consumer rights research topic

The past, present, and future of consumer research

• Published: 13 June 2020
• Volume 31 , pages 137–149, ( 2020 )

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• Maayan S. Malter   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0383-7925 1 ,
• Morris B. Holbrook 1 ,
• Barbara E. Kahn 2 ,
• Jeffrey R. Parker 3 &
• Donald R. Lehmann 1  

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In this article, we document the evolution of research trends (concepts, methods, and aims) within the field of consumer behavior, from the time of its early development to the present day, as a multidisciplinary area of research within marketing. We describe current changes in retailing and real-world consumption and offer suggestions on how to use observations of consumption phenomena to generate new and interesting consumer behavior research questions. Consumption continues to change with technological advancements and shifts in consumers’ values and goals. We cannot know the exact shape of things to come, but we polled a sample of leading scholars and summarize their predictions on where the field may be headed in the next twenty years.

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1 Introduction

Beginning in the late 1950s, business schools shifted from descriptive and practitioner-focused studies to more theoretically driven and academically rigorous research (Dahl et al. 1959 ). As the field expanded from an applied form of economics to embrace theories and methodologies from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and statistics, there was an increased emphasis on understanding the thoughts, desires, and experiences of individual consumers. For academic marketing, this meant that research not only focused on the decisions and strategies of marketing managers but also on the decisions and thought processes on the other side of the market—customers.

Since then, the academic study of consumer behavior has evolved and incorporated concepts and methods, not only from marketing at large but also from related social science disciplines, and from the ever-changing landscape of real-world consumption behavior. Its position as an area of study within a larger discipline that comprises researchers from diverse theoretical backgrounds and methodological training has stirred debates over its identity. One article describes consumer behavior as a multidisciplinary subdiscipline of marketing “characterized by the study of people operating in a consumer role involving acquisition, consumption, and disposition of marketplace products, services, and experiences” (MacInnis and Folkes 2009 , p. 900).

This article reviews the evolution of the field of consumer behavior over the past half century, describes its current status, and predicts how it may evolve over the next twenty years. Our review is by no means a comprehensive history of the field (see Schumann et al. 2008 ; Rapp and Hill 2015 ; Wang et al. 2015 ; Wilkie and Moore 2003 , to name a few) but rather focuses on a few key thematic developments. Though we observe many major shifts during this period, certain questions and debates have persisted: Does consumer behavior research need to be relevant to marketing managers or is there intrinsic value from studying the consumer as a project pursued for its own sake? What counts as consumption: only consumption from traditional marketplace transactions or also consumption in a broader sense of non-marketplace interactions? Which are the most appropriate theoretical traditions and methodological tools for addressing questions in consumer behavior research?

2 A brief history of consumer research over the past sixty years—1960 to 2020

In 1969, the Association for Consumer Research was founded and a yearly conference to share marketing research specifically from the consumer’s perspective was instituted. This event marked the culmination of the growing interest in the topic by formalizing it as an area of research within marketing (consumer psychology had become a formalized branch of psychology within the APA in 1960). So, what was consumer behavior before 1969? Scanning current consumer-behavior doctoral seminar syllabi reveals few works predating 1969, with most of those coming from psychology and economics, namely Herbert Simon’s A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice (1955), Abraham Maslow’s A Theory of Human Motivation (1943), and Ernest Dichter’s Handbook of Consumer Motivations (1964). In short, research that illuminated and informed our understanding of consumer behavior prior to 1969 rarely focused on marketing-specific topics, much less consumers or consumption (Dichter’s handbook being a notable exception). Yet, these works were crucial to the rise of consumer behavior research because, in the decades after 1969, there was a shift within academic marketing to thinking about research from a behavioral or decision science perspective (Wilkie and Moore 2003 ). The following section details some ways in which this shift occurred. We draw on a framework proposed by the philosopher Larry Laudan ( 1986 ), who distinguished among three inter-related aspects of scientific inquiry—namely, concepts (the relevant ideas, theories, hypotheses, and constructs); methods (the techniques employed to test and validate these concepts); and aims (the purposes or goals that motivate the investigation).

