficient devices on the market and in households, domestic consumption of water and energy should be decreasing. However in Sweden, domestic per capita water consumption is not decreasing rapidly and energy consumption is actually increasing. This suggests that physical contexts are not the only factor shaping resource demand. People are also influenced by collective conventions; what we think is normal has a significant say in what we do, and the resources we consume in the course of everyday life. This paper explores the way context shapes what people do from both a material infrastructures and social infrastructures perspective, using cleanliness in Sweden as a case study. First, material infrastructures in Sweden are mapped, including device ownership, water, energy and time consumed related to cleanliness. Second, qualitative interviews with Swedish people aim to show the social structuring of cleanliness. Understanding the interplay between physical and social structures has potential implications for decreasing resource intensity in everyday life.

  October 17, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12315   open full text
• What do we know about fashion adoption groups? A proposal and test of a model of fashion adoption.
  Jane E. Workman, Seung‐Hee Lee.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 09, 2016
  The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to identify gaps in the literature and inconsistencies between empirical data and Rogers' diffusion of innovations model originally outlined in 1962; (2) to propose a model of fashion adoption; and (3) to conduct an empirical test of the proposed model. The proposed model varies from Rogers' model as follows: four (vs. five) ideal‐type adopter groups with unique names and clear operational definitions; proportional distribution of consumers among groups; clear method of statistically identifying group members; categorization based on fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership; and standard procedure for identifying groups based on mean and standard deviation. The proposed model offers greater precision and provides results that are comparable across studies. The model was analyzed empirically using four methods of categorizing participants into fashion adoption groups (independent variable) and fashion involvement as the dependent variable. Participants in the study were 309 students from two universities. The analysis using the proposed model provided clear‐cut results that supported the hypothesis that higher levels of consumers' fashion involvement increased the probability of earlier adoption. Results from the other three analyses were not as clear‐cut. Based on the model for fashion adoption presented in this paper, the foundation is primed for development of a theory of fashion adoption. The proposed model offers a solution to the problem of identifying fashion adoption groups, plus, the solution achieves the desired effect with the simplest effort and is undertaken with appropriate methods.

  October 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12314   open full text
• Time orientation and construal level: effects on eating and exercising behaviour and preferences.
  Jannette Beek, Michel J.J. Handgraaf, Gerrit Antonides.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 09, 2016
  Eating and exercising behaviour are both characterized by immediate and future consequences. Consequently, consideration of these consequences (i.e. time orientation) predicts eating and exercising behaviour. We investigate whether construal level acts as an underlying mechanism of these relations. Students (N = 101) completed measures of consideration of immediate and future consequences (i.e. CFC‐food and CFC‐exercise), construal level, eating and exercising behaviour and preferences. For self‐reported eating and exercising behaviour, only direct effects of consideration of immediate and future consequences were found. For eating preferences, however, there was evidence of an indirect effect through construal level. A stronger tendency to consider future consequences led to a stronger preference for utilitarian (as compared with hedonic) food products through a more abstract construal level. All in all, construal level partially explains the differential relations between consideration of immediate and future consequences and eating and exercising behaviour and preferences.

  October 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12313   open full text
• Low‐literate consumers' use of clothing labels amidst personal and product related challenges.
  Hanlie Staden, Daleen Merwe, Annette Aardt, Susanna Ellis.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 09, 2016
  Low‐literate consumers experience various challenges in the marketplace. This quantitative study focused on low‐literate female consumers' use of clothing labels amidst personal and product‐related challenges in the marketplace. An interviewer‐administered questionnaire was used among black African female consumers (n = 450) with literacy levels ranging from Grades 5 to 8 (on average, 11–14 years old), residing in the Emfuleni Local Municipality area, Gauteng, South Africa. Personal challenges experienced involved reading and numeracy skills, as well as concrete and pictographic thinking. Although respondents indicated that they read and understand clothing labels, results revealed problems experienced when attempting to use the information provided. Their numeracy skills were average and related abstract thinking skills were fair. Product‐related challenges were related to the format of labels, care‐label knowledge and evaluation of clothing quality. Respondents' preference for symbolic and graphic presentation of size format provided evidence of pictographic thinking. Care label understanding was poor, and clothing products were evaluated concretely. Some of the older respondents were inclined to follow the peripheral route of elaboration when reading clothing‐label information. We conclude that low‐literate consumers' use of clothing label information can improve if provided in a format that they can read and understand.

  October 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12316   open full text
• Egg utilization and consumer acceptability of egg dishes prepared with commercial egg powder in rural Mkhambathini, South Africa.
  Sithandiwe Ntila, Unathi Kolanisi, Muthulisi Siwela.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. October 09, 2016
  Eggs have a potential to alleviate protein‐energy malnutrition among rural communities. Unfortunately, eggs are perishable and most rural communities in South Africa have very limited access to effective food storage and preservation facilities. Utilization of eggs by rural households could increase if they were available in the form of egg powder, which is convenient and shelf‐stable. However, rural communities in South Africa are not familiar with egg powder and therefore it is not known whether it would be acceptable to them. The aim of the current study was to explore the utilization of eggs by rural households of Mkhambathini, South Africa, and assess the potential for using egg powder in popular egg dishes. A total of 110 household representatives completed a survey questionnaire, 50 participated in focus group discussions and 51 in sensory evaluation of egg dishes (sandwich and relish) prepared with commercial egg powder. The households perceived eggs as an important, nutritious food, but cultural beliefs, ineffective storage facilities, and limited market access restricted their utilization. Results of sensory evaluation showed that the acceptability of the egg powder dishes was similar to that of their fresh egg counterparts. Overall, the study demonstrates that there is a great potential for rural households to replace fresh egg dishes with egg powder dishes.

  October 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12317   open full text
• Warning labels on junk food: experimental evidence.
  Fabio Boncinelli, Francesca Gerini, Gabriele Pagnotta, Frode Alfnes.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. September 29, 2016
  Unhealthy food choice is one of the main causes of being overweight. Nutritionists blame a particular category of food: junk food. Several authors have proposed a fat tax for reducing the junk food demand, but others have demonstrated that these taxes must be very high in order to be effective. Therefore, a warning label about calorie content may be an alternative way to reduce the consumption of junk food. In this exploratory study, using students as respondents, a high‐calorie warning label is explored with an incentive compatible valuation method. The results indicate that a high‐calorie warning label has little effect on respondents’ choices, even when they have no prior familiarity with the food.

  September 29, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12312   open full text
• Reducing laundering frequency to prolong the life of denim jeans.
  Rachel H. McQueen, Jane C. Batcheller, Lori J. Moran, Han Zhang, Peter M. Hooper.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 23, 2016
  The use and disposal phase in a garment's life cycle is highly dependent on the choices made by the consumer. Maintenance procedures such as laundering and drying require energy and water use. Garment disposal increases waste in landfill sites, unless incinerated, which can take a toll on the environment through greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, encouraging consumers to launder less frequently and finding ways to extend the useful life of clothing are two ways of increasing sustainability within the clothing industry. Denim jeans are one of the most popular items of clothing worldwide. Changing habits such as reducing the frequency with which a person washes their denim jeans could have a positive impact on the environment through less water and energy use. However, environmental knowledge about what is detrimental to the environment may not necessarily lead to pro‐environmental behaviour. In denim jeans fibre loss results in thinning and loss in colour due to use. Laundering in particular can degrade clothing due to the abrasive forces applied to the surface of wet fibres. Therefore, this study highlights the effect that frequent laundering can have on the degradation of jeans with the aim to provide additional motivation to encourage change in consumers’ laundering habits. Consumers wore jeans for the equivalent of 60 days and either washed their jeans after approximately 2 days of wear or after approximately every 20 days of wear. The findings confirmed that frequent laundering reduced mass, increased colour loss, and reduced tensile strength in the warp direction of the fabric. Although washing is a major contributor to the degradation of jeans, the process of wearing denim jeans also naturally degrades the denim as the thigh region of the jeans showed greater colour loss and reduction in tensile strength than the shin region, which is typically less prone to abrasion through wear. The findings from this study provide compelling evidence to encourage consumers to reconsider their laundering habits in terms of wash frequency as both a means to behave in a more environmentally sustainable way, and to preserve their favourite garments.

  August 23, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12311   open full text
• Environmental factors of food literacy in Australian high schools: views of home economics teachers.
  Rimante Ronto, Lauren Ball, Donna Pendergast, Neil Harris.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 14, 2016
  This study set out to examine environmental factors impacting on the food literacy of adolescents. It utilized data from a nation‐wide survey of home economics teachers regarding their experience of food literacy education in Australian high schools. Content analysis and the ANGELO framework were applied to analyse free‐text comments from 78 of the respondents that were collected as part of a more extensive data set. The analysis of environmental factors revealed three enablers and ten barriers that could influence food literacy education delivered by high schools in Australia. High schools are well positioned to improve adolescents’ food literacy through a comprehensive, hands‐on approach in home economics. However, many environmental barriers were reported that could influence food literacy education in Australian high schools such as: lack of teaching materials and facilities, and human resources; the perceived inadequacy of the Australian school curriculum; non‐supportive school canteens; and negative role modelling. This study points to the need to eliminate or reduce these environmental barriers impacting on the capacity for effective food literacy education in high schools to help adolescents increase their food literacy and thereby support them in making informed food choices.

  August 14, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12309   open full text
• A glimpse of the complexity of factors that influence financial literacy.
  Leonore Riitsalu, Kaire Põder.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 10, 2016
  Financial literacy has been recognised as a vital life skill, but there is little evidence of the factors behind the differences in managing personal finance. Socio‐economic factors and the provision of financial education do explain the variance in financial literacy in some countries, but not in all. In the PISA 2012 financial literacy test, Estonian students ranked very highly in international comparison; although only a few had received financial education at school. Compared with other countries, socio‐economic factors explained the smallest proportion of variance in the test score. There was, however, a significant difference between the mean financial literacy scores of Estonian‐ and Russian‐language communities. The aim of the article is to analyse the factors behind the differences in financial literacy when financial education is not provided. It also offers insight into how students in a similar education system in two different cultural and language frameworks achieve different financial literacy scores. Moreover, the results demonstrate how indicators, such as family background can work through different channels as opposed to the usual parental education or occupation based socio‐economic indicators. The latter implies that unexplained factors remain, such as cultural, developmental and societal indicators, which most researchers pay little attention to when explaining efficient policies for improving financial literacy. Multivariate regression models show that the level of financial literacy in Estonia is correlated with gender, language of the school, the number of books at home, mathematics and reading scores. The Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition explains less than half of the gap between the two communities. The only variable significantly explaining the gap is the number of books at home. Books can be interpreted as a symbol of social status, evidence of cultural background or source of influence for broader picture and better problem solving skills.

  July 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12291   open full text
• Meet the good child. ‘Childing’ practices in family food co‐shopping.
  Malene Gram, Alice Grønhøj.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 10, 2016
  This article explores ‘childing’ pratices in relation to family supermarket shopping in Denmark. ‘Parenting’ practices have been explored for long but little attention has been given to how children strive to be ‘good’ children, who live up to certain standards and recognize what they perceive to be appropriate child and parental behavior. The study takes a practice theoretical perspective, building on previous research on family consumption, and draws empirically on 35 interviews with 5–6 year‐olds and 13 family interviews. Findings show that the children recognize the position of ‘the good child’ and most often prefer to take on this position, which is confirmed by their parents. The children can describe how ‘the good child’—in their eyes—should behave. They prefer consensus and not being embarrassing or embarrassed. The study concludes that the children are strongly immersed in social norms and family practices, and that the Danish national/cultural context probably reinforces these children as independent consumers, who are well aware of the requirements of the consumer role. Childing practices are a standard with know‐how and rules that these children argue they live by—at least most of the time—and by which they judge their own behavior and that of other children.

