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Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World
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Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2021) | Viewed by 44403

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Miguel Cuerdo Mir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Applied Economics, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid 28032, Spain
Interests: consumer behavior; public policy evaluation; economics of sustainability and natural resources; economics of energy; economics of competition law; social networks and sustainability
Prof. Dr. Luis Miguel Doncel Pedrera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Applied Economics, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid 28032, Spain
Interests: consumer behavior; healthy lifestyles; economic of sports; sustainable tourism; econometric methods
Prof. Dr. Jorge Sainz-González

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Applied Economics, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28032 Madrid, Spain
Interests: consumer behavior; perceived value; public policy evaluation; electronic commerce; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Changes in consumer behavior over the last decade, and especially after the COVID-19 crisis, have made the surge of a new paradigm on consumer studies evident. The first shift comes from the consumer search for more sustainable products: As consumers become more aware of the negative externalities of certain consumptions, they thus grow more concerned about the effects of their actions. Companies have been taking advantage of the surge of new technologies on consumer data, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, etc., to improve their knowledge of their customers and their new patterns of consumption, increasing the value offered to their clients. Data become the new “golden fleece” for firms, whose main aim is to increase their sales and profits. COVID-19 is exacerbating these changes amid the lack of academic evidence on these transformations. Our goal in this Special Issue is to bridge, with fresh and new findings, this need for empirical evidence on consumer changes in all sectors of the economy, including financial, industrial, tourism or even education.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

A. Sustainable finance and consumer behavior:

  • - New instruments for sustainable finance: electronic currencies;
  • - Consumption of new products and services;
  • - Fintech and their risk for sustainability of finances;

B. Consumer protection and the use of new technologies:

  • - How to regulate the new framework;
  • - Changes in consumer protection laws;
  • - Digital monopolies and consumer protection in a sustainable framework;

C. Sustainable energy consumption:

  • - New ways to manage the use of energy by consumers;
  • - Aggregating demand for energy through new sharing consumption initiatives;

D. Consumer perceptions in a more sustainable world:

  • - New approaches to marketing for a sustainable consumption;
  • - Social responsibility and sustainable consumption;
  • - How Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) contribute to enhance sustainable consumption;
  • - How Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of the Things (IoT), and/or Big Data contribute (or not) to the sustainable consumption;

E. Social networks and the new consumer:

  • - How social networks are affecting consumption;
  • - Marketing for sustainability in social networks;

F. Food consumption in a sustainable world:

  • - Domestic consumption and global food production;
  • - Food prices, income, and sustainability;

G. New patterns in mobility:

  • - Share mobility services and sustainability;
  • - Location management strategy to improve the production of online services;
  • - The effects of human mobility patterns in consumption: urban vs. rural.

Prof. Dr. Miguel Cuerdo Mir
Prof. Dr. Luis Miguel Doncel Pedrera
Prof. Dr. Jorge Sainz-González
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • services marketing
  • sustainability
  • social networks
  • value chain
  • transformative service research
  • new technologies
  • sustainable marketing practices
  • sustainable education
  • social corporate responsibility
  • environmental sustainability
  • green consumption
  • ecological tourism
  • sociocultural sustainability
  • economic sustainability
  • sustainable consumption
  • consumer behavior
  • sustainable mobility
  • responsible consumption
  • service-dominant logic
  • value creation