2.1 Key concepts in the late - 1960s

During the late-1960s, we tended to view the buyer as a computer-like machine for processing information according to various formal rules that embody economic rationality to form a preference for one or another option in order to arrive at a purchase decision. This view tended to manifest itself in a couple of conspicuous ways. The first was a model of buyer behavior introduced by John Howard in 1963 in the second edition of his marketing textbook and quickly adopted by virtually every theorist working in our field—including, Howard and Sheth (of course), Engel-Kollat-&-Blackwell, Franco Nicosia, Alan Andreasen, Jim Bettman, and Joel Cohen. Howard’s great innovation—which he based on a scheme that he had found in the work of Plato (namely, the linkages among Cognition, Affect, and Conation)—took the form of a boxes-and-arrows formulation heavily influenced by the approach to organizational behavior theory that Howard (University of Pittsburgh) had picked up from Herbert Simon (Carnegie Melon University). The model represented a chain of events

where I = inputs of information (from advertising, word-of-mouth, brand features, etc.); C = cognitions (beliefs or perceptions about a brand); A = Affect (liking or preference for the brand); B = behavior (purchase of the brand); and S = satisfaction (post-purchase evaluation of the brand that feeds back onto earlier stages of the sequence, according to a learning model in which reinforced behavior tends to be repeated). This formulation lay at the heart of Howard’s work, which he updated, elaborated on, and streamlined over the remainder of his career. Importantly, it informed virtually every buyer-behavior model that blossomed forth during the last half of the twentieth century.

To represent the link between cognitions and affect, buyer-behavior researchers used various forms of the multi-attribute attitude model (MAAM), originally proposed by psychologists such as Fishbein and Rosenberg as part of what Fishbein and Ajzen ( 1975 ) called the theory of reasoned action. Under MAAM, cognitions (beliefs about brand attributes) are weighted by their importance and summed to create an explanation or prediction of affect (liking for a brand or preference for one brand versus another), which in turn determines behavior (choice of a brand or intention to purchase a brand). This took the work of economist Kelvin Lancaster (with whom Howard interacted), which assumed attitude was based on objective attributes, and extended it to include subjective ones (Lancaster 1966 ; Ratchford 1975 ). Overall, the set of concepts that prevailed in the late-1960s assumed the buyer exhibited economic rationality and acted as a computer-like information-processing machine when making purchase decisions.

2.2 Favored methods in the late-1960s

The methods favored during the late-1960s tended to be almost exclusively neo-positivistic in nature. That is, buyer-behavior research adopted the kinds of methodological rigor that we associate with the physical sciences and the hypothetico-deductive approaches advocated by the neo-positivistic philosophers of science.

Thus, the accepted approaches tended to be either experimental or survey based. For example, numerous laboratory studies tested variations of the MAAM and focused on questions about how to measure beliefs, how to weight the beliefs, how to combine the weighted beliefs, and so forth (e.g., Beckwith and Lehmann 1973 ). Here again, these assumed a rational economic decision-maker who processed information something like a computer.

Seeking rigor, buyer-behavior studies tended to be quantitative in their analyses, employing multivariate statistics, structural equation models, multidimensional scaling, conjoint analysis, and other mathematically sophisticated techniques. For example, various attempts to test the ICABS formulation developed simultaneous (now called structural) equation models such as those deployed by Farley and Ring ( 1970 , 1974 ) to test the Howard and Sheth ( 1969 ) model and by Beckwith and Lehmann ( 1973 ) to measure halo effects.

2.3 Aims in the late-1960s

During this time period, buyer-behavior research was still considered a subdivision of marketing research, the purpose of which was to provide insights useful to marketing managers in making strategic decisions. Essentially, every paper concluded with a section on “Implications for Marketing Managers.” Authors who failed to conform to this expectation could generally count on having their work rejected by leading journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research ( JMR ) and the Journal of Marketing ( JM ).