  July 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12295   open full text
• Fitting room or selling room? Millennial female consumers’ dressing room experiences.
  Maryke Vermaak, Helena M. de Klerk.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 10, 2016
  As retail experiences have become more important to the modern consumer, the store environment has taken on greater significance. The store environment is especially of great significance to the millennial consumer. These consumers tend to spend more time in the fashion retail store, while their expenditure on fashion items increases on a yearly basis. The dressing room must be seen as the clothing retailer's selling room – the place where the retail environment plays an immense role with regard to a consumer's cognitions, emotions and purchasing behaviour. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe young millennial clothing consumers' Functional, aesthetic, emotional and symbolic dressing room experiences. A qualitative research strategy was followed. Two unstructured interviews were held with 15 participants. Participants had to take photos of retailers' dressing rooms before the second interview. A photo‐elicitation technique was employed during the second interview. Findings revealed that participants had specific expectations with regard to the functionality and aesthetics of the dressing room, as well as with regard to the symbolic messages and the emotions that they expected to experience. If the dressing room did not meet their expectations they got disappointed, experienced negative emotions and thoughts and the need to leave the dressing room. The behavioural response of avoidance strongly came to the forth. Findings of this research point to the importance of the dressing room as part of the retail experience and have implications for consumer specialists and retailers.

  July 10, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12294   open full text
• A cross‐national validation of a new retail customer equity model.
  Sungjoon Yoon, Jong‐Chul Oh.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 05, 2016
  This study aims to examine retail customers of China and Korea with a view to understanding the differences in the effects of customer equity on perceived store loyalty. We built a modified model of retail customer equity incorporating three drivers of retail customer equity (experience equity, brand equity and relationship equity), and further substantiate the relationships among the three equity drivers. For this purpose, we measured the customer equity of large scale discount stores located in China and Korea. The result shows that experience equity and brand equity significantly influence customer loyalty, whereas relationship equity does not. The relationships among the three drivers of customer equity revealed that experience equity significantly affects both brand and relationship equities, but relationship equity does not significantly affect brand equity. Based on country level analysis, on Korean side the experience equity influences relationship equity, brand equity and store loyalty, whereas on Chinese side, experience equity influences relationship equity and brand equity,

  July 05, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12289   open full text
• With the best of intentions: a large sample test of the intention‐behaviour gap in pro‐environmental consumer behaviour.
  Martin Grimmer, Morgan P. Miles.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 26, 2016
  Many consumers intend to make pro‐environmental purchases; however, this is not always what occurs. A gap exists between consumer intentions to purchase environmentally friendly products and their actual purchase behaviour. The current study uses a large sample of Australian consumers (N = 772) to test Carrington, Neville and Whitwell's (2010) conceptual model of the intention‐behaviour gap. Responses showed that implementation intentions mediated the relationship between intention and pro‐environmental consumer behaviour. Behavioural control and environmental involvement were found to moderate the relationship between implementation intentions and behaviour. Shopping context was found to moderate the relationship between intention and implementation intentions. The findings have theoretical implications for furthering understanding of pro‐environmental consumer behaviour, and practical implications regarding how to generate socially beneficial behaviours.

  June 26, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12290   open full text
• Black urban consumers’ status consumption of clothing brands in the emerging South African market.
  Adèle Cronje, Bertha Jacobs, Arda Retief.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 26, 2016
  Status concerns are noteworthy within a modern society as it is a key feature of individuals’ social reputation. Engaging in this form of thinking results in particular patterns of consumption within consumer groups. In South Africa, Black urban consumers have newfound spending power and social mobility. This study investigated motivators of Black urban consumers’ status consumption across different demographic variables (age, income and profession) in the South African (SA) emerging market. A survey research design was used to provide insights into the relationship of normative receptiveness (value expressive and utilitarian influences) and high self‐monitoring as status consumption motivators of clothing brand consumption. The sample consisted of 246 Black urban consumers between the ages of 24 and 36, residing in Gauteng, South Africa and currently working in professional positions. The results of the study indicated that when purchasing clothing Black urban consumers are motivated by factors related to status consumption. This study found no significant differences between age and gender variables in terms of status consumption. In terms of profession, all three motivational factors were significant. They proved to be very aware of the image that they communicate and how they are seen by others indicating that they are motivated especially by value expressiveness, utilitarian influences and high self‐monitoring aspects across various professions.

  June 26, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12293   open full text
• Electricity saving behavior of households by making efforts, replacing appliances, and renovations: empirical analysis using a multivariate ordered probit model.
  Eri Nakamura.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 26, 2016
  This study empirically explores the determinants of household electricity saving behavior based on a sample of Japanese households. Our study makes four contributions. First, we examine the short‐term saving action of making efforts, the medium‐term saving action of replacing appliances, and the long‐term saving action of undertaking renovations. Second, we consider not only the physical characteristics of households but also behavioral characteristics, such as their understanding of the importance of energy saving and willingness to save energy. Third, in our analysis, we assume that appliances and housing facilities have the electricity‐saving capability and service‐providing capability. While previous studies focus on the former, consumers in reality consider both capabilities. Fourth, we consider the optimization by households and include broad types of appliances and renovations. Using a multivariate ordered probit model with data on 518 Japanese households in 2012, we obtain the following results. First, in addition to the demand response, the effort level is determined by behavioral, rather than by physical characteristics. Second, the motivation behind appliance replacement is durability, rather than electricity‐saving and service‐providing capabilities. Third, appliance replacement is enhanced by an understanding of the importance of energy saving, rather than by the willingness to save energy. Households can replace appliances because of social pressure, even if they are not so concerned about saving energy. Fourth, households are willing to renovate housing facilities even though they pay a higher cost for the greater saving capability rather than for the service‐providing capability. However, such renovation is not influenced by internal incentives, but by physical aspects of the house, such as size, age, and type.

  June 26, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12292   open full text
• Local and/or organic: a study on consumer preferences for organic food and food from different origins.
  Corinna Hempel, Ulrich Hamm.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 16, 2016
  This paper gives a deeper insight into consumer preferences for different food products of varying place of origin (i.e. local, Germany, neighboring country, non‐EU country) and production practices (i.e. organic vs. non‐organic). Consumer surveys combined with choice experiments were conducted with 641 consumers in eight German regions. Mixed logit models were estimated to draw conclusions on consumers’ preferences for different product attributes. The Stimulus‐Organism‐Response model was applied to theoretically frame the key findings. Results reveal that consumers prefer locally produced food to organic food. However, conclusions on consumers’ preferences should not be generalized as they vary depending on product type and consumers’ place of residence. When looking at the willingness‐to‐pay estimates for ‘organic’ and ‘local’ while distinguishing among consumers from different regions of Germany, results indicate that consumers living in rural areas and consumers living in the eastern part of Germany are less willing to pay a premium for organic products than urban consumers and consumers from other parts of Germany. As preferences for origin attributes and organic production vary between different food products and in different regions of Germany, market actors should design marketing activities accordingly. This study adds to the international research on consumers’ preferences for organic and/or local food. The results provide better insights into preference structures, as more than one product has been included and surveys were conducted in different regions across Germany.

  June 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12288   open full text
• Who is behind the sustainable purchase? The sustainable consumer profile in grocery shopping in Spain.
  Isabel Carrero, Raquel Redondo, Maria Eugenia Fabra.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 16, 2016
  Studies of sustainable consumer profiles are mainly label‐specific and focus on Organic or Fair Trade labels. As a result, when the sustainable consumer is defined, there is a sense that only one profile exists. If each label has a different positioning strategy and has different requirements, the buyers of these products may also be different. Through the use of consumer panel data, this paper aims to deepen the understanding of the household demographic profiles of consumers of sustainable brands in order to discover if there is a single sustainable consumer profile or whether there is diversity associated with different labels. This study reveals profile differences and these provide better understanding of the complexities of sustainable consumption. It reveals that the profiles of sustainable buyers are not the same across all labels and this should be taken into account by awarding institutions when designing and evaluating their positioning strategies.

  June 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12287   open full text
• Environmental activism and consumers’ perceived responsibility.
  Arminda Paço, Ricardo Gouveia Rodrigues.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 06, 2016
  The growing importance of environmentalism trends have led to a significant rise in environmentally friendly consumers’ attitudes and behaviours who thereby demonstrate their collective strength through both their individual buying decisions and their involvement in social movements, as is the case of the environmental activism. This activism extends to include a set of environmental behaviours spanning environmental group membership, involvement in political action and/or in environmental organisations, influencing policy or management decisions and engaging in pro‐environmental protection behaviours. The more citizens become aware of their own role in the problem of environmental degradation, the more willing they prove to become part of the solution. High levels of individual Perceived Environmental Responsibility (PER) may foster the more environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviours that lead to Environmental Activism (EA). Thus, the purpose of this research is precisely to discuss the relationship between PER and EA, and whether gender proves a significant factor in predicting PER and EA. For a sample of Portuguese consumers, who consented to participating in the research, we studied the predisposition towards EA by applying a questionnaire administered in the form of a personal interview. The results indicate that despite the perceived environmental responsibility observed, individuals present only low levels of environmental activism and civic participation in environmental causes. However, for the small percentage of individuals belonging to an environmental organisation, we do verify that EA ran higher among those reporting Environmental Group Membership (EGM). We additionally observe how PER might prove a predictor of EA even though the model applied to test this relationship only explained a small proportion of the variance in EA levels and hence requiring further research into the factors influencing EA. As regard gender, while women display similar levels of EA to men, they also report significantly higher PER than men.

  June 06, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12272   open full text
• Empty Nest Couples: Lifestyles and Typology.
  Iara Silva da Silva, Luiz Antonio Slongo, Liliane Antunes Rohde.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 02, 2016
  Lifestyle is a construct that makes it easier to understand consumers' behaviour, since it involves ways of life and results from past experiences, as well as from personal features based on current situations. It influences the consumption habits of individuals and their families. Accordingly, the aim of the current article is to analyze the lifestyle of individuals who belong to the empty nest couple group. The participants were Brazilian and chosen according to their activities, interests and opinions. Thus, we adopted the exploratory and descriptive design, and followed qualitative and quantitative aspects. According to the results, there are many lifestyles and they can be divided in three groups: the elitist, the politicized and the popular one. Elitists prioritize education and the consumption of cultural and organic products. The politicized group is aware of its political rights and duties. The popular group practices common habits such as playing soccer, watching TV shows and eating industrialized food.

  June 02, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12283   open full text
• The behavioural intentions of specialty coffee consumers in South Africa.
  Kelsey Merwe, Tania Maree.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 11, 2016
  More than 1.6 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide on a daily basis. South Africa is rapidly adapting to worldwide trends with speciality coffee consumption on the rise, with South Africa recently having been recognised as a key player in the speciality coffee industry. Emerging market trends in speciality coffee consumption have resulted in a number of changes in consumption patterns, preferences and consumer behaviour. The purpose of this study was to determine the behavioural intention of speciality coffee consumers in South Africa, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The data were gathered from a non‐probability sample of 327 respondents, who were selected through a self‐completion online questionnaire. The results indicate that males consume more speciality coffee than females. The majority of respondents consume speciality coffee more than once a day, and foam cappuccinos are consumed most regularly. The results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis demonstrate the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a conceptual framework for predicting the behavioural intention of speciality coffee consumers. The findings indicate that attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control are important predictors of behavioural intention. Furthermore, perceived behavioural control is the most important factor influencing speciality coffee consumption, and the most influential of the direct measures of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. With the current rise in speciality coffee consumption among South Africans, the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework contributes to understanding those factors which influence regular speciality coffee consumption. It is recommended that marketers and practitioners adapt their offerings to appeal to the specific needs of the growing speciality coffee market in South Africa.

  May 11, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12275   open full text
• Consumer financial education and financial capability.
  Jing Jian Xiao, Barbara O'Neill.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 09, 2016
  The purpose of this study was to explore potential effects of financial education on the financial capability of American consumers. Data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study were used to test the hypothesis that financial education is positively associated with financial capability. Four financial literacy and behaviour variables were used to form a financial capability index. Multivariate linear regression results showed that, after controlling for demographic and financial variables, respondents who ever received financial education had higher scores in all financial capability indicators (objective financial literacy, subjective financial literacy, desirable financial behaviour, perceived financial capability and the financial capability index). In addition, high school, college and workplace financial education variables showed positive associations with these financial capability indicators. Additional state comparison analyses provided evidence suggesting high school financial education may have direct impacts and spillover effects on consumer financial capability.

