Research areas in consumer vulnerability a systematic literature review

Abstract

Consumer Vulnerability is a phenomenon used to explain the powerlessness of consumers in marketplace interactions. Comprehension of different areas of vulnerabilities that consumers face in the modern marketplace is a central and broadly discussed topic in current literature. Further, the majority of current studies on Consumer Vulnerability focus on consumer demographics, such as income, age, education, minority status, and area of living. However, the field lacks studies on possible causes, victims, and effects of consumer vulnerability in consumption contexts. Thus, this systematic literature review was conducted to fill the extant knowledge gaps and identify research areas related to vulnerability with specific consumer groups and reasons. Based on a comprehensive review protocol, 60 papers selected from 750 articles, were reviewed using the mixed-method approach. Further, primary study selection was done on the grounds that the articles; were published within the 2005-2020 period, relevant to the field of Consumer Vulnerability, published in English, have more than 3 pages in the paper. The findings of the study revealed five areas of consumer vulnerability; namely, Online Consumer Vulnerability, TV Advertising and Child Consumer Vulnerability, Low literacy and Consumer Vulnerability, Older Consumer Vulnerability, and Consumer Vulnerability in the Multi-cultural marketplace. The results indicated that the impact of the internet, social media, and TV advertising on young consumer vulnerability should be studied in greater depth in future research.