Consumerism News

September 9, 2016

Global Hydropower Dams Cause Species Extinction

Environmental Impact of the Things We Buy

Global Nitrogen Footprint Mapped for First Time

Nearly Half of US Seafood Supply Is Wasted

Latest Headlines

updated 1:04am EDT

Health-Care Consumer Advocates Chose Moderation, Won Some Successes in Medicaid Debate

Aug. 22, 2016 — Even though most consumer advocate groups were likely opposed to Medicaid reform, advocates tended to frame the problem of reform in terms of ... read more

Sugar Tax Could Cut Consumption of Unhealthier Breakfast Cereals, New Study Finds.

June 8, 2016 — A 20% sugar tax could discourage shoppers from buying unhealthier breakfast cereals, new British research ... read more

Educational Debt for Emergency Medicine Bigger Than Average Mortgage

May 18, 2016 — The average educational debt carried by emergency medicine residents is approximately 25 percent higher than the average mortgage in the United States, according to the results of a recent study, and ... read more

Panic-Proofing, Not Preventing Bubbles, Should Be Focus of U. S. Financial Policy

May 9, 2016 — Complicated new regulations added to complicated old regulations won’t protect the United States’ financial system from frightening crashes like ... read more

Changing the World, One Fridge at a Time

Apr. 22, 2016 — To help change the world, have a look inside your fridge -- this is one of the messages contained in a new article. Food waste has attained monumental proportions in both the developed and developing ... read more

Double Cheeseburger and a Diet Soda, Please

Mar. 11, 2016 — While more consumers than ever are making healthier choices at the grocery store, they tend to purchase a balance of healthy and less-healthy foods, according to new ... read more

Not-So-Simple Green

Mar. 2, 2016 — Two researchers examine the dark side of 'green' products in a new article. The authors are experts in life-cycle assessment (LCA), which quantifies the environmental impacts of products and services ... read more

Kitchen Skills Are Highly Dependent on Level of Income and Children Living at Home

Feb. 8, 2016 — Our knowledge of food and our kitchen skills are highly dependent on our level of income and on whether we have children living at home, say ... read more

Many Clean-Tech Subsidies Should Be Greater

Jan. 21, 2016 — Governments often offer subsidies to consumers for clean-technology products, from home solar panels to electric vehicles. But what are the right levels of subsidy, and how should they be calculated? ... read more

Researchers Examine Effect of Return Policies on Consumer Behavior

Jan. 19, 2016 — In 2014, product returns totaled about $280 million across all U.S. retailers. New research has examined existing studies on return policies to quantify the policies' effect on consumers' purchase ... read more

Why India's Spending Big on Weather Forecasting

Environmental Activists Attempt to 'close Down' Oil Refineries

Johnson & Johnson Loses Suit Over Claim Baby Powder May Cause Cancer

France Now Won't Let Its Grocery Stores Throw Away Unsold Food

Who Loses When Car Prices Are Negotiated?

Sep. 7, 2016 — A new car is a big expense for anyone -- but it will cost some people more than others, even at the same dealership. New research shows older consumers -- especially older women -- pay more for new ... read more

Corporate Social Responsibility Can Backfire If Employees Don’t Think It’s Genuine

Sep. 7, 2016 — A new study looks at what happens when a company’s employees view its efforts related to corporate social responsibility as substantive (perceived to be other-serving and genuinely aimed at ... read more

Consumers May Search Online for 30 Days, but Buy Close to What They Found on the First Day

Sep. 6, 2016 — Retailers and advertisers are keen to influence the search and final purchase through better product recommendations and targeted advertising. A new article studies online search and purchase ... read more

Trauma and Shopping: Post Disaster Consumers Value Off Brand, Low Cost Goods

Sep. 6, 2016 — Traumatic events have lasting influence on what products people desire and purchase. When rebuilding and restocking an area that has been affected by conflict or natural disaster, what traumatized ... read more

Businesses That Show Commitment to Sustainability Inspire Greener Customers

Aug. 26, 2016 — Spending a little to prove a commitment to sustainability can help tourism industry businesses such as hotels inspire customers to conserve resources -- and save money in the process, according to ... read more

Going Green Is for Girls, but Branding Can Make Men Eco-Friendly

Aug. 25, 2016 — Studies show that men are not as environmentally friendly as women. But could men be persuaded to go green? New research indicates the answer is yes — and it’s all about ... read more

Report: People Buy Most of Their Junk Food at the Supermarket

Aug. 9, 2016 — An analysis of a nationally representative sample of US adults reveals that access to healthy foods in a supermarket does not hinder Americans' consumption of empty calories. In fact, the study ... read more

Food Purchasing and Social Status Perceptions

July 18, 2016 — A new study worked to reveal consumer motivations behind willingness to pay for expensive foods versus valuation of food attributes. Could it be fashion, a bid for prestige or a statement of wealth ... read more

Struggling Families Crave Stability in Uncertain Times, Study Shows

July 15, 2016 — Over a third of families (more than 2 million households) in the United Kingdom are earning below the minimum income needed for an acceptable living standard. A new study has taken a new look at life ... read more

Not All 'Front-of-Package' Nutrition Information Produces the Same Effect

July 13, 2016 — Marketing researchers have compared different types of front-of-package nutrition information labels and found that a "one-size-fits-all" label is not suitable for all shopping ... read more

Religiosity Diminishes Conservative Opposition to Eco-Friendly Buying

July 12, 2016 — Evidence has been found that religious identification and belief in a god dampen the otherwise strong negative effect that political conservatism typically has on whether people make purchasing ... read more

Paying With Paper or Plastic?

July 7, 2016 — The way we pay may influence how much we value and feel committed to our purchase, a new study indicates. It appears that going cashless may come at a ... read more

Marketing Study Shows Lenient Return Policy May Increase Sales

June 20, 2016 — A meta-analysis of retail return policies may lead businesses to modify their policies to increase sales and reduce returns. The study found that return policies that offer consumers more monetary ... read more

What's Driving the Next Generation of Green Products?

June 9, 2016 — If you purchased a Toyota Prius, you may have been driven by the desire to conserve the environment or to save yourself some money at the gas pump. But consumers may also choose to buy sustainable ... read more

If You Think Irishmen Are Red Haired, You Won't See the Next Financial Crisis Coming

May 31, 2016 — In standard economic theory financial crises are seen as market responses to catastrophic but very unlikely events, sometimes referred to as black swans. Historically, however, financial crises have ... read more

How Our Emotions Affect Store Prices

May 23, 2016 — Stores should take shoppers' emotions into account when setting prices, and a new article outlines why. Indeed, some retailers could have profits 7 to 10 percent higher if they pursued different ... read more

Study Links Student Loans With Lower Net Worth, Housing Values After College

May 18, 2016 — People who had outstanding balances on their student loans when they graduated or dropped out of college had lower net worth, fewer financial and nonfinancial assets, and homes with lower market ... read more

The 'Echoverse': New Way to Think About Brand-Consumer Interactions

May 16, 2016 — Most studies of the interactions between companies and consumers look at one piece of the puzzle: Advertising or social media or news coverage or 'consumer sentiment' as measured in ... read more

Study Finds Health Advertorials Misleading but Persuasive

May 10, 2016 — Health advertorials, or advertisements camouflaged as credible news, succeed in misleading people, in part, by tamping down their skepticism and expectations for truth in advertising, a new study ... read more

Giving Patients a Tool to Search for Health Care Prices Did Not Result in Lower Spending

May 3, 2016 — Offering a price transparency website and app to employees at two large companies was not associated with reduction in outpatient spending or out-of-pocket ... read more

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Friday, August 26, 2016