  May 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12285   open full text
• Antecedents of materialism in China—an intergenerational analysis.
  Song Yang, Bruce W. Stening.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 09, 2016
  Materialism has been at the centre of the consumer behaviour literature for decades. Despite a huge number of studies that have shed light on its antecedents and consequences, it is still not clear how a materialistic orientation evolves and becomes prevalent in line with socioeconomic transitions in a country. The current research aims to analyze possible reasons why different generations of consumers in China have become more or less materialistic. Data were collected from 613 consumers in two cities, representing three focal generational cohorts, labelled, in chronological order, the Cultural Revolution Generation, the Economic Reform Generation and the Social Change Generation. Traditional Chinese cultural values are shown to still play a significant role in the formation of materialism in China, serving to curtail the prevalence of materialism. At the same time, secular values serve as a driving force for a materialistic orientation.

  May 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12284   open full text
• Green consumers and their identities: how identities change the motivation for green consumption.
  Diego Costa Pinto, Walter Meucci Nique, Marcia Maurer Herter, Adilson Borges.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 12, 2016
  This research aims to fill the gap in green consumption literature from the perspective of values as types of intentions and identity‐based motivation. In two studies, we examine how the salience of personal and social identities can change the relationship between types of intentions and green consumption. The results demonstrate that when personal identity is salient, self‐transcendence intentions influence green consumption more than self‐enhancement intentions. This is because personal identity (compared with social identity) increases the positive effect of congruent intentions (self‐transcendence) on green consumption. However, when social identity is salient, self‐transcendence and self‐enhancement intentions have a similar impact on green consumption. This is because social identity (compared with personal identity) reduces the negative effect of self‐enhancement intentions on green consumption. Finally, we discuss theoretical and managerial implications for values as types of intentions, identity‐based motivation and green consumption.

  April 12, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12282   open full text
• When eWOM becomes cynical.
  Bernardo Amezcua, Claudia Quintanilla.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 05, 2016
  Nowadays, it is common practice for corporations to communicate with consumers through social network sites (SNSs), such as YouTube, which allow consumers to share and comment on companies’ sponsored videos communicating their marketing campaigns. The authors conducted a qualitative assessment of posts written on the official YouTube site of Coca Cola, where the brand asks consumers to join in a brigade against obesity. Results extend the current knowledge about consumers’ negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM), identifying three forms of cynical consumer communication styles in response to corporate campaigns on SNSs: skeptical, passive‐aggressive and warrior eWOM. Managerial implications, limitations and some avenues for future research are indicated.

  April 05, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12254   open full text
• How does a local initiative contribute to social inclusion and promote sustainable food practices? Focus on the example of social cooking workshops.
  Margot Dyen, Lucie Sirieix.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 03, 2016
  Initiatives from food system players closer to citizens are currently valorized to promote sustainability. Based on TCR and on the practice theories, this research aims at studying the impacts of a local initiative on two aspects: social inclusion and sustainable food practices. To do so, we chose the example of cooking classes for people in social instability. Cooking classes may contribute to fight against social exclusion through two factors: first the group dynamic and then the value‐creation for participants. Besides, cooking classes may drive towards sustainable food practices on the basis of advice about new skills. Cooking classes in three different social service structures were observed: a Social Centre; a social service structure hosting young people suffering from homophobia; and, a hosting centre for people with disabilities. To complete these observations, semi‐directive one‐hour interviews were conducted with three participants from the different groups. This information was analyzed with thematic analysis and practice theories tools. Results show that the main factor of social inclusion is the value‐creation, with two factors contributing to people's self‐esteem: (re)teach them how to cook; and offer them the opportunity to cook and eat good food. The cooking classes are efficient to promote sustainable food practices, promoting at the same time the interest in shared‐eating, shared‐cooking, and new skills. Nevertheless, it is not enough for the people to adopt new practices because of material and logistical barriers. As such, our findings are important for policy makers tasked with promoting sustainable consumption and social insertion within vulnerable population.

  April 03, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12281   open full text
• Young adults’ consideration of their food choices a propos consequences for their future health.
  Hennie Fisher, Alet C. Erasmus, Annemarie T. Viljoen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 20, 2016
  Many researchers have devoted much time and effort to explain the undesirable health outcomes associated with an excessive intake of certain types of fast foods. Particularly vulnerable, are young adults who move out of their parents' homes to live on their own, and then begin to rely on the multitude of so‐called “food away from home” options which are convenient, available and even desirable in their social circles. This study investigated young adults' consideration of the consequences of their consumption of food eaten away from home due to concern about unacceptable habitual behaviour that might negatively affect their future households. The survey involved 395 young adults up to 25 years of age who completed a structured questionnaire which relied on an established Consideration of Future Consequences scale. Data analysis involved exploratory factor analysis, t‐tests and Anova. Findings revealed some concern about the immediate consequences of respondents' fast food consumption, but concern about the future consequences seemed rather distant in their minds. Although significant differences were confirmed within gender and among population groups with regard to immediate concern about their fast food consumption, the means were nevertheless low throughout indicating that much needs to be done to sensitize young people about every day food consumption that might have dire consequences for their future health.

  March 20, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12273   open full text
• Vulnerability of the unbanked: evidence from a developing country.
  Sohail Kamran, Outi Uusitalo.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 17, 2016
  Financial exclusion is an apparent phenomenon globally, the majority of people without bank accounts living in the developing countries. Those who lack access to financial services could experience vulnerability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to unfold the vulnerability of the low‐income unbanked consumers in a Pakistani context. Qualitative data were gathered from low‐income unbanked consumers through in‐depth interviews. The findings suggest that unbanked consumers are vulnerable in many ways. The participants faced several negative consequences due to their financial exclusion, which resulted into their personal, economic and social detriment. Based on our study findings, we provide managerial and public policy implications for the well‐being of the low‐income unbanked consumers. Lastly, study limitations and future study guidelines are discussed.

  March 17, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12277   open full text
• Consumers as innovators in the electricity sector? Consumer perceptions on smart grid services.
  Eva Heiskanen, Kaisa Matschoss.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 16, 2016
  This article assesses the possibilities of using consumer innovation in the electricity sector, which is slow‐moving, yet faced with huge challenges and opportunities to become “smart” and “low carbon.” We study the benefits of engaging innovative consumers (“lead users”) in product, service, and business innovation in terms of (a) the capacity of lead user‐consumers to innovate in the highly regulated electricity market, (b) the attractiveness of such lead‐user generated ideas for mainstream consumers, (c) the usefulness of lead‐user engagement for companies in the energy industry, and (d) the usefulness of lead user engagement for the necessary broader societal transition processes. We conclude that consumers can stimulate industry‐wide innovation even in challenging contexts like “smart” and “low‐carbon” solutions and the highly regulated energy industry. Lead user‐consumers can also articulate societal and social responsibility concerns that are relevant for the entire market.

  March 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12280   open full text
• From quantity to quality: understanding slow fashion consumers for sustainability and consumer education.
  Sojin Jung, Byoungho Jin.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 16, 2016
  There is a growing interest in slow fashion, a production method which emphasizes quality as a way of achieving sustainability in the fashion industry. In order to develop a sophisticated and targeted marketing strategy, this study aimed to identify potential slow fashion consumer segments and understand their characteristics. The final 221 completed responses from a sample of nationwide U.S. consumers were analyzed by cluster analysis. Based on consumer orientation to slow fashion, four consumer groups were identified: Highly‐involved in slow fashion group, Conventional group, Exclusivity oriented group and Low‐involved in slow fashion group. The characteristics of each group were profiled according to personal values, apparel consumption behaviours and demographics. With distinctive profiles of each group, different marketing strategies were suggested to address the needs of each group effectively. This study extends academic understanding of slow fashion in consumer perspectives, and provides important perspectives for consumer education on apparel consumption.

  March 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12276   open full text
• Food choices in Ethiopia: does nutritional information matter?
  Alemayehu Dekeba Bekele, Joost Beuving, Ruerd Ruben.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 16, 2016
  This article reports results from a framed market experiment conducted to examine whether milk choices are responsive to changes in the nutritional characteristics of milk products. Using a random‐effect Tobit model, we analyzed experimental data collected from 160 participants in urban Ethiopia. It shows that sensory properties play a key role in the acceptance of reduced‐fat milk while the provision of nutrition information has a mixed effect on a price premium. Further, a substantial percentage of participants were found to have a strong preference for whole milk while only 19% of them prefer reduced‐fat milk with 2.8% price premium. The study unveils a heterogeneous preference for the nutritional quality of milk products. Consumers’ health problems and socio‐demographic characteristics influence their preference for the nutritional quality of milk products. The result also shows a nutrition‐taste tradeoff, yet consumers place more value on sensory experience. Contrary to earlier studies, we found that prior belief about milk quality influences how consumers value sensory experience and nutrition information.

  March 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12278   open full text
• Consumer satisfaction in retail stores: theory and implications.
  Justin Paul, Koloth G. Sankaranarayanan, Nandakumar Mekoth.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 14, 2016
  The substitution of small retail stores by the large stores has been a topic of debate among academics, practitioners, retailers and general public, especially in the context of foreign firms entering emerging markets such as China and India. The purpose of this research is to find out the determinants of consumer satisfaction in small and large retail stores in an emerging market, with a sample from India. Data were collected using a 39‐item structured questionnaire developed by the authors. The sample consists of 225 consumers who shop at retail outlets (Convenience sample of 125 consumers from small and 100 consumers from large stores respectively). Exploratory factor analysis grouped the 39 variables into 14 factors. Further, regression analysis revealed that six of the factors (Social desirability, staff friendliness, shopping economy, shopping ambience, family shopping and deal proneness) were major predictors of consumer satisfaction as they were found to be significant at 5% level. The significance of factors such as social desirability and staff friendliness imply that many consumers prefer those typical features of small stores, which in turn results in the likely coexistence of small retail formats in spite of the entry and proliferation of large retail stores from different countries. We posit three theoretical propositions to stimulate further research in this area.

  March 14, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12279   open full text
• Consuming apart, together: the role of multiple identities in sustainable behaviour.
  Jos Bartels, Machiel J. Reinders.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 26, 2016
  Although consumers’ awareness of the environmental and ethical consequences of their behaviour has grown, research on the role of multiple consumer identities in sustainability behaviours is scarce. The aim of the current study was to explain sustainable behaviour from a social identity perspective. We conducted a longitudinal cross‐national within‐subjects design consumer study in six countries (T1, N=3083; T2, N=1440). The results indicate that environmental sustainability can comprise several distinct yet overlapping sustainable behaviours. Multiple social identities seem to play different roles in these different behaviours. Therefore, efforts to enhance different sustainability behaviours are challenging yet promising. Once consumers incorporate a sustainable behaviour, it becomes part of their own identity and could lead to spill over effects on other closely related sustainable behaviours.

  February 26, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12269   open full text
• Food appearances in children's television programmes in Sweden.
  Steingerdur Olafsdottir, Christina Berg.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 24, 2016
  Studying other television content than advertisements is necessary to better understand the association between TV viewing and dietary habits. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of verbal and visual appearance of food and beverage in children's programmes in Swedish public service television. The study object was the most popular children's TV programme in Sweden, broadcast by commercial‐free public service television channel and watched almost daily by 45% of children under the age of 10 years. The analysed material consisted of 25 h, broadcast at 21 occasions over almost a 5‐month period of the most popular TV viewing season. All appearances and type of food and beverages were coded as well as the context in which the foods were discussed or appeared. Chi‐square tests were performed to analyse if the occurrence of fruits and vegetables and high‐calorie and low‐nutrient (HCLN) foods respectively were associated with the context where food appeared. Mann‐Whitney test was used to compare the representation of the two food groups in terms of degree of propensity to be consumed. Of the 287 programme sections, food or beverage appeared in 78%. Of the food appearances (n = 773), HCLN foods constituted 19%, and fruits and vegetables 39%. More than half of the HCLN food appearances are with children, while only one third of the fruits and vegetables are shown with children. HCLN foods were more often shown being consumed or actively handled, than fruits and vegetables. Food and beverages appear frequently in children's programmes in Swedish public service television. HCLN foods seem to be represented as more attractive, by to a greater extent appearing consumed or actively handled in comparison with other foods. These foods were also frequently shown together with children while fruits and vegetables more frequently appeared with adults than children.

