Journal of Consumer Affairs最新文献

The halo effect, or the tendency to judge one product characteristic based on other product characteristics, is prevalent in food purchasing decisions. However, its effects have remained understudied in beverage markets. Understanding potential health halos in alcohol markets is especially important given the many adverse public health outcomes associated with excessive consumption. This study uses primary data from a panel of 1,203 U.S. hard seltzer consumers to explore two potential halo effects in the alcohol marketplace. The experimental design isolates the impact of organic labeling on alcoholic beverages and compares the perceived healthiness of hard seltzer relative to beer. The results provide little evidence of these halo effects. Rather, perceived taste and drinkability appear to explain much of the recent growth in the hard seltzer market.

This study explores marketplace diversity as an intersectional construct and a collective tool for challenging prevailing institutional logic and redefining markets. Using a bricolage of grounded theory and semiotic square analysis, we analyzed 29 in-depth interviews with 18 fashion consumers and 11 fashion producers to understand how market actors define, negotiate, and challenge conflicting discourses of marketplace diversity. Drawing on the Market System Dynamics framework, we identified producer-driven practices, “idealization” and “illusion,” which reinforce the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and consumer-driven practices, “insurrection” and “inclusion,” which drive positive change in the marketplace. Findings offer a holistic perspective beyond the traditional dyadic view of producers and consumers, highlighting the meso- and macro-level dynamics that shape market structures. The study's originality stems from its theoretical and methodological contributions to marketplace diversity discourse and intersectional complexities. Our findings provide practical insights for market actors aiming to foster genuine inclusion.

This study investigates the impact of social media adoption on individual retirement planning, as indicated by borrowing from retirement accounts. Utilizing the latest 2021 cohort of the National Financial Capability Study, we find that greater reliance on social media is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of retirement borrowing, which may lead to long-term financial instability. A follow-up causal analysis using the propensity score matching (PSM) and instrumental variable (IV) design confirms this positive relationship. Moreover, we find that job loss positively moderates the relationship between social media reliance and retirement borrowing. While the traditional framework of information asymmetry suggests that increased transparency and accessibility benefit individuals, our findings highlight the need to consider the complexity of information processing in the era of big data, which requires greater financial knowledge and literacy. Additionally, our results underscore the critical role of financial education in effectively processing the complex information available on social media, particularly during market stress.

Given the recent increase in the use of tip suggestions by non-human agents, such as service robots or self-checkout machines, this research investigates consumer responses to such tip suggestions through four experiments. Results support the overall sequential mediation model of tip suggestions → higher manipulative intent → lower satisfaction → negative word of mouth intentions. The results from Studies 1a and 1b demonstrate the direct effect of tip suggestions on negative word of mouth intentions. These studies also provide evidence that inference of manipulative intent serves as the underlying mechanism for this effect. Study 2 shows that tip suggestions provided by non-human agents negatively influence consumers' satisfaction, but this effect gets attenuated for human agents. Finally, Study 3 demonstrates the overall sequential mediation model. This research provides new insights for marketers to help develop positive relationships with consumers by positively impacting consumers' attitudes and satisfaction.

Global crises significantly disrupt established consumption patterns, requiring consumers to adapt their behaviors and routines in response to market system changes. Despite the critical importance of understanding consumer resilience during such disruptions, academic research remains fragmented. Through a systematic review of 126 articles, this study develops a novel conceptualization of consumer resilience encompassing two distinct pathways: recovery-oriented adaptation, where consumers strive to restore pre-crisis consumption patterns, and transformation-oriented adaptation, involving fundamental shifts in consumption structures and practices. By distinguishing between recovery and transformation pathways, this framework advances the theoretical understanding of consumer resilience beyond simple successful versus unsuccessful adaptation. The study concludes with an integrated research agenda addressing theoretical, methodological, and contextual priorities for advancing scholarly understanding of consumer resilience.

This study underscores the necessity of assessing well-being concerns in online environments through the lens of individual differences, going beyond simply addressing external vulnerabilities. It examines the relationships among dark personality traits, fear of missing out emotions, and social media addiction. The stability and identifiability of these traits are essential for formulating practical policies and interventions. Structural equation modeling reveals the varied influences of dark personality traits on social media addiction. Specifically, while Machiavellianism has a direct effect on SMA, its indirect influence through FoMO is not significant. Additionally, narcissism influences SMA both directly and indirectly, and psychopathy impacts SMA indirectly through FoMO. Based on these findings, we recommend that platforms and businesses adjust their algorithms and content strategies based on the personality-driven mechanisms identified, to enhance consumer welfare and promote more effective management practices.

We explored the relationship between COVID-19 labor market shocks and the likelihood of hardship withdrawals or plan loans from retirement accounts, which could significantly impact workers' retirement savings. We found that about 14% of working-age respondents took a hardship withdrawal or plan loan. Those reporting a COVID-19 labor market shock had odds of a hardship withdrawal as much as 3.8 times as high as otherwise comparable respondents who did not have a shock. Additionally, we found that the relationship to a COVID-19-related labor shock was moderated by the objective and subjective financial knowledge of individuals, suggesting a potential role for financial education in alleviating retirement risks. A notable finding is that respondents exhibiting financial knowledge overconfidence were more likely to take a plan loan or a hardship withdrawal than those with appropriate levels of confidence or low levels of confidence. This study offers important insights for policymakers, educators, and practitioners.