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 1103 KiB  
Article
Profiling Spanish Prospective Buyers of Electric Vehicles Based on Demographics
by Jose Esteves, Daniel Alonso-Martínez and Guillermo de Haro
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9223; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169223 - 17 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3412
Abstract
As traffic congestion and air pollution rise at alarming rates in many cities worldwide, new smart technologies are emerging to meet the urban mobility challenge. In addition, automotive firms have transformed their business models to make them more sustainable and to adjust to [...] Read more.
As traffic congestion and air pollution rise at alarming rates in many cities worldwide, new smart technologies are emerging to meet the urban mobility challenge. In addition, automotive firms have transformed their business models to make them more sustainable and to adjust to demand response. Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a viable option to reduce ecological damage and improve public health. However, in the previous literature, no consensus has been reached on the profile of prospective buyers of EVs. Based on a large-scale sample of Spanish citizens and using cluster analysis, our study provides a better understanding of the demographics of such prospective buyers. We identified four types of EV prospective buyers. Our results show that although men have a strong preference for EVs, low-income older women prove to be the most EV-aware group; their automotive driving experience and concern for sustainability could be among the underlying causes of this particular interest. Another valuable insight is the greater partiality of older people for EVs. These findings have many implications for managers, especially in the automotive industry, policymakers, and sustainability strategists. They show that EV prospective buyers should not be approached as a homogeneous group but as a heterogeneous group with different socio-demographic characteristics that might help decision-makers make better business decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
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21 pages, 2387 KiB  
Article
Financial Literacy and Sustainable Consumer Behavior
by Ester Muñoz-Céspedes, Raquel Ibar-Alonso and Sara de Lorenzo Ros
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9145; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169145 - 16 Aug 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 11760
Abstract
A more sustainable society and economy also implies more sustainable behavior in terms of the consumption of financial products. A possible change in this behavior can be brought about when there is a change in the demand. In other words, more sustainable consumption [...] Read more.
A more sustainable society and economy also implies more sustainable behavior in terms of the consumption of financial products. A possible change in this behavior can be brought about when there is a change in the demand. In other words, more sustainable consumption of financial products is directly related to financial literacy. However, the latter’s definition, object, and scope are far from being agreed upon internationally. One objective of this work was to explore the different interpretations of financial literacy in academic literature. In this exploration we delved into the evolution of the term, and how, in what context, and with what other concepts the term is used in social networks. Scientometric techniques were used for the analysis and review of the literature. The NLP technique was used to analyze comments on social networks. With this technique, ten feelings that were specially selected were analyzed. Positivity, confidence, and anticipation predominated among them. We conclude that it is important to emphasize that greater attention must be given to financial literacy, from both private and public sectors, so that it can be used to drive more sustainable behavior by individual consumers. Finally, a new definition of financial literacy is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
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12 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between Social Dominance Orientation and Dietary/Lifestyle Choices
by Karin Braunsberger, Richard O. Flamm and Brian Buckler
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8901; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168901 - 9 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2823
Abstract
This research aims to: (1) examine the construct social dominance orientation (SDO) in a setting that expands group hierarchy to include prejudices and dominance toward animals; (2) compare predictive validity and internal consistency between the 16-item SDO6 and the 4-item SSDO; and [...] Read more.
This research aims to: (1) examine the construct social dominance orientation (SDO) in a setting that expands group hierarchy to include prejudices and dominance toward animals; (2) compare predictive validity and internal consistency between the 16-item SDO6 and the 4-item SSDO; and (3) test whether the SDO6 and the SSDO scales predict well in a consumer behavior oriented contextual setting. Predictive validity of the SSDO was almost as high as that of the SSD6; internal reliability, however, was considerably lower. Further, as hypothesized, individuals exhibiting lower levels of SDO, as assessed by both SDO6 and SSDO, exhibit lower levels of speciesism as well as higher levels of empathic concern. In addition, as hypothesized, ethical vegans, as compared to carnists, display lower levels of SDO and speciesism, and higher levels of empathic concern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
14 pages, 603 KiB  
Article
Consumer Intention to Purchase Green Consumer Chemicals
by Michal Patak, Lenka Branska and Zuzana Pecinova
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7992; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147992 - 17 Jul 2021
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 8185
Abstract
The article deals with consumer behaviour when purchasing green products. It develops theoretical knowledge in the field of antecedents to purchase intention with a focus on the currently neglected consumer chemicals (detergents, cleaning agents and cosmetic products). Based on previous studies, antecedents of [...] Read more.
The article deals with consumer behaviour when purchasing green products. It develops theoretical knowledge in the field of antecedents to purchase intention with a focus on the currently neglected consumer chemicals (detergents, cleaning agents and cosmetic products). Based on previous studies, antecedents of purchase intention for green consumer chemicals are identified and the significance of their influence is subsequently verified by empirical research. Confirmatory analysis is based on structural equation modelling of data obtained from a questionnaire survey conducted among 250 consumers. The empirical findings show that the main antecedents of green purchase intention in are environmental concern, green lifestyle and product knowledge. The influence of promotion and community can be regarded as weak to insignificant. The degree of influence of all investigated antecedents depends on the gender, age and level of education of consumers. Increasing the volume of purchasing green consumer chemicals will in particular require provision of more information to consumers to increase their awareness of environmental protection and green products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
