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Book part
Publication date: 6 July 2022

Julia Solovjova, Oksana Yuldasheva and Olga Konnikova

Beginning from the 1990s, the concept of sustainable development has been purposefully implemented by the most advanced economic actors including separate regions, countries…

Abstract

Beginning from the 1990s, the concept of sustainable development has been purposefully implemented by the most advanced economic actors including separate regions, countries, companies, and individuals. Consumer behaviour is also changing: the most advanced consumers who care about their own health and are aware of the environmental issues, change their behaviour to the conscious consumption patterns. However, most do so under the influence of companies promoting sustainable value propositions, or under the influence of government policy that encourages sustainable behaviour. Within the chapter ‘Dimensions of conscious consumption’, the authors consider consumption patterns evolution from traditional (patriarchal) consumption pattern through hedonic consumption to sustainable and conscious consumption patterns. The authors analyse transformation mechanisms of consumption patterns and how they affect changing consumer behaviour from traditional to conscious behaviour. As a result, a typology of sustainable value propositions for conscious consumers was formed, with the comparative analysis of four sustainable value proposition models: Driven by humanistic philosophy, Unique market position, Driven by government policy, and Leadership in sustainable innovations. Cases of Bouchee (Russian coffee shop and bakery chain) and Enjoy the Run (sport club for recreational running lovers) were analysed as the examples of companies implementing the considered models.

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Georgios Patsiaouras

This study aims to elaborate on the interface between water scarcity and consumption and, specifically to focus on, how consumers’ perceptions and views towards (un)sustainable…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to elaborate on the interface between water scarcity and consumption and, specifically to focus on, how consumers’ perceptions and views towards (un)sustainable water consumption can inform the development of sustainable water practices and environmental policies.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology was adopted, consisting of 34 in-depth interviews with consumers, in four cities in the United Kingdom (UK). The semi-structured interviews sought to examine sustainable water consumption practices in more depth within an unexplored context, and secondary data were also used to explore the phenomenon in more depth.

Findings

The findings provide novel theoretical and empirical insights around the invisibility and imperceptibility of (un)sustainable water consumption. The findings suggest how interdisciplinary and collaborative practices can enhance more responsible and sustainable consumption of water resources in the UK.

Practical implications

The study can inform marketing strategies on community engagement with localised water sustainable actions and encourage policymakers to develop concrete marketing communications and increased public awareness regarding water scarcity.

Social implications

Considering the slow growth of water scarcity, the findings can prompt marketing scholars to explore similar phenomena, within seemingly unaffected countries, urban centres, industries and marketplaces.

Originality/value

Previous studies focused on the measurement of household water consumption in the water-scarce context of the Southern Hemisphere. Challenging geographical perceptions of water shortage, this study focuses on the UK and highlights how the multidimensional, finite and invisible nature of water consumption requires collaborative efforts in tackling water scarcity.

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 September 2023

Linda JessicaDe Montreuil Carmona, Anderson Gomes Paes Barretto and Edilson Bacinello

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of sustainable consumption on the intention and effective purchase of products by young undergraduates, using the framework with…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of sustainable consumption on the intention and effective purchase of products by young undergraduates, using the framework with the dimensions: consciousness for sustainable consumption, moral orientation and environmental concern. The authors also examined the mediation effect of intention and searched for heterogeneities on the purchase of sustainable products when discriminating by product type.

Design/methodology/approach

Sustainable consumption assumes ethics and environmental concern prioritization in the role of individuals to preserve natural resources threatened by global warming. Considering this, the authors developed cross-sectional research based on a sample of 265 Brazilian higher education students, which was analyzed with the use of partial least squares path modeling.

Findings

The results showed a positive relationship between sustainable consumption and buying intention, with mediation effects on the effective purchase of sustainable products. It was evidenced that consciousness for sustainable consumption, moral orientation and environmental concern do not lead directly to the purchase of sustainable products; they are based on the mediation exerted by the intention that purchase materializes in Brazilian, young university students. By analyzing heterogeneities, the authors found that environmental concern may translate into actual purchase when product-oriented.

Originality/value

This study uses the VBN theory to understand the behavioral intentions for the effective purchase of sustainable products, extending the range of sustainable consumption associating factors not analyzed in the higher education context, including nontraditional categories of sustainable products, such as textiles, furniture and wood articles. Moreover, this paper examines the mediation role of intention for effective purchase of sustainable products, identifying product categories that may translate environmental concerns to actual purchases, highlighting the importance of Brazil as an emerging economy that is a leading producer and exporter of organic foods with a growing market for sustainable products.

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2007

Gill Seyfang

Sustainable consumption is increasingly on the policy menu, and local organic food has been widely advocated as a practical tool to make changes to conventional production and…

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Abstract

Purpose

Sustainable consumption is increasingly on the policy menu, and local organic food has been widely advocated as a practical tool to make changes to conventional production and consumption systems. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of community‐based initiatives at achieving sustainable consumption objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

A new multi‐criteria evaluation tool is developed, from New Economics theory, to assess the effectiveness of initiatives at achieving sustainable consumption. The key indicators are: localisation, reducing ecological footprints, community building, collective action and creating new socio‐economic institutions. This evaluation framework is applied to an organic producer cooperative in Norfolk, UK, using a mixed‐method approach comprising site visits, semi‐structured interviews and a customer survey.