2.4 Summary—the three R’s in the late-1960s

Starting in the late-1960s to the early-1980s, virtually every buyer-behavior researcher followed the traditional approach to concepts, methods, and aims, now encapsulated under what we might call the three R’s —namely, rationality , rigor , and relevance . However, as we transitioned into the 1980s and beyond, that changed as some (though by no means all) consumer researchers began to expand their approaches and to evolve different perspectives.

2.5 Concepts after 1980

In some circles, the traditional emphasis on the buyer’s rationality—that is, a view of the buyer as a rational-economic, decision-oriented, information-processing, computer-like machine for making choices—began to evolve in at least two primary ways.

First, behavioral economics (originally studied in marketing under the label Behavioral Decision Theory)—developed in psychology by Kahneman and Tversky, in economics by Thaler, and applied in marketing by a number of forward-thinking theorists (e.g., Eric Johnson, Jim Bettman, John Payne, Itamar Simonson, Jay Russo, Joel Huber, and more recently, Dan Ariely)—challenged the rationality of consumers as decision-makers. It was shown that numerous commonly used decision heuristics depart from rational choice and are exceptions to the traditional assumptions of economic rationality. This trend shed light on understanding consumer financial decision-making (Prelec and Loewenstein 1998 ; Gourville 1998 ; Lynch Jr 2011 ) and how to develop “nudges” to help consumers make better decisions for their personal finances (summarized in Johnson et al. 2012 ).

Second, the emerging experiential view (anticipated by Alderson, Levy, and others; developed by Holbrook and Hirschman, and embellished by Schmitt, Pine, and Gilmore, and countless followers) regarded consumers as flesh-and-blood human beings (rather than as information-processing computer-like machines), focused on hedonic aspects of consumption, and expanded the concepts embodied by ICABS (Table 1 ).

2.6 Methods after 1980

The two burgeoning areas of research—behavioral economics and experiential theories—differed in their methodological approaches. The former relied on controlled randomized experiments with a focus on decision strategies and behavioral outcomes. For example, experiments tested the process by which consumers evaluate options using information display boards and “Mouselab” matrices of aspects and attributes (Payne et al. 1988 ). This school of thought also focused on behavioral dependent measures, such as choice (Huber et al. 1982 ; Simonson 1989 ; Iyengar and Lepper 2000 ).

The latter was influenced by post-positivistic philosophers of science—such as Thomas Kuhn, Paul Feyerabend, and Richard Rorty—and approaches expanded to include various qualitative techniques (interpretive, ethnographic, humanistic, and even introspective methods) not previously prominent in the field of consumer research. These included:

Interpretive approaches —such as those drawing on semiotics and hermeneutics—in an effort to gain a richer understanding of the symbolic meanings involved in consumption experiences;

Ethnographic approaches — borrowed from cultural anthropology—such as those illustrated by the influential Consumer Behavior Odyssey (Belk et al. 1989 ) and its discoveries about phenomena related to sacred aspects of consumption or the deep meanings of collections and other possessions;

Humanistic approaches —such as those borrowed from cultural studies or from literary criticism and more recently gathered together under the general heading of consumer culture theory ( CCT );

Introspective or autoethnographic approaches —such as those associated with a method called subjective personal introspection ( SPI ) that various consumer researchers like Sidney Levy and Steve Gould have pursued to gain insights based on their own private lives.

These qualitative approaches tended not to appear in the more traditional journals such as the Journal of Marketing , Journal of Marketing Research , or Marketing Science . However, newer journals such as Consumption, Markets, & Culture and Marketing Theory began to publish papers that drew on the various interpretive, ethnographic, humanistic, or introspective methods.

2.7 Aims after 1980

In 1974, consumer research finally got its own journal with the launch of the Journal of Consumer Research ( JCR ). The early editors of JCR —especially Bob Ferber, Hal Kassarjian, and Jim Bettman—held a rather divergent attitude about the importance or even the desirability of managerial relevance as a key goal of consumer studies. Under their influence, some researchers began to believe that consumer behavior is a phenomenon worthy of study in its own right—purely for the purpose of understanding it better. The journal incorporated articles from an array of methodologies: quantitative (both secondary data analysis and experimental techniques) and qualitative. The “right” balance between theoretical insight and substantive relevance—which are not in inherent conflict—is a matter of debate to this day and will likely continue to be debated well into the future.