  February 24, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12266   open full text
• Convenience food consumption in the Nordic countries and St. Petersburg area.
  Nina Kahma, Johanna Mäkelä, Mari Niva, Elena Ganskau, Vera Minina.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 16, 2016
  Building on the theoretical framework provided by sociological research on eating practices, family meals, self‐cooked meals and time use, this study examines national differences and similarities in the use of convenience food in Northern Europe. The study draws on two quantitative sets of data, the primary data set (N = 8248) collected in 2012 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and the complementary data set (N = 800) collected in St. Petersburg area in 2013. In general, consumers’ attitudes towards convenience food were negative. Time saving was an important motivator for convenience consumption in all countries. The effects of other attitudes were diffuse and factors such as low cost, health effects, and taste of convenience food, affected convenience consumption differently in different countries. In the four Nordic countries women used less convenience food than men. In Finland and in Norway older respondents used convenience food less often than the young. Generally, the use of convenience food was most frequent among those living alone. The effects of education and occupation were small, implying that the phase of life is more important than social stratification in explaining convenience food consumption. In the St. Petersburg data, there were no differences related to social background.

  February 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12270   open full text
• Consumer identity and marketing implications: Indian urban youth.
  Deval Kartik, Rob Willis, Cassie Jones.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 16, 2016
  Youth consumption has been an area of research interest as well as societal concern. Globalization and proliferation of media have been cited as the main reasons for rise in consumption, especially among youth. This paper has examined how the Indian Urban youth represent their Consumer Identities through their narratives. In 1991, India opened up to Globalization and its effect on the youth consumption is now wide spread. Studies in other parts of the world have shown youth to be ‘Raving Hedonists’ and ‘Squanderer’ as well as Rational and Economical Consumers. An empirical approach was taken to establish the typology of Indian Youth Consumers. Empirical data for this research was collected by conducting in‐depth interviews in 2013, covering various states of India, with students in the age group of eighteen to twenty three years, who are financially dependent on their parents. Forty in‐depth interviews, representing thirteen distinct linguistic identities were conducted and analysed. Studies done in other parts of the world such as UK, Finland, Norway and Belgium have established typologies of youth consumers such as Hedonist, Squanderer, Rational and Economical Consumer Identities. While these Consumer Identities exist among Indian Urban Youth, the researchers have identified additional Consumer Identity Typologies of Reluctant, Dependent and Aspirant Consumers. The youth in India is somewhat similar to youth elsewhere and yet has its own distinction as consumers. The fact that India has a very high youth population makes this study significant.

  February 16, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12267   open full text
• The determinants of households’ repayment difficulties on mortgage loans: evidence from Italian microdata.
  David Aristei, Manuela Gallo.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 09, 2016
  This article investigates the main determinants of households’ repayment difficulties on mortgage loans in Italy. We contribute to the empirical literature on household financial vulnerability by assessing the joint impact of socio‐demographic factors, loan characteristics and institutional variables on the likelihood of mortgage insolvency and on the intensity of arrears. Using data from the Italian component of the 2008 European Union‐Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU‐SILC) survey, we firstly identify which types of households are more vulnerable to unexpected adverse events that may trigger repayment difficulties. Specifically, households whose head is young, unemployed or immigrant show a higher probability of arrears and emerge as those suffering more from the adverse economic conditions connected to the crisis. Moreover, household repayment behaviour is affected by mortgage characteristics and, in particular, having modified contract terms significantly increases current arrears probability. Finally, regional institutional and credit market factors mainly impact on the conditional intensity of arrears. This evidence suggests that, although repayment difficulties mainly arise from a genuine inability to repay, households are less likely to pay on time when institutions are less effective at punishing default, confirming the existence of some strategic behaviour.

  February 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12271   open full text
• Investigating psychosocial determinants in influencing sustainable food consumption in Italy.
  Marco Vassallo, Maria Luisa Scalvedi, Anna Saba.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 09, 2016
  Italy, one of the most involved countries in organic farming, represents a European case in the Mediterranean area concerning the sustainable food market, mainly based on organic food. The aim of this study is to investigate the theory of planned behaviour extended to past behaviour with particular attention to social pressure, in the context of sustainable food products across Italy. Data were collected on a regional basis and across different age classes and analyzed using structural equation modelling for a representative sample of approximately 3000 self‐reporting respondents who account for a remarkable percentage (69%) of sustainable food products purchasing. The strongest intention to buy these products was found in Northern and Central Italy while the South and the Insular macro‐regions exhibited the highest perceived purchasing barriers. The complexity of social pressure in predicting the intention to buy highlighted a clear and significant role of the Italian family in making sustainable food choices. However, the other social referent others, such as important people, friends, society, differentiated their contribution to these choices at territorial level. An exception to this latter trend was found for the society concept that completely failed its support as subjective norm predictor of intention. This may possibly be due to the fact that no sustainable food market policy is univocally identified in Italy, not even with legal certification unless it regards the organic sector. Nevertheless, past rewarding purchasing experience seemed to be the most effective motivation for buying sustainable food products in Italy. In conclusion, efforts both from the supply chain and political side should be made mainly in terms of rewarding purchasing experience and legal certification on sustainable food products.

  February 09, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12268   open full text
• Consumer Identity and Marketing Implications: Indian Urban Youth.
  Deval Kartik, Rob Willis, Cassie Jones.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 27, 2016
  There is no abstract available for this paper.

  January 27, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12274   open full text
• Broadcasting cookery: BBC radio programmes in the 1920s and 1930s.
  Phil Lyon, Liz Ross.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 22, 2016
  The development of British radio broadcasting technology in the 1920s and 1930s and, equally importantly, the progressively widespread purchase and use of radio sets established a new platform from which to engage and influence the population on a number of matters. The British Broadcasting Corporation's public service principles of programmes to inform, educate and entertain gave rise to various content experiments at a time when there were very few precedents. One such innovation was the cookery talk. This was broadcast live, accomplished without the possibility of practical demonstration, and constituted a new, and abstract, form of communication primarily designed for women in their own homes. In this, women were the earliest and most frequent contributors, and their broadcast content differed from that provided by men. By reference to archive material, this article examines the social context and the thinking behind those early years of radio cookery talks and documents the contributors who were to establish this now‐familiar genre of broadcasting.

  January 22, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12265   open full text
• Consumers' willingness to pay for conventional, organic and functional yogurt: evidence from experimental auctions.
  Riccardo Vecchio, Ellen J. Van Loo, Azzurra Annunziata.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 18, 2016
  This research is aimed at investigating consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for conventional, organic and functional yogurts in two different information treatments. The basic information treatment provided respondents with yogurts labelled conventional, organic or functional while the second treatment included additional information. To elicit values for these specific products, 100 Italian consumers participated in an experimental auction using the Vickrey fifth‐price sealed‐bid mechanism. Findings reveal that providing additional information through a specific health claim increases consumer's perceived value of the functional yogurt, while for the organic counterpart additional information on organic regulation does not add much to the premium. Moreover, our study shows that specific socio‐demographic variables (as gender, age, presence of kids in the household and the need to follow a specific diet) positively affect WTP for functional and organic yogurts.

  January 18, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12264   open full text
• The effects of body image and self‐esteem on frequency of closet cleaning.
  Diana Saiki, Kayla Crecelius.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 07, 2016
  The purpose of this study was to examine divestment of clothing and its relationship to psychological characteristics (body image and self‐esteem) and demographic characteristics (gender and age) of the consumer. The relationship between frequencies in closet cleaning to categories selected for body image (Appearance Orientation, Appearance Evaluation, Body Areas Satisfaction, Subjective Weight, and Weight Preoccupation) were calculated using Pearson's Correlation and Analysis of Variance. Frequencies in closet cleaning were also compared to the overall score from responses to the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale. The relationship between disposal frequency and Appearance Orientation was statistically significant for both gender groups, particularly among groups 18–25 years. Individuals with a higher Appearance Orientation tended to dispose clothing more frequently than others. When comparing men to women, body image accounted for garment disposal more among men, suggesting women have more varied reasons to dispose of clothing. Self‐esteem measures were not related to disposal frequency among all groups. The findings contribute to knowledge and have implications related to self‐concept and consumption behavior post purchasing. For example, results were similar between young men and women suggesting men may have similar clothing and appearance oriented behavior to women. In another example, those with high appearance orientation could be targeted for campaigns related to sustainable disposal strategies.

  January 07, 2016   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12260   open full text
• Differences between Black and White South Africans in product failure attributions, anger and complaint behaviour.
  Suné Donoghue, Nina Strydom, Lynda Andrews, Robin Pentecost, Helena M de Klerk.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 16, 2015
  The purpose of this research is to extend an understanding of how Black and White South African consumers’ causal attributions for major household appliance performance failures impact on their anger and subsequent complaint behaviour. A survey was administered to Black and White South African consumers who were dissatisfied with the performance of a major household appliance item. Respondents resided in a major metropolitan area. The findings showed that, compared to Whites, the Black South Africans felt a low but significantly higher external locus of causality and lower control, and experienced a higher level of anger regarding product failure. The level of anger determined the decision to take complaint action, but racial group determined the type of action taken. Blacks complained more actively to retailers and engaged more in private complaint action than Whites. These findings may show that Black South Africans are developing a more individualistic orientation as consumers. Therefore, researchers should consider the effect of cultural swapping when researching consumer behaviour in multicultural countries. Implications for retailers in terms of complaint handling are indicated.

  December 16, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12250   open full text
• Organic consumers’ preferences and willingness‐to‐pay for locally produced animal products.
  Salome Wägeli, Meike Janssen, Ulrich Hamm.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 16, 2015
  In Germany, a large share of organic animal products is being produced with imported protein feedstuffs. Products labelled as ‘local’ are also often produced with imported feed. At the point of purchase, animal products are not usually labelled with any information on the feed that was used to produce it. Therefore, it remains unclear what consumers think about the use of imported feed, in particular in the case of products labelled as ‘local’. The aim of the present research study was to analyse whether the use of local feed represents an option for successful product differentiation in the organic animal products market. Discrete Choice Experiments and computer assisted personal interviews were conducted with 597 organic consumers in Germany to investigate their preferences and willingness‐to‐pay for local organic animal products produced with local feed. The choice experiments revealed a strong preference for local feed. The outcome of our investigation also shows that the provision of information on feed imports into Germany can be an important tool for promoting organic animal products produced with local feed. The results suggest the use of local feed could be an option for successful product differentiation in the organic animal products market, especially if effort is put into raising consumer awareness of current organic feed importation practices.

  December 16, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12262   open full text
• Factors affecting non‐green consumer behaviour: an exploratory study among Chinese consumers.
  Ai‐zhong He, Tom Cai, Tian‐xiang Deng, Xue Li.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 16, 2015
  The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that affect a typical non‐green consumption behaviour among Chinese consumers. A conceptual framework was developed and an empirical study was conducted using a geographically diverse sample of Chinese consumers. Based on the consumer choice theory, the conceptual framework in the current study included both economic and non‐economic factors. Ten research hypotheses were developed under the framework. A survey was conducted among 600 consumers in four cities in China in 2013. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used for hypothesis testing. The empirical results showed that consumer preference, reference groups, and face perception have a significantly positive effect on the consumers’ non‐green consumption behaviour; whereas budget constraints and social responsibility consciousness have a significantly negative effect on the consumers’ non‐green consumption behaviour. Furthermore, the current research demonstrated that the relationships between consumer non‐green behaviour and its four antecedents – budget constraint, reference groups, social responsibility consciousness and face perception – are significantly moderated by extravagant atmosphere; whereas the relationship between consumer non‐green behaviour and consumer preference is not moderated by extravagant atmosphere.

  December 16, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12261   open full text
• Sustainable clothing: challenges, barriers and interventions for encouraging more sustainable consumer behaviour.
  Fiona Harris, Helen Roby, Sally Dibb.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 16, 2015
  Research with consumers has revealed limited awareness of the sustainability impact of clothing (Goworek et al., 2012). Semi‐structured interviews conducted with a range of experts in sustainable clothing to increase understanding of the challenges for sustainable clothing revealed that a focus on sustainability alone will not drive the necessary changes in consumers’ clothing purchase, care and disposal behaviour for three reasons: (i) clothing sustainability is too complex; (ii) consumers are too diverse in their ethical concerns and (iii) clothing is not an altruistic purchase. The findings identify the challenges that need to be addressed and the associated barriers for sustainable clothing. Interventions targeting consumers, suppliers, buyers and retailers are proposed that encourage more sustainable clothing production, purchase, care and disposal behaviour. These interventions range from normalizing the design of sustainable clothing and increasing the ease of purchase, to shifting clothes washing norms and increasing upcycling, recycling and repair.