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19 pages, 2589 KiB  
Article
Leveraging COVID-19 Outbreak for Shaping a More Sustainable Consumer Behavior
by Andreea Orîndaru, Maria-Floriana Popescu, Ștefan-Claudiu Căescu, Florina Botezatu, Margareta Stela Florescu and Carmen-Cristina Runceanu-Albu
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5762; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115762 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7641
Abstract
Consumption has lately been under the microscope facing pressure from all stakeholders as principles of sustainability have gained more popularity. In this context, a new sustainable consumer model was born, referring to major shifts in buying and consumption habits. Nevertheless, these shifts were [...] Read more.
Consumption has lately been under the microscope facing pressure from all stakeholders as principles of sustainability have gained more popularity. In this context, a new sustainable consumer model was born, referring to major shifts in buying and consumption habits. Nevertheless, these shifts were lagging as consumers resisted change in the comfort of old habits. This comfort was shaken up by the COVID-19 outbreak that forced us to rethink every aspect of our lives. Therefore, this crisis context seems the perfect opportunity to shift towards the sustainable consumer model. People’s openness towards embracing new consumption habits was evaluated in a quantitative study where data was collected in two different moments: May 2020 and December 2020. Major results of our research show that people’s lives were dominated in 2020 by uncertainty, especially when referring to their financial situation. Further on, consumers have already started to bring major shifts in their consumption habits because of this uncertainty. Among the most important shifts, there were more prudent purchase decisions, rising interest for discounted prices, increased likelihood of buying local and enhanced preference in buy fresh products instead of processed or semi-processed ones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
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12 pages, 425 KiB  
Article
Model of the Consumer Switching Behavior Related to Healthy Food Products
by Anas Hidayat, Tony Wijaya, Asmai Ishak, Sri Rejeki Ekasasi and Guruh Ghifar Zalzalah
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3555; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063555 - 23 Mar 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5603
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effect of customers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control on their intention to switch to healthy food products. This research also tested brand awareness as a moderator of customers’ behavioral choices to switch to healthy food [...] Read more.
This study aimed to examine the effect of customers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control on their intention to switch to healthy food products. This research also tested brand awareness as a moderator of customers’ behavioral choices to switch to healthy food products by switching behavior. The study was conducted by distributing a questionnaire. It involved 318 participants and employed partial least square regression as the data analysis method. This study shows the significant influence of customers’ attitudes on their switching intentions toward healthy food products, and perceived behavior control significantly influences customers’ switching intentions toward healthy food products. Customers’ perceived behavior control, as well as their intentions to switch toward healthy food products, significantly influences their switching behavior. Brand awareness has a moderate influence on customers’ intentions to switching behavior on healthy food products. This study contributes to developing the model of customer behavior in switching from fast food products to healthy food products. This study reveals that subjective norms do not significantly influence the switching behavior of customers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
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19 pages, 689 KiB  
Article
The Influences of Consumer-to-Consumer Interaction on Dissatisfactory Consumers’ Repetitive Purchases in Network Communities
by Shuiping Ding, Jie Lin and Zhenyu Zhang
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020869 - 16 Jan 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3430
Abstract
Consumer-to-consumer interaction is an important activity in network communities. Consumer-to-consumer interaction involves information interaction and social interaction, which greatly influences consumers’ experience and behaviors. The model of stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) is usually applied to explain how environmental stimulus affects consumer behavior through the internal [...] Read more.
Consumer-to-consumer interaction is an important activity in network communities. Consumer-to-consumer interaction involves information interaction and social interaction, which greatly influences consumers’ experience and behaviors. The model of stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) is usually applied to explain how environmental stimulus affects consumer behavior through the internal state. Thus, this research takes dissatisfactory consumers as the object, sets information interaction and social interaction as a stimulus, consumer knowledge and trust as an organism, and repetitive purchases as a response. It constructs a theoretical model that consumer-to-consumer interaction influences repetitive purchases through consumer knowledge and trust. In this study, the model and hypotheses were tested by analyzing 328 valid questionnaires. The results show that information interaction had a significant positive effect on consumer knowledge, while social interaction had no significant effect on consumer knowledge. Information interaction and social interaction each had significant positive effects on consumer trust. Consumer knowledge and trust each had significant positive effects on repetitive purchases. Consumer knowledge and trust played a partial mediating role between information interaction and repetitive purchase, respectively. Consumer knowledge had no mediating role between social interaction and repetitive purchases, while consumer trust played a complete mediating role between social interaction and repetitive purchases. The results revealed that the deep mechanism of consumer-to-consumer interaction’s influence on dissatisfactory consumers’ repetitive purchases in network communities further enriched consumers’ purchase behaviors, at least theoretically. This research also provided insights for network community marketing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changes on Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable World)
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