2.8 Summary—the three I’s after 1980

In sum, beginning in the early-1980s, consumer research branched out. Much of the work in consumer studies remained within the earlier tradition of the three R’s—that is, rationality (an information-processing decision-oriented buyer), rigor (neo-positivistic experimental designs and quantitative techniques), and relevance (usefulness to marketing managers). Nonetheless, many studies embraced enlarged views of the three major aspects that might be called the three I’s —that is, irrationality (broadened perspectives that incorporate illogical, heuristic, experiential, or hedonic aspects of consumption), interpretation (various qualitative or “postmodern” approaches), and intrinsic motivation (the joy of pursuing a managerially irrelevant consumer study purely for the sake of satisfying one’s own curiosity, without concern for whether it does or does not help a marketing practitioner make a bigger profit).

3 The present—the consumer behavior field today

3.1 present concepts.

In recent years, technological changes have significantly influenced the nature of consumption as the customer journey has transitioned to include more interaction on digital platforms that complements interaction in physical stores. This shift poses a major conceptual challenge in understanding if and how these technological changes affect consumption. Does the medium through which consumption occurs fundamentally alter the psychological and social processes identified in earlier research? In addition, this shift allows us to collect more data at different stages of the customer journey, which further allows us to analyze behavior in ways that were not previously available.

Revisiting the ICABS framework, many of the previous concepts are still present, but we are now addressing them through a lens of technological change (Table 2 )

. In recent years, a number of concepts (e.g., identity, beliefs/lay theories, affect as information, self-control, time, psychological ownership, search for meaning and happiness, social belonging, creativity, and status) have emerged as integral factors that influence and are influenced by consumption. To better understand these concepts, a number of influential theories from social psychology have been adopted into consumer behavior research. Self-construal (Markus and Kitayama 1991 ), regulatory focus (Higgins 1998 ), construal level (Trope and Liberman 2010 ), and goal systems (Kruglanski et al. 2002 ) all provide social-cognition frameworks through which consumer behavior researchers study the psychological processes behind consumer behavior. This “adoption” of social psychological theories into consumer behavior is a symbiotic relationship that further enhances the theories. Tory Higgins happily stated that he learned more about his own theories from the work of marketing academics (he cited Angela Lee and Michel Pham) in further testing and extending them.

3.2 Present Methods

Not only have technological advancements changed the nature of consumption but they have also significantly influenced the methods used in consumer research by adding both new sources of data and improved analytical tools (Ding et al. 2020 ). Researchers continue to use traditional methods from psychology in empirical research (scale development, laboratory experiments, quantitative analyses, etc.) and interpretive approaches in qualitative research. Additionally, online experiments using participants from panels such as Amazon Mechanical Turk and Prolific have become commonplace in the last decade. While they raise concerns about the quality of the data and about the external validity of the results, these online experiments have greatly increased the speed and decreased the cost of collecting data, so researchers continue to use them, albeit with some caution. Reminiscent of the discussion in the 1970s and 1980s about the use of student subjects, the projectability of the online responses and of an increasingly conditioned “professional” group of online respondents (MTurkers) is a major concern.

Technology has also changed research methodology. Currently, there is a large increase in the use of secondary data thanks to the availability of Big Data about online and offline behavior. Methods in computer science have advanced our ability to analyze large corpuses of unstructured data (text, voice, visual images) in an efficient and rigorous way and, thus, to tap into a wealth of nuanced thoughts, feelings, and behaviors heretofore only accessible to qualitative researchers through laboriously conducted content analyses. There are also new neuro-marketing techniques like eye-tracking, fMRI’s, body arousal measures (e.g., heart rate, sweat), and emotion detectors that allow us to measure automatic responses. Lastly, there has been an increase in large-scale field experiments that can be run in online B2C marketplaces.