  December 16, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12257   open full text
• Consumers’ subjective and objective consumerism knowledge and subsequent complaint behaviour concerning consumer electronics: a South African perspective.
  Suné Donoghue, Chanelle van Oordt, Nina Strydom.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 16, 2015
  Although there is immense international support for consumer protection, the notion exists that consumer protection can only exist in developed countries with ample fiscal resources and expertise to properly act in the interest of consumers. This conception leaves consumers in emerging and transitional economies in a difficult position as these economies indeed generally lack sufficient funding and the required capacity to educate consumers on their rights. With the South African Consumer Protection Act that came into effect in 2011, South African consumers can now claim to be among the best protected consumers in the world. However, many consumers are still not aware of their consumer rights, and do not have the necessary knowledge to pursue redress when they are dissatisfied. The objective of this research was therefore to explore and describe the relationship between consumers’ knowledge of consumerism (consumer protection) and their consumer complaint behaviour (CCB) concerning their dissatisfaction with a technologically advanced product, in this case, a consumer electronic product. This study attempts to differentiate between subjective consumerism knowledge and objective consumerism knowledge and by extension the measures used. In addition, we explored and described the relationship between demographic variables and levels of subjective and objective consumerism knowledge as well as the combined effect of the two types of knowledge on CCB. The findings revealed that the respondents had a reasonable level of subjective consumerism knowledge relative to a low level of objective consumerism knowledge. No significant relationship was found between subjective consumerism knowledge and demographic variables. However, the factors of race, gender and level of income were related to objective knowledge. A higher level of subjective knowledge could be associated with public action. Respondents with reasonable levels of objective knowledge were also better equipped to take private and public action. CHAID (Chi‐Square Automatic Interaction Detection) analysis highlighted that a combination of subjective and objective knowledge was the best predictor of taking public action only and of taking both private and public complaint action. The study has implications for policy makers, consumer protection organisations, retailers and the individual consumer. Our approach to measuring knowledge of consumerism could possibly be applied in other emerging contexts where consumers generally lack awareness of consumer protection.

  December 16, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12259   open full text
• The sibling effect on the consumption of phone services.
  Matteo Migheli.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 07, 2015
  The peer effect is a relevant issue in studies on consumption habits and consumers’ behaviour. Indeed, the extant literature shows that peers and siblings affect individual decisions and choices, as people generally follow peers’ and siblings’ examples. In other words, people imitate their peers. Starting from the existing theoretical models and empirical evidence that suggest a relevant impact of peers on one's decisions, this article analyses how the presence and the gender of siblings affects one's consumption of phone services. I consider a sample of 500 European undergraduate students. In order to isolate the peer effect, I restrict the analysis to the use of the phone for talking with friends. The results show highlight a strong sibling effect, whose magnitude and whose sign depend on both the gender of the siblings and on that of the interviewee.

  December 07, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12258   open full text
• Who will make an indulgent food choice after having fulfilled their healthy eating goal?
  Ming‐Yi Chen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 07, 2015
  This research considers how subjective nutrition knowledge and calorie consciousness moderate the effects of eating goals on indulgent vs. healthy consumers and their on subsequent choices. A two between‐subjects design (an eating goal invoked by a main course: healthy vs. indulgent) was conducted, where the choice of salad dressing (healthy or indulgent) was a dependent variable. Two individual traits (subjective nutrition knowledge and calorie consciousness) were considered as moderators between eating goals and food choices. The results indicated that individuals with high levels of subjective knowledge about nutrition or with a high level of consciousness about calories were more likely to choose a healthy option when their indulgent goal had been invoked. However, they were more likely to make indulgent choices when their healthy goal had been fulfilled by the main course. In contrast, for those with low levels of subjective nutrition knowledge or with a low level of consciousness about calories, food choices were not influenced by the eating goal which had been invoked. The findings could help practitioners in the food industry to develop different food combinations with which to satisfy their customers through understanding personality traits.

  December 07, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12255   open full text
• The importance of time frames in Swedish Home and Consumer Studies.
  Cecilia Lindblom, Inger Erixon Arreman, Ingela Bohm, Agneta Hörnell.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. December 01, 2015
  The aim of this study was to explore how time frames affect pupils and teachers in cooking activities during lessons of different durations for Home and Consumer Studies, with a specific focus on the pupils’ experiences. To investigate this, classroom observations were carried out in 2011 and 2012, with the help of audio and video recordings in three different schools in Sweden and included altogether 22 pupils (18 girls, 4 boys) in grade 9 (15–16 years). Each class was observed during two separate lessons, lasting between 1 h 50 min (110 minutes) and 2 h 20 min (140 min). The six lessons resulted in 12 h of video recorded time and 80 h of sound recordings. The study showed that the importance of finishing on time seemed to be ingrained in most pupils in all classes and the end result was perceived as more important than the process of cooking. The study also showed that knowledge of cooking skills and time management seemed important for success in grade‐related tasks. Pupils demonstrated different ways of handling the time frames, e.g. using various methods to speed up the cooking process. This study raises important questions about the relationship between national and local time frames and the curriculum aims in Home and Consumer Studies.

  December 01, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12256   open full text
• Consumers’ intention to buy protected designation of origin and protected geographical indication foodstuffs: the case of Greece.
  Zisimos Likoudis, Despina Sdrali, Vassiliki Costarelli, Constantine Apostolopoulos.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 26, 2015
  There is evidence that consumers tend to highly regard the quality, authenticity, ethical standards, country of origin and sustainable production of foodstuffs; hence, the growing number of studies on products of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). PDO and PGI labelling is associated with the preservation of local plant varieties, the financial reward of local people and the sustainable development of rural areas. This study was set out to investigate the factors associated with Greek consumers’ intention to buy PDO/PGI food products. A total of 615 consumers took part in the study from the municipality of Attica, Greece. The survey was conducted during the period of March 2011 to April 2013. Results indicated that approximately 50% of respondents were willing to buy PDO/PGI products whereas the willingness to buy these products constituted an important factor in purchasing them. More specifically, according to the regression analysis, factors that are significantly associated with respondents’ willingness to buy PDOs/PGIs were as follows: origin, health claims and label of a product, as well as sustainable consumer behaviour. Understanding the main factors relating to consumers’ purchasing intent towards PDO/PGI products is an important step towards promoting special labelled agri‐foodstuffs and hence contributes to the local sustainable development.

  November 26, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12253   open full text
• Temperatures, cleanliness and food storage practises in domestic refrigerators in Serbia, Belgrade.
  Jelena Janjić, Vera Katić, Jelena Ivanović, Marija Bošković, Marija Starčević, Nataša Glamočlija, Milan Ž. Baltić.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 23, 2015
  Consumers’ knowledge about proper household practises during food handling and storage are deemed insufficient. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the conditions of food storage in refrigerators (temperature, hygienic and storage conditions) and consumer knowledge about good practises. This study included 100 households from the Belgrade area. All participants were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. The internal temperature of refrigerators was measured at three points: the top and bottom shelves and the refrigerator door. The average temperature in the refrigerators was 9.3°C. The average temperature recorded in the refrigerator doors was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than temperatures recorded on the top or bottom shelves. The age and design of refrigerators, and potential heat source near refrigerator can impact the refrigerator temperature. In 50% of the surveyed refrigerators, food storage practises were incorrect. More than a half (56%) of the surveyed consumers were aware of the recommended refrigerator temperature, but measured temperature in their refrigerators was considerably higher. The results from our study indicate that knowledge of recommended behaviour about good food safety practise do not always translate into practise in the home.

  November 23, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12252   open full text
• Intentions of formally qualified and unqualified teachers to transfer norms and values in home economics teaching.
  Andreas Håkansson.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. November 23, 2015
  Historically, home economics (HE) in general, and the consumer education sections in particular, have been criticized for transferring norms and values of conservative elites to the masses. This is in stark contrast to contemporary theoretical views of a modern HE aimed at educating emancipated and critical citizens, and also to modern curricula that emphasize the consequences of consumption rather than dogma. A previous study has indicated that formally unqualified teachers see the transfer of consumption norms and values without support in the curriculum as an important objective of HE teaching, a practice that is questionable from a democratic perspective. This follow‐up study investigates to what extent formally qualified HE teachers show intentions to transfer consumption norms and values without support in the curriculum to students, using content analysis of 201 survey responses from Swedish qualified HE teachers and comparing to data from a previously published study on formally unqualified teachers. It is concluded that the qualified teachers demonstrate intentions to transfer unsupported norms and values, though, to a lower degree than unqualified teachers. The results are interpreted by adopting a values education perspective on HE. This indicates that the observed emphasis on norms and values could be seen partly as a lack of a proficient professional metalanguage among the teachers, and partly as a consequence of the focus on developing a pre‐defined moral of consumption in HE literature. The implications on how to develop HE teacher education to reduce norm and value transfer intentions are discussed based on the empirical findings and the theoretical framework.

  November 23, 2015   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12251   open full text
• An analysis of the digital literacy of people with disabilities in Korea: verification of a moderating effect of gender, education and age.
  Eun‐Young Park, Su‐Jung Nam.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 27, 2014
  This study compares the digital literacy of people with and without disabilities in Korea, using data from the 2011 Information Divide Index Data of the National Information Society Agency (NIA). We extracted Internet and smart device users from the NIA samples and examined the main effects of disability, gender and age, as well as their interaction effects on Internet and smart device use and production literacy. Of the 1500 public individuals examined, 1190 (79.3%) were Internet users and 535 (35.7%) were smart device users. Of the 5300 with disabilities, 2110 (63.9%) were Internet users and 324 (8.8%) were smart device users. Generalized linear modelling showed significant main effects of disability, gender, age and education on Internet use and production literacy. The disability × age and disability × education interaction effects on Internet use literacy were statistically significant. We also observed a significant disability × age interaction effect on Internet production literacy. However, the main and interaction effects of disability, gender and education on smart device use and production literacy were not significant.

  May 27, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12107   open full text
• Understanding the buying behaviour of young consumers regarding packaging attributes and labels.
  Mehmet Seckin Aday, Ugur Yener.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2014
  This study was conducted in Turkey (the place is the bridge between Europe and Asia) and several factors that might influence the young consumer's behaviour at the point of sale were highlighted. Self‐administered questionnaire consisting of 31 questions were filled out by 324 participants. A big part of respondents (87.34%) were young people between 18 and 25 years of age and majority of the test takers were single (91.05%), whereas only 8.95% of them were married. Relationships and connections between questions were displayed in detail with graphics in a multidimensional space and were analysed with multiple correspondence analysis tests. The results indicated that glass packages attracted the consumers with their protective structure, transparency and healthy nature, whereas plastic and paperboard packages attracted the consumers with their resistance to physical impacts and easy‐to‐use abilities. The majority of consumers checked the labels to get information; however, consumers indicated that label content was hard to understand. Production, best before dates and ingredients were identified as important information on the labels by consumers. Fat content was chosen as the most important part of labels by female consumers, whereas male consumers were more concerned about the protein content. Participants indicated that low price and special offered products were setting the basis for their unplanned shopping. The obtained results confirmed that packaging attributes and labels were the most important factors that might affect consumers' purchasing behaviours.

  May 07, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12105   open full text
• Sociodemographic and knowledge influence on attitudes towards food safety certification in restaurants.
  Paula Lazzarin Uggioni, Elisabete Salay.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2014
  Food safety certification can provide a level of assurance that restaurants attain satisfactory sanitary standards. Attitude is a possible predictor of behaviour and has been shown to vary according to consumer characteristics. The objective of this study was to identify consumer attitude with respect to the voluntary private certification of safety of restaurants. The relationship among attitude and consumer knowledge of safe practices to prevent microbiological contamination in restaurants and sociodemographic characteristics were also studied. The data were collected in the city of Campinas, Brazil in 2010, by interviewing 350 individuals using a survey instrument with two scales previously validated (attitude and knowledge) and sociodemographic questions. Attitude was measured using a 7‐point response scale. Basic descriptive statistics and comparison tests were applied to the data using the software PASW, 18.0. The mean score of 5.3 indicates a positive attitude in respect to certification. The highest attitude scores were observed for the factor 5 (affect and inspection) and factor 4 (certification and consumer information). Comparing the scores, significant differences can be seen between total attitude and the age ranges (P = 0.040) and levels of knowledge (P = 0.014), individuals younger and with lower knowledge showing lower attitude scores. Higher knowledge was related to a more positive attitude score for factor ‘certification substitutes’; and higher income and education level to a lower score for the ‘importance of certification’ factor. It is possible to stimulate both the development and promotion of restaurant certifications aimed at food safety.