Findings

The initiative was effective at achieving sustainable consumption in each of the dimensions of the appraisal tool, but nevertheless faced a number of barriers to achieving its potential.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could examine the sustainability preferences of non‐consumers of local or organic food, to compare responses and assess the scope for scaling up initiatives like this.

Practical implications

Ways forward for community‐based sustainable consumption are discussed, together with policy recommendations. Community‐based initiatives such as the local organic food network examined here should be supported to offer a diversity of local action.

Originality/value

This paper presents the first empirical evaluation of a local organic food network as a tool for sustainable consumption. It makes a timely and original contribution on environmental governance and the role of new institutions which enable consumers to change their consumption patterns. It is of interest to academics, practitioners and policymakers concerned with sustainable development.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 27 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 July 2019

Leah Watkins, Rob Aitken and Jess Ford

A sustainable future requires that we empower our children to not only make green consumer choices but also consider the wider issues of sustainable consumption. This paper aims…

Abstract

Purpose

A sustainable future requires that we empower our children to not only make green consumer choices but also consider the wider issues of sustainable consumption. This paper aims to investigate suitable measures to evaluate children’s sustainable consumption and production (SCP) knowledge, attitudes and behaviour and develop and test intervention content aimed at improving literacy in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach was adopted to develop measurement and intervention materials for SCP. 21 Year Eight (12-13-year-old) New Zealand children participated in one-hour focus groups where they completed scales to measure their sustainable consumption attitudes two major environmental values, behaviours The middle school environmental literacy survey and knowledge and participated in discussions to evaluate the SCP knowledge intervention content and questions developed.

Findings

A qualitative analysis of group discussion was used to test the understandability, perceived usefulness and level of difficulty of the intervention booklet to inform its further development. The results show children’s (prior) knowledge score was highly correlated with their attitudes, and attitudes were highly correlated with both intention and behaviour scores. The paired t tests demonstrated significant differences in the pre- and post-intervention knowledge scores.

Research limitations/implications

The measures and intervention content piloted in this study fill an important gap in existing literature, addressing the lack of appropriate measures and resources to encourage and enhance children’s important role in contributing to a sustainable consumption future.

Originality/value

The development of a measurable intervention will enable the establishment of a platform for the continued and participatory development of sustainable consumption and production resources for children.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2014

Peter Jones, David Hillier and Daphne Comfort

– The purpose of this paper is to offer an exploratory case study of how the UK’s leading retailers are addressing sustainable consumption.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an exploratory case study of how the UK’s leading retailers are addressing sustainable consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with a discussion of the growing awareness of the importance of sustainable consumption and of the role that retailers can play in promoting more sustainable patterns of consumption. This is followed by a short literature review of current thinking on sustainable consumption. The paper draws its empirical information from the top ten UK retailers’ corporate websites and from an observational survey conducted in these retailers’ largest stores in the town of Cheltenham in the UK. The paper concludes with some reflections on how the UK’s leading retailers are addressing sustainable consumption and on how the concept fits into their business models.

Findings

The findings reveal that the UK’s top ten retailers make very limited public corporate commitments to sustainable consumption and that while some of these retailers were offering customers some information which might encourage more sustainable shopping behaviour, such information was systematically undermined by marketing messages which were designed to encourage rather than restrict consumption. More critically the paper concludes that the leading retailers’ commitments to sustainable consumption are couched within existing business models centred on continuing growth and that as such they are effectively ignoring the fact that present levels of consumption are not sustainable.

Originality/value

This paper provides an accessible review of the extent to which the UK’s leading food retailers are addressing sustainable consumption and communicating sustainable consumption agendas to their customers within stores, and, as such, it will be of value to academics, practitioners, consumer organizations and policymakers interested in the role retailers can play in promoting sustainable consumption.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2015

Matthias Lehner

– This paper aims to contribute to the discussion about how retailers can more effectively promote sustainable food consumption in the retail store.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to the discussion about how retailers can more effectively promote sustainable food consumption in the retail store.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirteen self-proclaimed sustainable consumers were observed and interviewed during their grocery shopping. Separate observations were conducted of the stores. Finally, consumers were asked to provide three weeks worth of grocery shopping receipts.

Findings

Results show that the meaning of sustainable consumption varies among consumers. Observed consumer behaviour was mostly routinized, with little willingness to engage consciously with the choice situation. Mixed messages in the store cause confusion, uncertainty and frustration. Only for a minority of decisions, consumers showed a high level of decision-making involvement. Then, consumers were willing to engage with the retailer and accept trade-offs. The retail store should better account for consumption routines in sustainable consumption behaviour and open up to interaction with sustainably minded consumers where necessary.

Research limitations/implications

The results are specific for urban areas with high concern for sustainability. Further research should focus on areas of low concern for sustainability and the impact of the store environment on such consumers.

