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Investigates patterns of consumption in society and choices therein, citing the literature – in particular the 1964‐74 period. Examines the ‘consumption pattern’ both colloquially and informally and the nature of consumption. Contends that such differences in the ways and means of satisfying needs in different consumption categories do indicate different consumption patterns. Looks at emerging consumption patterns in the USA and other advanced Western economies characterised by the private, individual and passive extremities of the dimensions and outlines these. Concludes that the issue of patterns of consumption is an important one, considering its impact on an individual's life – although consumption patterns are a major component of a consumer's life process as a whole.

This paper aims to examine how consumers make choices when they are faced with a fixed set of available options, consisting of both preferred and less-preferred choices, in the domain of food consumption. Specifically, the paper offers a novel perspective to predict repeated choice decisions in food consumption, which is termed as “pattern-seeking” – a consumption choice pattern that involves a coherent repetitive sequence of sub-groupings or coherently concentrated sub-groupings of options.

Eight experimental studies that contrast the existing theoretical predictions regarding repeated choices (e.g. primacy effect, recency effect, variety vs consistency) against pattern-seeking were conducted using hypothetical and actual food choices.

The results of experimental studies show that an explicit decision pattern (i.e. pattern-seeking) emerges as the most significant predictor of repeated choice in the food consumption domain.

This study offers a novel perspective on how consumers make repeated choices in the domain of food consumption.

The results show that consumers prefer food consumption with a pattern (vs non-pattern). Thus, it would be better to generate marketing activities that allow customers to satisfy their pattern-seeking more easily.

This study advances the literature on repeated food choices by demonstrating that people possess an inherent preference for patterns in food consumption.

The present world is crippled with the pandemic coronavirus (Covid-19). The pandemic that originated in Wuhan city of China has sent every country in the world in an unprecedented situation that has social and economic impacts. This paper aims to explore whether epidemics and pandemics have any impact on consumption patterns among rural and urban consumers in India. Taking pandemic Covid-19 as a case study, it was explored how this pandemic impacted the consumption pattern of consumers in India; what are the similarities and/or differences between rural and urban consumers that are found in their consumption habits in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

The required data was collected through questionnaires sent to respondents. Approximately 500 respondents were contacted through the mail to fill in the survey questionnaire. Despite the sincere efforts, a total of 175 complete survey questionnaires were filled in by respondents. The study used SPSS Statistics version 25 software for the analysis of data.

It was found that epidemics and pandemics have a profound impact on the pattern of consumption in India. The study reveals that consumers resort to panic buying in the initial stages of epidemics and pandemics. It was found that consumption habits of consumers went a sea change and they were spending largely on essentials only. The study also reveals that the majority of consumers would like to continue in the same consumption habits as that of during COVID-19. The consumption pattern of urban consumers witnessed more change than the consumption pattern of rural consumers. It is due to the closure of eateries and restaurants, shopping malls, movie theatres, etc., in urban areas that forced the change in the consumption pattern of urban consumers.

The research has a limitation of using a less sample size. For the generalizations, more robust studies can be conducted with more data.

The findings of the study will give marketers an insight for framing their policies in the wake of epidemics and pandemics.

The research adds to the existing body of knowledge. There are plenty of studies on the behaviour of consumers. However, there are no major studies that focus on the behaviour of consumers during the outbreak of a pandemic. So, this study fills this gap in the existing body of knowledge.

Consumer researchers are interested in the degree to which global convergence is occurring along with various consumer behaviour dimensions and to what extent the consumption patterns in different parts of the world are becoming similar. With increasing internationalisation and cultural cross‐fertilisation, the industrialised societies of the world are converging in many ways. Shifts in alcoholic beverage consumption patterns in Europe over the past 50 years may represent a case in point. As traditional cultural boundaries become blurred, consumer preferences for wine appears to be driven less by long‐standing local and regional traditions, and more by growing acceptance of a wider choice. The disparity of wine consumption among the 12 countries studied has also decreased. Other powerful forces are likely to accelerate the pace of convergence in the future.

The article aims to explore hybrid consumption behaviour as an emergent consumption pattern that may make conventional consumer stereotypes outdated.

The study is an exploratory study in urban environments using qualitative, semi-structured and semi-structured interviews.

It is found that a continuum of hybrid consumption types exists, which includes both omnivorous and polarised behaviour. Hybrid consumers opt for both premium and budget alternatives but ignore midrange alternatives. Both trading-up and trading-down categories and situations are identified. While in previous studies trading up and trading down have been considered product category specific, the results of this study imply that hybrid consumption transcends product category boundaries. Four key themes characterizing hybrid consumption are identified.

The study is explorative. However, as the phenomenon of hybrid consumption behaviour is insufficiently studied in previous research, the article reveals underpinning drivers of such behaviour and suggests directions of further research into the phenomenon.

There are many practical implications of the study. As hybrid consumers do not fall into distinct and stable categories, traditional marketing and segmentation strategies may need to be rethought. Consumers cannot be categorised in such a straightforward manner as conventional segmentation practices suggest.

The authors are not aware of hybrid consumption having been studied and categorised in this way before in academic research. New approaches to studying consumer behaviour, segmentation and marketing are implied.