  May 07, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12101   open full text
• Factors associated with financial independence of young adults.
  Jing Jian Xiao, Swarn Chatterjee, Jinhee Kim.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 07, 2014
  Young adults are in an important transition period from financially depending on their parents to becoming financially independent. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with perceived financial independence among American young adults aged 18–23. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective, we hypothesized that major contributing factors of young adults’ financial independence would include economic, psychological and family factors. Data were from two linked data sets, the 2009 Transition into Adulthood data set and its parental companion data set, the 2009 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative US sample. Results indicated that economic factors, such as young adults’ income, assets, work status and educational attainment were positively associated with financial independence. Several psychological factors such as economic self‐efficacy, money management ability and problem‐solving ability were also positively associated with financial independence. Family economic factors such as parental income, stock holding and financial assistance decreased the level of young adults’ financial independence. Additional analyses indicated that the level of financial independence of college graduates was higher than those who had never attended college or were currently in college but did not differ from those who had dropped out of college. Common and different factors associated with young adults’ financial independence were also identified among the four education groups. The findings of this study have implications for consumer educators to develop and implement targeted financial education programs for young adults aged 18–23 who differ by educational attainment.

  May 07, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12106   open full text
• Constrained consumer practices and food safety concerns in Hanoi.
  Sigrid C.O. Wertheim‐Heck, Sietze Vellema, Gert Spaargaren.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 02, 2014
  Food safety is a widely recognized concern in Vietnam. Public officials, companies and consumers find different ways to address risks of pesticide residues and bacterial contamination related to the use of fresh vegetables in daily diets. The response of the government to these food safety risks includes the modernization and regulation of the food retail system. However, reforms that aim to offer a controlled and predictable provision of fresh vegetables through supermarkets seem to contrast with the daily consumer practices in a dynamic city as Hanoi; over 95% of vegetables is still being purchased at long‐established open‐air markets, importantly the informal and unhygienic street markets. Using a practices theory approach, this paper aims to explain this persistence of street‐market shopping for vegetables. Detailed accounts of consumer practices, case studies at different retailing sites and daily logbooks of consumers demonstrate that the way consumers cope with food safety risks is largely shaped by the temporal and spatial constraints of their daily shopping practices. We identified how vegetable shopping is either enjoyed as social interaction within the local community or is regarded a time‐consuming activity that conflicts with other activities in everyday life. Our findings indicate how these constraints constitute a reinforcing mechanism for the persistence of uncontrolled and unhygienic street markets. To make policy responses to food safety risks both more realistic and effective, it is essential to connect to and accommodate the daily realities of consumers managing time and space in a modernizing city rather than to impose an ideal, typical market exclusively driven by the wish to control food safety risks.

  May 02, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12093   open full text
• Analysis of the promotion of cigarettes at the point of sale and its attractiveness to children.
  Inês Pereira, Tânia M. Veludo‐de‐Oliveira.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2014
  Smoking habit seriously affects public health in a number of direct and indirect ways. The study reported here took place in Brazil and examined the promotional activities of the tobacco industry at the point of sale, with particular reference to their impact on children. Tobacco control policies are generally in place in developed countries, and smokers typically develop the habit while still young. Trained researchers visited a stratified sample of 429 retail outlets in the city of São Paulo, comprising the local equivalents of bars, snack bars, luncheonettes and pubs. Data for analysis were collected by direct observation at the point of sale and interviews with the person deemed to be in charge of the outlet visited. The results indicate that the tobacco industry is displaying its products within full view of children and making use of the sales' incentives offered to the retailer. The findings contribute significantly to the study of the effect of promotion at the point of sale on young smokers and can inform the policy debate on the increasing regulation of tobacco marketing promotional methods.

  April 16, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12099   open full text
• A processual theory of green identity formation: the case of young environmentalists in Australia.
  L. Chamila Roshani Perera.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2014
  Using image‐elicited, depth interviews, this qualitative study explores green consumption practices among 20 young environmentalists, aged between 18 and 25 years, in an Australian city with a view to examine how various identity formations reside in their narratives. The study's findings strongly support the applicability of Cherrier and Murray's four‐stage processual theory of identity (sensitization, separation, socialization, striving) to understand young environmentalist's formation of a green identity. The study also develops an emergent processual theory of green identity formation, which encompasses four main stages of control, create, compromise and customize. Each stage corresponds to how the young environmentalists position and negotiate their formative green identities, including first enacting control about their identity; creating their new identity in relation to existing green identity projects; compromising their new identity as it is practiced and socialized in their lives; and finally, customizing their identity as they frame, situate and align personal, social and cultural influences about consumption and their identity. The findings inform green policy makers and institutions working towards building a green consumer society involving young consumers.

  April 16, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12096   open full text
• Theory‐based approach to factors affecting ethical consumption.
  Jong‐Chul Oh, Sung‐Joon Yoon.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2014
  The main objective of this study is to introduce and validate a new model of ethical consumption intention with the aim of identifying salient factors that influence consumer's attitude and purchase intention towards ethical products. For this purpose, this study introduces an extended model of the theory of reasoned action, which embraces the emotional component (positive anticipated affection) and socially oriented value component (altruism), as predictors of ethical consumption attitude and intention. Using a questionnaire‐based survey, the data were collected from 343 respondents who had previously purchased ethical products. The result showed that ethical obligation, self‐identity and altruism were positively related to consumer attitude towards ethical consumption. Also, ethical obligation and altruism were found to positively influence ethical consumption intention. Further, attitude and positive‐anticipated affection positively affected ethical consumption intention.

  April 16, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12092   open full text
• Exploring the social value of organic food: a qualitative study in France.
  Sandrine Costa, Lydia Zepeda, Lucie Sirieix.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2014
  The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether organic foods are used to signal social identity, class or status, i.e. if they have social value. Our analysis is based on two sociological approaches: Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction and symbolic interactionism. This paper analyses three research questions: (1) does organic food have social symbolism?; (2) does the social value of organic food depend on the venue where it is obtained?; (3) are other symbols associated with the social value of organic food? To answer these questions, we gather qualitative data from organic food shoppers' perceptions of the social value of organic food, using a qualitative study, with four group interviews in Montpellier (France) with a total of 20 participants. Results indicate that organic food has a social value for the participants in our group interviews. This social value depends on the venue (community‐supported agriculture, market or supermarket) where organic foods are purchased and also on whether consumers or producers exhibit additional green behaviours to validate their commitment to sustainability. Our results imply that a quantitative study on social value of organic food would be useful to investigate these findings in a larger sample since these findings have several marketing and advertising implications.

  April 16, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12100   open full text
• Consumers' reactions to food scares.
  Magdalena Niewczas.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2014
  In the past decade many food hazards appeared (i.e. bacteria of Escherichia coli, dioxins in pork). When information about food hazards is announced, many concerns about food product arise. As a result consumers stop buying the kind of food in which hazard appears, which makes losses to the food producer. In this study, the results of survey are presented. The survey was conducted among 712 respondents in the southeast Poland. Respondents were asked about the source of information they prefer to be informed about the food hazard, their reactions to food hazard and their ways to protect themselves from food hazards in case of food scares. On the basis of the results, it was found that the main sources of information they prefer are television (85.4% of indications) and the Internet (61.4% of indications). Moreover, when a food hazard appears and consumers are informed about this fact their first reaction is to check if they have bought this product, and 30% of respondents declared that they would not buy this product again. To make sure that a particular food product is safe, consumers buy products they know (70.5% respondents). The answers varied on the socio‐demographic characteristics of respondents.

  April 16, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12097   open full text
• Towards conscientious food consumption: exploring the values of Czech organic food consumers.
  Lukas Zagata.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. April 16, 2014
  The effects of the organic consumption are often contested with regard to the motives of consumers. Main goal of the paper is to present a theoretical framework that would encapsulate the motives of consumption and enable to identify the conditions for sustainable consumption. In particular, the paper seeks a new perspective that will not be tied to specific ways of life and that could bridge the complex, and often contradictory, motives of consumers. This framework is applied to map the values of organic food consumers in the Czech Republic with the use of the means‐end approach. The participants identified about 30 attributes related to organic food. Those attributes were divided into 14 basic categories. The study proves that Czech consumers mainly see organics as food ‘without chemicals’ that is favourable to health. At the same time, the identified hierarchical map of values reveals the great importance of the environmentally friendly approach, which results in the reduction of negative impacts and creates an opportunity to balance the relationship between society and nature. Some of the identified motives have pointed out a potential for merging together the egocentric and altruistic motives of ethical consumption in relation to the concept of ‘alternative hedonism’.

  April 16, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12098   open full text
• Consumers' interest in learning about cooking: the influence of age, gender and education.
  Anthony Worsley, Wei Wang, Sinem Ismail, Stacey Ridley.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 31, 2014
  General and governmental interest in cooking has increased recently. In part this may be because the acquisition of food preparation skills may make individuals less dependent on processed foods and reduce risks of overweight and obesity. However, little research has been conducted on consumers' interests in learning about cooking. Therefore in 2012 an online survey was conducted in Australia among 1023 adult food preparers with the aim of determining what and how they wanted to learn to cook. Questions were asked about interest in learning about cooking‐related topics, specific main meals and cooking techniques, preferred ways to learn, and their demographic characteristics. Frequency and cross‐tabulation analyses were used to compare the responses across demographic categories, and content and correspondence analyses were used to analyse meal preferences and age‐related differences. The findings show that 71% of the sample wanted to learn more about cooking. Respondents wanted to learn to cook a wide range of evening meals, especially ethnic dishes (e.g. Chinese, Thai, Italian, ‘Asian’). Most preferred to learn from television (68%), newspapers and magazines (41%), although attendance at cooking classes (34%), YouTube (27%) and special newsletters (24%) were also popular. There were few, weak associations between interest in cooking and the respondents' demographic characteristics. The findings are discussed in relation to the common problems faced by all domestic food preparers and the major opportunities to communicate about cooking.

  March 31, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12089   open full text
• Consumer consumption intentions of smaller packaged snack variants.
  Collin R. Payne, Mihai Niculescu, Chet E. Barney.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 31, 2014
  Smaller snack package variants are ubiquitous in the food marketplace. Although it is assumed that consumers intend to consume less because snacks are placed into smaller packages, consumer intentions are never measured. This research examines dietary‐restrained consumers' consumption intentions of smaller snack package variants found in the marketplace described by snack type (i.e. less healthy, more healthy – as per Guiding Stars® food labelling system) and front‐of‐package calorie labelling (99 calories, 100 calories). We conducted an online experiment wherein 203 participants were exposed to the aforementioned snack package variants and their consumption intentions were subsequently measured. A regression analysis revealed that consumers who are highly dietary restrained intend to consume more when (a) the snack is relatively healthier and (b) it includes 99‐calorie front‐of‐package labelling. We discuss the idea that dietary‐restrained consumers are not likely to view smaller packaged snacks as portion control devices, but rather, as a means to eat more of a healthier food.