Practical implications

Retailers do not sufficiently take into account the contextual nature of sustainable consumption. Retailers would be well-advised to account for the habitual nature of grocery shopping and for contextually defined understanding of sustainable consumption in their efforts to promote sustainable consumption.

Originality/value

This study gives new insights into the much debated “attitude-behaviour gap” in sustainable consumption and how retailers can more effectively encourage sustainable consumption behaviour in the retail store.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2019

Ninh Nguyen, Steven Greenland, Antonio Lobo and Hoang Viet Nguyen

This paper aims to address gaps in the sustainable technology literature by evaluating the demographics of energy efficient appliance consumption in Vietnam. Sustainable…

1007

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address gaps in the sustainable technology literature by evaluating the demographics of energy efficient appliance consumption in Vietnam. Sustainable technologies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address environmental problems such as air quality and climate change. Opportunity is the greatest in emerging markets, where population growth has triggered dramatic rises in electricity consumption. However, their adoption of energy efficient appliances has been slow and understanding why is limited.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a literature review, a questionnaire was designed to capture sustainable consumption attitudes and behaviours. In total, 682 interviews were conducted among Vietnamese electrical appliance consumers to investigate the influence of demographics on sustainable technology consumption.

Findings

While many respondents were aware of the sustainable benefits of energy efficient appliances, this did not generally translate into responsible purchase behaviour. Of the demographic variables, education had the strongest relationship with sustainability. Those with higher incomes and more children were also more likely to exhibit sustainable consumption attitudes and behaviours. Gender and age were weaker sustainability predictors.

Originality/value

This study is relevant to a wide range of sustainable technology contexts. The literature shows contrary findings regarding relationships between demographics and sustainable consumption, and the value of demographics to sustainable consumer segmentation and targeted behaviour change campaigns has been contested by some researchers. This research highlights education as the most significant demographic predictor of sustainable consumption and reveals the consistency of this finding with many other studies. The implications of this for promoting future sustainability are discussed.

Article
Publication date: 19 August 2019

Hadeer Hammad, Viola Muster, Noha M. El-Bassiouny and Martina Schaefer

Conspicuous consumption and sustainable consumption are commonly understood as being in contradiction with each other. Yet, scholars have recently become increasingly interested…

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Abstract

Purpose

Conspicuous consumption and sustainable consumption are commonly understood as being in contradiction with each other. Yet, scholars have recently become increasingly interested in examining positive relationships between these forms of consumption. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the synergies and contradictions between sustainable and luxury consumption and proposing whether and how conspicuous motives can foster a shift towards sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in general and Egypt in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a conceptual note, intended as a starting point and acting as an eye-opener regarding the values inherent in both conspicuous and sustainable consumption and the potential influence that conspicuous motivations could have on the latter.

Findings

The paper discusses the possibilities for and limitations of conspicuous motives to foster sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in the Middle East. The adoption of westernized lifestyles, spreading in Middle Eastern countries, can represent a venue for motivating sustainable consumption behaviours as a means of status distinction. On the other hand, the trickle-down effect and the preconditions of visibility and exclusiveness pose risks on promoting sustainable consumption by addressing conspicuous motives.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that the synergistic interplay between conspicuous and sustainable consumption, as well as barriers and motivations underpinning both constructs, needs to be empirically researched, while factoring in the cultural specifics of the countries under study, as cultural nuances can influence the dynamics of interaction between conspicuous and sustainable behaviours.

Originality/value

Given the salience of the relationship between luxury and sustainable consumption and the focus of most studies on early-industrialized countries, insights regarding the possible influences of conspicuous motives on sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries are warranted. With the scarcity of research examining the ambiguous relationship between conspicuous and sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries, this paper contributes by providing insights about the conditions that can help conspicuous motives promote sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 23 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2018

Paola De Bernardi and Lia Tirabeni

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a sustainable business model (SBM) implemented by an Alternative Food Network (AFN), namely the Italian Food Assembly, with the goal of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a sustainable business model (SBM) implemented by an Alternative Food Network (AFN), namely the Italian Food Assembly, with the goal of exploring its drivers of success and explaining how it can contribute to enhance sustainable and anti-consumption behaviours. This research aims at combining principles from both SBM innovation and user-driven anti-consumption and well-being habits, in order to develop more successful, comprehensive and community-centred sustainable value propositions.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the research goal, an exploratory case study was prepared where multiple sources of data were employed, namely in-depth interviews, participant observation, focus groups and document analysis.

Findings

In the light of the Bocken et al. (2014) framework, this paper provides evidence on the implementation of an AFN where it is possible to observe a strong sharing of knowledge regarding sustainable consumption behaviours and an effective dissemination of best practices between members. The authors developed four propositions that support the creation of a sustainable food supply chain, laying the foundation for spreading consumer behaviours and motivations so that they become more sustainable in their consumption habits.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the case study is very rich in the amount of data gathered, it cannot be generalised. Further research will overcome this limitation by adding more cases within a comparative approach and through a quantitative methodology.

Originality/value

It adds value to recent literature and practice by focussing on how networks of producers, consumers and other actors could act to improve food anti-consumption behaviours, by embodying alternatives to conventional food systems.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 120 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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