International Journal of Consumer Studies最新文献

As digital financial services (DFS) become increasingly important in personal financial management, understanding their implications for individual well-being is critical. Although prior research has focused on financial inclusion and digital finance access, less is known about the mechanisms through which DFS influence broader well-being outcomes. This study examines the relationship between DFS use, financial well-being, and life satisfaction, with financial well-being conceptualized as a mediating factor. Data were drawn from a sample of 1552 Korean adults aged 25–59 who completed an online survey and provided valid responses for analysis. Financial well-being was assessed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's financial well-being scale, and life satisfaction was measured using Cantril's ladder and the feeling thermometer. Mediation analyses reveal that DFS use is positively associated with financial well-being, which in turn significantly influences life satisfaction. Importantly, the relationship between DFS use and life satisfaction is fully mediated by financial well-being, with no significant direct effect once financial well-being is accounted for. This mediation pathway is driven primarily by transactional DFS—such as mobile banking, payments, and credit card management—rather than investment-oriented DFS. These findings suggest that the well-being benefits of DFS arise from the ways digital services enable individuals to manage routine financial matters more effectively. This study highlights the importance of designing inclusive DFS platforms that enhance financial well-being as a pathway to improving life satisfaction.

Over the past decade, the proliferation of online retailing has been unparalleled, driven by rapid advancements in digital technologies that are transforming customer engagement with retailers. Despite the surge in the literature, ranging from e-commerce to metaverse commerce, there is a lack of a comprehensive review specifically focusing on customer engagement in online retailing. To address this, the present study offers a systematic literature review on customer engagement in online retailing using the SPAR-4-SLR review protocol. Integrating the ADO-TCM frameworks, the review outlines the “antecedents, decisions, and outcomes” of customer engagement in online retailing and also presents “theories, contexts, and methods” employed in the reviewed studies. Topic modeling is also employed, providing insights that can inform future research directions. The review proposes a three-stage cyclical model and also outlines directions for future research, highlighting the potential opportunities in the area of evolving customer orientation, technological interventions, and possible retailer strategies to strengthen customer engagement in online retailing. This review serves as a critical resource for practitioners and academicians by consolidating insights that can guide the design and implementation of online customer engagement strategies.

Authenticity has emerged as a central theme in both academic discourse and business practice within the current virtual landscape. Nevertheless, prior marketing research has predominantly focused on the effect of authenticity on purchase decisions, largely overlooking “consumer decision-making confidence”—a critical psychological variable essential for both short-term revenue generation and the development of a long-term sustainable ecosystem in the live-streaming industry. To address this gap, this study employs an online survey methodology, recruiting participants via the Credamo and Wenjuanxing platforms (Study 1: N = 144, Study 2: N = 296), to investigate the influence of virtual streamer authenticity on consumer decision-making confidence amid the rise of AI in live-streaming commerce. The findings indicate that 3E assets significantly mediate this relationship. Furthermore, different interaction strategies are found to moderate this effect. Specifically, functional interaction strategies amplify the effect of authenticity on enhancing the “enabling-the-self” dimension, whereas social interaction strategies strengthen the authenticity effect on the “enticing-the-self” dimension. These findings advance influencer marketing research by thoroughly mapping the underlying process that drives decision-making confidence and provide managers with actionable strategies for effective virtual streamer engagement.

In an age of economic precarity and environmental urgency, frugal consumer behavior has become increasingly relevant, yet the literature is still limited in scope and integration. While a few empirical studies have examined frugal behavior directly, many related constructs such as voluntary simplicity, minimalism, sustainability, and anti-consumption share similar practices and values. These overlapping areas provide important insight into understanding frugal consumer behavior more comprehensively. To address the lack of synthesis and theoretical integration in this area, this study systematically reviewed 63 Scopus and WOS indexed empirical papers published between 1985 and 2024, using the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) framework. The review identifies core dimensions of frugal consumer behavior, dominant research contexts, and patterns in study design, showing how related constructs inform its development. Finally, the paper proposes 15 research questions and 5 objectives to guide future work and strengthen the conceptual and empirical foundation for frugal behavior research.

With the growing focus on quality of life, Consumer Well-Being (CWB) has emerged as a crucial paradigm for analyzing how marketplace interactions shape individuals' overall happiness. This study delves deep into the intricacies of CWB and decodes its conceptual development, by reviewing 102 relevant scholarly articles using the systematic PRISMA literature search method. The study unravels the key CWB intricacies in three ways: (i) it maps the dominant theories, contexts, constructs, and methods used in the CWB scholarly work utilizing the TCCM framework, (ii) it develops a typology for CWB, and (iii) it proposes a future research agenda for each dimension of the TCCM framework. CWB can be categorized in several ways, based on the level of study (individual and collective well-being), the type of assessment (objective and subjective well-being), the experience (hedonic and eudaimonic well-being), and the causal forces (retail/shopping, brand, digital/internet, physical, social, emotional, financial, and environmental well-being). Moreover, there are multiple factors like product attributes, store, and marketer communication that affect consumers' perceived values, which drive CWB. This study enriches the theoretical understanding by first providing a structure to the extant scholarly work in the CWB domain through the TCCM approach, second, developing a marketing framework, third, organizing a typology for CWB, and fourth, suggesting a future research agenda based on these aspects for CWB. Existing literature either focuses on specific aspects, like financial well-being, or takes a broad stakeholder approach. It is important to address this gap, as both managers and researchers face challenges in applying CWB, given its multiple perspectives. This study narrows this gap by providing a unified framework to enhance the understanding and strategic use of CWB. It has several practical implications, such as helping businesses understand how to improve consumers' quality of life and enhance their well-being at both individual and societal levels. Ultimately, the study serves as a playbook for embedding well-being into marketing strategies.

Influencer authenticity has been widely studied, yet its role in podcasting, an audio-only medium, remains underexplored. This research investigates how perceived podcaster authenticity shapes three levels of listener supportive intentions: channel loyalty, purchase of endorsed brands, and willingness to defend the podcaster. Across two studies, we first show that authenticity directly and positively affects all three intentions. We then unpack the underlying mechanisms: emotional attachment and trust mediate these effects, while self-verification strengthens the influence of perceived authenticity on trust and purchase intention. Theoretically, we extend signaling theory and self-verification theory to an auditory context, demonstrating how authenticity conveyed through voice and storytelling drives listener support. Practically, podcasters who consistently signal sincerity, uniqueness, expertise, vulnerability, transparency, and value congruence with their audiences are more likely to foster deeper emotional bonds and trust. For marketers, partnering with authentic podcasters enhances both the credibility and the impact of podcast advertising.