  March 31, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12090   open full text
• Consumer laundry practices in Germany.
  Anke Kruschwitz, Anja Karle, Angelika Schmitz, Rainer Stamminger.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 31, 2014
  Sustainability is a guiding principle for a responsible, future‐oriented 21st century lifestyle and this already begins in private households with the daily household tasks. Approximately 25% of an average household's electricity consumption is required to do the laundry and dishwashing – 5% alone is for washing clothes with a corresponding energy consumption of 6 billion kilowatt hours. In addition, 600 000 tonnes of detergent and 330 million cubic metres of water are used for textile care in Germany. These figures provide the rationale for the scientific study of current practices of using washing machines and for a resulting estimate of the latent energy‐saving potential in German households. In the context of the in‐home study presented here, 236 private households throughout Germany were studied with respect to their washing practices and existing knowledge about topics on the sustainable, energy‐saving use of their washing machines. Overall, across all households 2867 wash cycles were individually recorded and subsequently analysed over a 4‐week period. The results of this study show that washing machines tend to be underloaded, and therefore maximum loading of the machines could lead to a reduction of wash cycles per household. With respect to detergent dosage, it was determined that the consumer does not adjust the dosage to the textile type, load size, soil level and/or water hardness, and this can lead to under‐ or overdosing depending on prevailing conditions. Finally, the selection of the wash temperature showed a 90°C/95°C programme was only chosen in 2.3% of all recorded wash cycles, however, every fourth cycle was completed at 60°C. Therefore, adjusting the load size and detergent dosage as well as selecting the right wash temperature are key themes to be taken into account in future consumer communication about energy‐saving households.

  March 31, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12091   open full text
• The effects of traffic light labels and involvement on consumer choices for food and financial products.
  Larissa S. Drescher, Jutta Roosen, Stéphan Marette.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 14, 2014
  Traffic light (TL) labels that inform consumers regarding product safety have received increasing attention in different fields. Behind the background of behavioural economics, this paper presents the results of a split‐sample choice experiment conducted in Germany to evaluate the impact of TL labelling on purchases of food and financial products. We hypothesize that consumers experience different levels of involvement with these two types of products, leading to different recommendations regarding the use of TLs. The results show that TLs affect consumer purchases of both product groups by focusing their attention on specific product attributes. For food, whereas the low‐fat attribute has no significant impact on food choices that do not include TLs, this attribute has a positive impact on choices once it is signalled with a TL label. The positive evaluation of the organic production attribute of a food product without a TL decreases when the same product is labelled with a TL. In the case of financial products, TLs significantly reinforce the impact of all characteristics on choice probability. TLs also generate a halo effect with regard to return variance. Although consumers demonstrate different levels of involvement for the two types of products, involvement does not always impact the evaluation of attributes. Compared with less involved consumers, more involved consumers exhibit more heterogeneous evaluations of the return variability attribute in the case of the financial product and the organic attribute in the case of the food product.

  March 14, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12086   open full text
• Costs, culture and life decisions: analysing the factors that influence enrolment in master's level education in Germany.
  Danielle Silvester, Cäzilia Loibl, Jutta Roosen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. March 14, 2014
  Through evaluation of current literature and survey data, this exploratory study aimed to determine factors that influence enrolment in master's level education and attendant delay of life decisions. A total of 134 master's students at a German university were surveyed. The mean age was 25 years and respondents were nearly equal parts German and non‐German nationalities. Results show how cultural factors motivate enrolment in master's programmes and how enrolment influences the timing of other important life decisions. Respondents expected significant benefits to social status, job placement and income. While this small‐scale study does not include all decision factors and its findings are not fully generalizable, we hope it motivates further research in this area.

  March 14, 2014   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12087   open full text
• Learning for lower energy consumption.
  Charlotta Isaksson.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. August 14, 2013
  Energy‐efficient technologies are not just objects that might enable households to carry out more sustainable practices; they are tools, and using them effectively requires certain skills and knowledge. Households' difficulties in handling home heating and hot water technologies in particular have been highlighted as an obstacle to meeting energy conservation objectives. This has given rise to calls for improved support based on how the households define their activities and handle these technologies. By deploying a socio‐cultural theory of learning and using in‐depth interviews with households that have recently purchased renewable heating systems, this paper examines various situations in which people have learnt to use the technologies, and it discusses lessons learnt that may be useful for developing support. The results demonstrate three common learning approaches and identify situations where the learning process runs smoothly and where it does not. The conclusions suggest strategies for helping households overcome the resistance embedded in the interaction with the technologies, and they highlight the importance, when developing support, of starting with what creates meaning in various situations.

  August 14, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12045   open full text
• Is cooking dead? The state of Home Economics Food and Nutrition education in a Canadian province.
  Joyce Slater.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 21, 2013
  High population rates of obesity and nutrition‐related chronic diseases warrant an examination of the role of food and nutrition education in health promotion. Using a mixed‐methods approach, this study explored student enrolment trends in, and perceptions of, Home Economics Food and Nutrition education in a Canadian province. Enrolment in Home Economics Food and Nutrition courses for grades 7–12 was examined from 2000 to 2010 using administrative data. Perceptions of Home Economics Food and Nutrition education by home economics teachers and superintendents were investigated through in‐depth interviews using a grounded theory approach. Results revealed that, although enrolment, including boys, increased slightly over the study period, the majority of children do not take Home Economics Food and Nutrition classes. Further, enrolment decreased significantly from grades 7 (45.77%) to 12 (7.61%). Home Economics Food and Nutrition education faces significant challenges to its future viability. These include: many school administrators, non‐home economics teachers and some parents do not value Home Economics Food and Nutrition education; Home Economics Food and Nutrition education is seen as less valuable than math and science for future career planning; outdated curriculum and teaching infrastructure; reduced numbers of new home economics teachers; decreasing student food knowledge and skills; and changing social norms regarding food and eating (increased use of convenience foods across population groups, a youth ‘fast food culture’ and fewer family meals). Results also indicated that Home Economics Food and Nutrition education is seen as critically important for youth, given that one third of Canadian children are now overweight or obese, fast and highly processed foods make up an increasing proportion of Canadians' diets, and there are increasing dilemmas being faced with food production and food safety. These results signal a growing tension between societal trends towards technological solutions in education and everyday living, and the growing acknowledgement of the externalities associated with these trends including poor health and environmental impacts. Consequently, evidence‐based food and nutrition education that is relevant for today's food environment and busy lifestyles is warranted to improve the health of current and future generations. This should be based on a comprehensive food and nutrition framework including functional, interactive and critical ‘food literacy’. Policy measures are urgently required to ensure all youth have access to food literacy education.

  July 21, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12042   open full text
• A conceptual framework for analyzing consumers' food label preferences: an exploratory study of sustainability labels in France, Quebec, Spain and the US.
  Lydia Zepeda, Lucie Sirieix, Ana Pizarro, François Corderre, Francine Rodier.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. July 19, 2013
  In a qualitative study of 375 consumers in France, Quebec, Spain and the US, respondents are asked to choose between pairs of actual food labels and to describe the reason(s) for their choice. The food labels included sustainability labels (eco‐labels, Fair Trade, origin) as well as product attribute (e.g. quality, kosher) and health/nutrition labels. Respondents' reasons were coded in the original language using the same coding system across all four nations to examine their preferences for label message, design and source. We also examined the role of consumers' values, beliefs and experiences on their label choices. The coding system was drawn from a review of theoretical and empirical literature and provides a conceptual framework we call the Label Consumer Interaction model for evaluating consumers' food label preferences. Although this is case study, the results point to substantial differences across nations in terms of preferred labels, as well as the rationale for their choice in terms of attributes of the labels and consumer characteristics.

  July 19, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12041   open full text
• Conceptualization and measurement of personal norms regarding meal preparation.
  Ana Isabel de Almeida Costa.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 21, 2013
  Past research has revealed that individual beliefs about the proper amount of time, effort and care that should be put into preparing daily household meals can lead to a moral obligation to cook regularly. Such perceived sense of duty may affect not only the frequency with which consumers prepare meals from scratch but also resort to using different home meal replacements. This paper presents the conceptualization, development and validation of psychographic scales that measure the direction and strength of personal norms regarding meal preparation. Literature review, qualitative research and pre‐testing generated a pool of 40 items related to the constructs of interest. These were subsequently administered to a random sample of 590 adults as part of a household mail survey on meals and meal preparation. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing of survey results produced four new psychometric measures with adequate construct validity: Personal norm about cooking, Awareness of the psychological consequences of ready meal use, Awareness of the health consequences of ready meal use and Ascription of responsibility for cooking. These measures can be used to segment consumers according to their personal norms about meal preparation. This will help nutrition educators and policy makers to target messages about healthy eating more effectively, and it may also provide valuable support to the product development and marketing activities of food manufacturers.

  June 21, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12036   open full text
• Consumer morality and moral norms.
  Lisbeth Nielsen, Sue L.T. McGregor.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 10, 2013
  With a focus on consumer morality, this paper first reviewed the literature on moral norms, identifying six approaches: (a) descriptive/injunctive; (b) personal; (c) altruistic; (d) material, formal and synthetic; (e) autonomy, beneficence and justice; and (f) universal norms. The paper then explored three moral norm‐related concepts – what constitutes a moral situation, morally irresponsible behaviour and morally risky behaviour – with a focus on the insights that they can shed on consumer morality, in concert with the notion of moral norms. The discussion then turned to an overview of how these moral norm concepts have been (can be) applied to understand the moral dimension of consumer behaviour. An iterative analysis of this discussion revealed 10 insights that serve as the genesis for an emergent conceptual framework that can scaffold discussions of the role moral norms play in explaining consumer moral behaviour. The paper concluded with a call for a theory on consumer morality and moral norms.

  June 10, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12032   open full text
• A typology of Polish consumers and their behaviours in the market for sustainable textiles and clothing.
  Małgorzata Koszewska.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. June 10, 2013
  The paper discusses Polish consumers' behaviours in the market for sustainable textiles and clothing. The analysis presented in this article was undertaken because of: the scarcity of studies on socially responsible consumption in so‐called new consumer countries characterized by slowly developing ethical consumer movement; few studies analysing consumer behaviour compared with the volume of literature exploring sustainable development and corporate social responsibility of textile and clothing manufacturers. The typology of Polish consumers presented in this article was developed based on consumers' buying habits and general apparel selection criteria, and also on ecological and social criteria that other typologies and clothing market segmentations omit. The six types of consumers that emerged from the analysis were described with respect to their specific attitudes to sustainable textiles and clothing. In analysing the consumers' behaviours, the following aspects were addressed: communication between customers and producers, product differentiation and actual purchases made by consumers.

  June 10, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12031   open full text
• Company and meal choices considered by Nordic adolescents.
  Kristiina Janhonen, Jette Benn, Christina Fjellström, Johanna Mäkelä, Päivi Palojoki.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 23, 2013
  This article examines the meal choices considered by Nordic adolescents in two social situations: for themselves and for the family. In addition, the frequency of family meals is compared between the countries studied. The survey data (n = 1539) were collected during 2006–2007 from 9th grade students (aged 14–17 years) in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Analysis was based on both quantitative variables and open‐ended data. Family meals were found to be less common among Finnish respondents than in the remaining data. In all countries but Denmark, the number of parents in the family had an effect on the frequency of family meals. Meals echoing or fully meeting the structural definition of a ‘proper meal’ were most common when describing meals for the family. The difference between the two social situations was most apparent for those who mentioned ‘Fast food dishes’ for themselves. Gender differences in open‐ended questions were smallest in Denmark and most apparent in Norway. Future studies should focus not only on how many of adolescents eat in what is termed an unhealthy way but also on how they themselves perceive and conceptualize eating, and what kinds of justifications they give to their everyday choices in different social contexts.

  May 23, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12026   open full text
• Consuming nostalgia? The appreciation of authenticity in local food production.
  Minna Autio, Rebecca Collins, Stefan Wahlen, Marika Anttila.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 23, 2013
  Many consumers consider local food a more sustainable choice than conventional food because of the shorter transport distances involved as well as the support provided to local economies. In addition, consumers value the perceived safety benefits, ethical associations and improved taste of local food. In this study, we focus on the cultural meanings of locally produced food among Finnish consumers. Based on interviews with 22 consumers, our analysis suggests that, besides consumers valuing sustainable, healthy and tasty locally produced food, they perceived self‐produced, self‐processed items, including those they have gathered, hunted and fished themselves, as the most authentic local food. Furthermore, local food is associated with craftsmanship and artisan production. We also found that interviewees tended to historicize their relationship to food through local production. Thus, consumers seem to be in search of ‘real’ or ‘true’ food that is embedded in their personal and shared social histories.