3.3 Present Aims

Along with a focus on real-world observations and data, there is a renewed emphasis on managerial relevance. Countless conference addresses and editorials in JCR , JCP , and other journals have emphasized the importance of making consumer research useful outside of academia—that is, to help companies, policy makers, and consumers. For instance, understanding how the “new” consumer interacts over time with other consumers and companies in the current marketplace is a key area for future research. As global and social concerns become more salient in all aspects of life, issues of long-term sustainability, social equality, and ethical business practices have also become more central research topics. Fortunately, despite this emphasis on relevance, theoretical contributions and novel ideas are still highly valued. An appropriate balance of theory and practice has become the holy grail of consumer research.

The effects of the current trends in real-world consumption will increase in magnitude with time as more consumers are digitally native. Therefore, a better understanding of current consumer behavior can give us insights and help predict how it will continue to evolve in the years to come.

4 The future—the consumer behavior field in 2040

The other papers use 2030 as a target year but we asked our survey respondents to make predictions for 2040 and thus we have a different future target year.

Niels Bohr once said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” Indeed, it would be a fool’s errand for a single person to hazard a guess about the state of the consumer behavior field twenty years from now. Therefore, predictions from 34 active consumer researchers were collected to address this task. Here, we briefly summarize those predictions.

4.1 Future Concepts

While few respondents proffered guesses regarding specific concepts that would be of interest twenty years from now, many suggested broad topics and trends they expected to see in the field. Expectations for topics could largely be grouped into three main areas. Many suspected that we will be examining essentially the same core topics, perhaps at a finer-grained level, from different perspectives or in ways that we currently cannot utilize due to methodological limitations (more on methods below). A second contingent predicted that much research would center on the impending crises the world faces today, most mentioning environmental and social issues (the COVID-19 pandemic had not yet begun when these predictions were collected and, unsurprisingly, was not anticipated by any of our respondents). The last group, citing the widely expected profound impact of AI on consumers’ lives, argued that AI and other technology-related topics will be dominant subjects in consumer research circa 2040.

While the topic of technology is likely to be focal in the field, our current expectations for the impact of technology on consumers’ lives are narrower than it should be. Rather than merely offering innumerable conveniences and experiences, it seems likely that technology will begin to be integrated into consumers’ thoughts, identities, and personal relationships—probably sooner than we collectively expect. The integration of machines into humans’ bodies and lives will present the field with an expanding list of research questions that do not exist today. For example, how will the concepts of the self, identity, privacy, and goal pursuit change when web-connected technology seamlessly integrates with human consciousness and cognition? Major questions will also need to be answered regarding philosophy of mind, ethics, and social inequality. We suspect that the impact of technology on consumers and consumer research will be far broader than most consumer-behavior researchers anticipate.

As for broader trends within consumer research, there were two camps: (1) those who expect (or hope) that dominant theories (both current and yet to be developed) will become more integrated and comprehensive and (2) those who expect theoretical contributions to become smaller and smaller, to the point of becoming trivial. Both groups felt that current researchers are filling smaller cracks than before, but disagreed on how this would ultimately be resolved.

4.2 Future Methods

As was the case with concepts, respondents’ expectations regarding consumer-research methodologies in 2030 can also be divided into three broad baskets. Unsurprisingly, many indicated that we would be using many technologies not currently available or in wide use. Perhaps more surprising was that most cited the use of technology such as AI, machine-learning algorithms, and robots in designing—as opposed to executing or analyzing—experiments. (Some did point to the use of technologies such as virtual reality in the actual execution of experiments.) The second camp indicated that a focus on reliable and replicable results (discussed further below) will encourage a greater tendency for pre-registering studies, more use of “Big Data,” and a demand for more studies per paper (versus more papers per topic, which some believe is a more fruitful direction). Finally, the third lot indicated that “real data” would be in high demand, thereby necessitating the use of incentive-compatible, consequential dependent variables and a greater prevalence of field studies in consumer research.