The consequences of problematic alcohol consumption fall heavily on Australian adolescents, with this population at increased risk of death, serious injury and other harm. Research regarding whether gender, socioeconomic status (SES) or locality play a role in young people’s alcohol consumption and related harm is limited in Australia. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether Victorian students’ patterns of alcohol uptake, consumption and related harm differed between gender, SES and locality.

The study involved secondary analysis of student data from the Drug Education in Victorian Schools harm minimisation drug education programme, undertaken in 21 Victorian government schools over three years The initial cohort of 1,752 students was followed during Years 8, 9 and 10, when their average age would have, respectively, been 13, 14 and 15 years.

There were no gender differences in drinking uptake, consumption or harm. Students with low SES were more likely to have consumed a full drink of alcohol and also experienced more alcohol-related harm. Students living in a regional/rural area were more likely to have engaged in high alcohol consumption.

The findings of this study highlighted that different student demographics have an impact on patterns of alcohol consumption, vulnerability and harm. Students with low SES, living in a regional/rural area, are more at risk than students with higher SES living in a fringe metro/major regional or metro area. Future school harm minimisation drug education programmes should consider the needs of students with demographics that make them more susceptible to higher consumption and harm.

The purpose of this research is to explore how and why consumption behavior changes across time in reference to a temporal deadline, such as a meeting start time or scheduled appointment.

The authors present findings from two experiments that manipulate distance to/from a deadline and assess behavioral intentions and consumer choice, both before a deadline is reached (i.e. the individual is early) and after a deadline has passed (i.e. the individual is late).

Results demonstrate that, while individuals are more likely to refrain from consumption in favor of being on time as a deadline approaches, they are more likely to engage in consumption activities once they have already missed their deadline. Support is shown for an underlying process of affect regulation; when they are late (vs on time), consumers are likely to regulate affect via the selection of more indulgent options.

These studies provide insight into the both the beneficial and detrimental nature of deadlines. Further, they provide insight as to how deadlines impact consumer behavior by demonstrating differential patterns of consumption based on whether an individual is early vs late.

Documenting the effect of meeting and missing deadlines on consumption contributes to the literature on time usage and offers insights into individuals’ efforts to prioritize multiple activities that conflict due to time constraints.

An analysis of patterns of food consumption in Romania is undertaken with the UK used as a benchmark when appropriate. The period of transition in Romania towards a more market‐oriented economy has involved substantial changes in patterns of food consumption and significant year‐to‐year variation. The decline in real incomes provides an interesting validation of Engel’s law on the relationships between household income and food expenditure. There is evidence that Romanian diet is deteriorating relative to modern nutrition guidelines; possible policy responses are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of dietary transition patterns and a discussion of the food-related health issues in China.

The paper builds on a review of the existing literature on food consumption and diet changes in China, and highlights with specific attention to increasing food consumed away from home, the rising demand for fast and processed foods, and the popularizing of western-style foods in Chinese diets.

China’s food consumption patterns rapidly transitioned from one in which grains and vegetables dominated to one having more animal products and more diversification. More foods are consumed away from home and in the form of fast and processed. Income growth played and will continue to play a critical role in shifting the structure of food consumption. On the other hand, China is on a fast track from a lean population to one in which being overweight or obese. The associations between health outputs and food transitions, however, are inconclusive.

The main findings of this study have implications for better understanding the key trends and driving forces of China’s food demand system. Moreover, the results from this review are essential for food-related policymaking in many emerging economies where coexistence of undernutrition, deficiency of micronutrients and overweight and obesity is a common challenge to the society and individual households.

Soft drinks consumption in Saudi Arabia is high, although these drinks are nutritionally poor and might lead to various health problems. This paper aims to assess sweetened soft drinks consumption patterns among adult Saudis and explore the association between different attitudes and these patterns.

In total, 1,194 eligible Saudi adults answered an online questionnaire including soft drinks consumption patterns (frequency of consumption and quantity) and attitudes influencing them. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Pearson test was used to assess the association of attitudes with frequency of sweetened soft drinks consumption. A p-value of <0.05 was set as the significance cut-off.

Sixteen per cent of participants consumed sweetened soft drinks either daily or usually. Frequency and quantity of consumption were significantly and positively associated (R² = 0.4, p < 0.0001). The highest correlations were obtained between frequency of consumption and positive attitudes towards perceiving sweetened soft drinks as enjoyable, value for money and indispensable at eating (R² = 0.55; 0.43 and 0.6, respectively, p < 0.0001). Average score in different attitudes was significantly lower frequency of consumption “never” compared to “always” (p < 0.001) (Healthy: 1 vs 1.9, Enjoyable: 1.5 vs 4.4, value for money: 1.7 vs 3.9, indispensable at eating: 1.1 vs 4.0 and social gathering: 1.2 vs 3.8, respectively).

Main limitation of this study relates to the sampling technique through a snowballing, which could influence on the representativeness of the study population.

Findings advance the understanding on the high consumption of sweetened soft drinks among Saudis, making an emphasis on the complexity of this dietary pattern and the importance of different attitudes influencing on it. Thus, changing this pattern implies a global strategy to reduce both frequency and quantity of consumption.