  May 23, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12029   open full text
• Consciousness for fair consumption: conceptualization, scale development and empirical validation.
  Ingo Balderjahn, Mathias Peyer, Marcel Paulssen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 23, 2013
  Sustainable consumption means that consumers act in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Compared with the vast amount of studies concerning environmentally conscious consumer behaviour, relatively little is known about socially conscious consumption. The present paper focuses on fair consumption as an important aspect of social consumption. In our study, consciousness for fair consumption (CFC) is defined as a latent disposition of consumers to prefer products that are produced and traded in compliance with fair labour and business practices. A scale to measure CFC was conceptualized and tested in three independent empirical studies. Two studies were conducted at European universities (2010 and 2012) and used 352 and 362 undergraduate business students respectively. The third study, conducted in 2011, used 141 employees at a European university. The results confirmed the reliability and validity of the new CFC scale across samples. While being moderately related to other aspects of sustainable consumption such as ecological concern and moral reasoning, CFC was significantly distinct from those concepts. Most importantly, it was established that the CFC, as measured by the new CFC scale, is a strong determinant of consumption of fair trade products that has been neglected in existing research.

  May 23, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12030   open full text
• Understanding consumers' online conversation practices in the context of convenience food.
  Elina Närvänen, Hannu Saarijärvi, Olli Simanainen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  The area of convenience food has become an insightful context for studying consumption because it is full of tensions and contradictions. This context has attracted an ample amount of research on buying motivations, consumer attitudes and preferences. However, the practices of consuming convenience food have remained a rather unexplored area of research. The purpose of this study is to identify and dissect consumers' online conversation practices related to convenience food. Consequently, the study uses a practice theoretical approach to analyse consumers' online conversations about the topic. Three different categories and nine different practices within them are identified. The practices are further dissected to reveal their tension‐increasing and tension‐relieving characteristics. Finally, the article draws conclusions regarding practice theory and convenience food consumption.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12021   open full text
• Combining verbal analysis protocol and wireless audiovisual observation to examine consumers' supermarket shopping behaviour.
  Anna‐Maria Saarela, Teuvo T. Kantanen, Anja T. Lapveteläinen, Hannu M. Mykkänen, Hannu A. Karppinen, Riitta L. Rissanen.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  The study investigates the benefits of using a verbal analysis protocol combined with wireless audiovisual observation technology to collect information about consumer behaviour in real‐life environments. A sample of consumers (n = 36) were given a task to select food products in 11 different categories in a supermarket. Combining methods enabled simultaneous collection of multiple forms of qualitative and quantitative data by recording data simultaneously from different perspectives: the consumer's visual range; the wider shopping environment, to provide context; the consumer's verbalizations. Qualitative data on extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect decision making and quantitative data on product selection time were taken as an example of rich and real‐time data obtained using the combined methods. Audiovisual material was analysed by Usability Test Software 2.0, verbal analysis data were sorted by a database programme and quantitative data were processed using SPSS 17.0. The study design provided sensitive verification of the nature of consumer interaction with the shopping environment: e.g. during the product selection time (average 23 ± 10 s/product), the interaction with the environment varied between individuals and among products selected. The approach represents a useful technique to enable the value of consumer input to direct innovation in consumer‐oriented product development. It also offers new perspectives to consumers and authorities and related organizations to understand shopping behaviour and the role of critical factors behind the food choices at the supermarket.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12022   open full text
• Practical conditions for Home and Consumer Studies in Swedish compulsory education: a survey study.
  Cecilia Lindblom, Inger Erixon Arreman, Agneta Hörnell.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  The aim of the study was to map the field of internal and external conditions that Swedish Home and Consumer Studies teachers and pupils have contend with. A questionnaire was constructed and delivered online in November 2010. It contained 27 question covering teacher qualification, quality of premises and equipment, lesson time and collaboration, and the use of national syllabi. A total of 385 persons across the country answered the questionnaire; about 21% of those teaching Home and Consumer Studies in Swedish compulsory school during the school year 2009–2010. These respondents taught in a total of 392 compulsory schools, which equalled about 22% of the schools teaching grades 7–9 in Sweden. Almost a quarter (23%) of the teachers lacked formal training for Home and Consumer Studies. Respondents without an appropriate degree qualification included those trained as nursery school teachers, dietitians and civil engineers. As regards classrooms, while 88% of respondents reported access to fully equipped kitchens with stoves, sinks and work surfaces, 5% used regular classrooms and the remainder were obliged to come up with alternative solutions, such as using portable kitchens in regular classrooms or conducting their lessons in the school restaurant. This study raises many questions about the quality of Home and Consumer Studies provision in a number of schools. The local deficiencies in the nationally decided frame factors for Home and Consumer Studies found by the present study gives us reason to doubt that all pupils achieve the overall learning goals of ‘knowing in practice’ and making informed choices utilizing environmental, economic and health perspectives. This might affect the health and economy of the individuals in the long run, with implications for the national economy and public health. On the basis of these findings, we therefore recommend that current conditions for Home and Consumer Studies and how the subject should operate in schools become a focus for national debate.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12027   open full text
• Public face and private thrift in Chinese consumer behaviour.
  Li Lin, Dong Xi, Richard M. Lueptow.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  The concept of face, or mianzi, is quite important in Chinese culture. We examine how public face and private thrift together affect Chinese consumer shopping behaviour based on the results of a survey of nearly 400 Chinese consumers under the age of 40. When a product is used in public or the behaviour occurs in a public place, Chinese consumers are typically willing to spend more money than if a product or service is used in a private place or at home. In addition, non‐Chinese or Western brands do not mean more ‘face’ to Chinese consumers. Instead, it is the expense of the item that matters most with the ultimate goal of being praised by others.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12023   open full text
• Outsourcing child care, home cleaning and meal preparation.
  Judith R. Cornelisse‐Vermaat, Johan A.C. Ophem, Gerrit Antonides, Henriëtte Maassen van den Brink.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  In this paper, the outsourcing of child care, home cleaning and meal preparation is analysed by means of a socio‐economic model that incorporates household‐economic, life cycle, lifestyle and health variables. The data (n = 700) were collected during a telephone survey in the Netherlands. About 10% of the households did not use any of the three outsourcing types. About 70 to 90% of households outsourced meal preparation at least once per month. In each household life cycle stage, the average monthly expenditures on outsourcing meal preparation were the highest of the three outsourcing categories. Factors affecting expenditures were generally the same for each type of outsourcing studied. In general, household economic variables including wage and working hours were unimportant in explaining the incidence and expenditures of outsourcing. The same holds for self‐reported health. All expenditure types were affected by life cycle variables. There was an indication that a traditional lifestyle and traditional family type affected outsourcing expenditures negatively. Education appeared as an important factor: regardless of gender, both medium‐ and higher‐educated people were more inclined to spend money on outsourcing than the lower educated. Especially, people younger than 44 years outsourced meal preparation. Outsourcing was neither restricted to nor especially practised by couples.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12018   open full text
• The political motivations of ethical consumers.
  Scott Brenton.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  Consumer‐driven labelling schemes such as Fairtrade and the Forest Stewardship Council, are based upon several assumptions of consumer decision making and behaviour. This study aimed to test the validity of some of these assumptions, including the belief that consumers are acting ‘on behalf’ of workers and communities in economically developing countries by supporting fair and ethical trade. It examines the political motivations underlying ethical consumption, such as its relationship to other forms of political activism, reasons behind high purchase frequency and how existing values interact with consumption choices. Drawing upon the results of a series of six focus groups with 58 participants and a nationally representative panel‐based survey of 1014 Australian consumers, this paper argues that many of the factors involved in consumer decision making are inconsistent with the assumptions made by private economic governance schemes in attempting to harness consumer power, calling into question the effectiveness and legitimacy of such schemes. However, by tailoring the marketing strategies to different types of consumers, along with suppliers and retailers, these schemes can potentially increase their effectiveness.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12024   open full text
• Grocers' window displays: The eclipse of a British tradition.
  Dave Kinney, Phil Lyon.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. May 16, 2013
  By reference to period retailing narratives, this paper examines the changed significance of shop window displays for British grocers with the transition from counter‐based to self‐service from the late 1940s to the 1960s. The ‘well‐dressed’ window showing a selection of goods and price offers became an early casualty of changed retail practices. Opportunities presented by self‐service for comprehensive stock displays and in‐store promotion proved a decisive challenge to the art of the grocer's window display. These displays had been ubiquitous; large and small shops alike tried to impress passers‐by with examples of their stock range. Self‐service shops had different internal space requirements and soon it was more important that potential customers could see the well‐stocked aisles and activity within.

  May 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12020   open full text
• Gender, fashion consumer group, need for touch and Korean apparel consumers' shopping channel preference.
  Jane E. Workman, Siwon Cho.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 16, 2013
  Shopping preferences are affected by the culture in which an individual grows up as well as by individual differences in consumers such as differences in gender, fashion leadership and need for touch. The current study examined the influence of consumers' need for touch and fashion leadership on preference for shopping outlets (e.g. touch and non‐touch shopping channels) between genders and within a particular culture. The purpose of this study was to examine gender, fashion consumer group, need for touch and Korean apparel consumers' shopping channel preference. Participants were a convenience sample of 262 Korean college students who were recruited in Changwon, South Korea. A questionnaire was compiled that included a request for demographic information, the Need For Touch scale, the Measure of Fashion Innovativeness and Opinion Leadership, and items assessing preference for touch and non‐touch shopping channels for clothing. Women and men did not differ in overall need for touch or instrumental need for touch. Fashion change agents and fashion followers did not differ in their preference for touch and non‐touch shopping channels. Preference for touch shopping channels was more greatly affected by variables such as need for touch, gender, and fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership than preference for non‐touch shopping channels. Preference for non‐touch shopping channels was virtually unaffected by the variables examined in the current study. Implications for theory and research are provided.

  February 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12017   open full text
• Consumer ethnocentricity and preferences for wool products by country of origin and manufacture.
  Gwendolyn Hustvedt, Kathryn A. Carroll, John C. Bernard.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. February 16, 2013
  Labelling on apparel products usually focuses on the country where manufacturing takes place, rather than where the raw materials were obtained. A choice experiment of consumers in three southern US states was conducted to determine preferences and marginal willingness to pay (mWTP) for wool blend sweaters based on fibre origin and country of manufacture. Fibre origin choices were Australia, US and US State, with the latter to investigate consumer interest in local over simply domestic. Manufacturing had two possibilities, US and China. Survey questions were used to determine an average consumer ethnocentric tendency (CET) score for each consumer, and a median split was used to place each into a High or Low CET group. Nested logit models were analysed for both groups, and mWTP estimates were computed from the coefficients. Both CET groups were willing to pay significant premiums for State‐produced wool over US wool, and for US wool over Australian wool. However, the Low CET group exhibited lower premiums for fibre origins than their High CET counterparts. Ethnocentric consumers, unlike Low CET consumers, were additionally willing to pay significant premiums for wool blend sweaters knitted in the US vs. those knitted in China. Results suggest that labelling fibre by State or by US origin may allow producers to obtain substantial premiums for their apparel products. Promotion of domestic manufacturing though may only be effective for a smaller set of consumers.

  February 16, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12015   open full text
• Dimensions of cosmopolitanism and their influence on political consumption: an analysis focused on Spanish consumers.
  Ramon Llopis‐Goig.
  International Journal of Consumer Studies. January 24, 2013
  The purpose of this study was to confirm the hypothesis that political consumption – a form of consumerism whose importance has increased during the past few years – can be considered a form of critical action, and that cosmopolitanism contributes to its development. The main objective was, first, to analyse an unexplored dimension of political consumption and, second, to obtain a measurement proposal for what some authors have called ordinary cosmopolitanism. The study, based on a survey, was divided into three sections. The first section offers a theoretical introduction to the study proposal. The second describes the hypothesis and the data analysis strategy, and proposes an operationalization of cosmopolitanism in three dimensions – symbolic cosmopolitanism, experiential cosmopolitanism and moral cosmopolitanism – which have been obtained by means of the application of categorical principal components analysis. By applying one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey's test, the third section shows the existence of significantly higher scores in these three dimensions for those individuals who have bought or boycotted products for ethical, political or environmental reasons. Finally, an ordinary least squares regression analysis was performed to test the association between cosmopolitanism and political consumerism, controlling the effect of the main socio‐demographic variables. The study confirms the initial hypothesis; therefore, political consumption could be considered a type of consumerism that is clearly related to cosmopolitanism.

  January 24, 2013   doi: 10.1111/ijcs.12016   open full text