As a result, young scholars would benefit from developing a “toolkit” of methodologies for collecting and analyzing the abundant new data of interest to the field. This includes (but is not limited to) a deep understanding of designing and implementing field studies (Gerber and Green 2012 ), data analysis software (R, Python, etc.), text mining and analysis (Humphreys and Wang 2018 ), and analytical tools for other unstructured forms of data such as image and sound. The replication crisis in experimental research means that future scholars will also need to take a more critical approach to validity (internal, external, construct), statistical power, and significance in their work.

4.3 Future Aims

While there was an air of existential concern about the future of the field, most agreed that the trend will be toward increasing the relevance and reliability of consumer research. Specifically, echoing calls from journals and thought leaders, the respondents felt that papers will need to offer more actionable implications for consumers, managers, or policy makers. However, few thought that this increased focus would come at the expense of theoretical insights, suggesting a more demanding overall standard for consumer research in 2040. Likewise, most felt that methodological transparency, open access to data and materials, and study pre-registration will become the norm as the field seeks to allay concerns about the reliability and meaningfulness of its research findings.

4.4 Summary - Future research questions and directions

Despite some well-justified pessimism, the future of consumer research is as bright as ever. As we revised this paper amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that many aspects of marketplace behavior, consumption, and life in general will change as a result of this unprecedented global crisis. Given this, and the radical technological, social, and environmental changes that loom on the horizon, consumer researchers will have a treasure trove of topics to tackle in the next ten years, many of which will carry profound substantive importance. While research approaches will evolve, the core goals will remain consistent—namely, to generate theoretically insightful, empirically supported, and substantively impactful research (Table 3 ).

5 Conclusion

At any given moment in time, the focal concepts, methods, and aims of consumer-behavior scholarship reflect both the prior development of the field and trends in the larger scientific community. However, despite shifting trends, the core of the field has remained constant—namely, to understand the motivations, thought processes, and experiences of individuals as they consume goods, services, information, and other offerings, and to use these insights to develop interventions to improve both marketing strategy for firms and consumer welfare for individuals and groups. Amidst the excitement of new technologies, social trends, and consumption experiences, it is important to look back and remind ourselves of the insights the field has already generated. Effectively integrating these past findings with new observations and fresh research will help the field advance our understanding of consumer behavior.

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Malter, M.S., Holbrook, M.B., Kahn, B.E. et al. The past, present, and future of consumer research. Mark Lett 31 , 137–149 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-020-09526-8

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Joanne E. McNeish , Toronto Metropolitan University

South Africans don’t trust companies to protect their data privacy

Adele Da Veiga , University of South Africa

Research shows most online consumer contracts are incomprehensible, but still legally binding

Samuel Becher , Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Inquiry sets out how parts of the private health care sector in South Africa can be fixed

Frederik Booysen , University of the Witwatersrand

Why South Africa needs to discipline the private healthcare industry

Steven Friedman , University of Johannesburg

Will Amazon be your next bank and health insurance?

Marcos Lima , Pôle Léonard de Vinci

Front-of -pack nutrition labels: why are certain agro-industrial firms resisting?

Serge Hercberg , Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and Chantal Julia , Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

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Associate Professor in Commericial Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor of the Nelson Mandela University, Nelson Mandela University

Maitre de Conférence Université Paris 13, Praticien Hospitalier, Hôpital Avicenne (AP-HP), Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, U1153 Inserm,Inra,Cnam, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg

Principal Lecturer, Law, University of Portsmouth

Professeur Emérite de Nutrition Université Sorbonne Paris Nord (Paris 13) - Praticien Hospitalier Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Avicenne (AP-HP), Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, U1153 Inserm,Inra,Cnam, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

Head of the Marketing Innovation and Distribution Program at EMLV, Pôle Léonard de Vinci

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Support Nelson Mandela University, Nelson Mandela University

Lecturer - School of Business (Accounting), Western Sydney University

Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney

Lecturer in Media Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Professor of Economics: School of Economic and Business Sciences Frederik Booysen, University of the Witwatersrand

Associate professor, University of South Africa

Professor of Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Professor, Department of Business Management, Nelson Mandela University

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68 Consumer Protection Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best consumer protection topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good research topics about consumer protection, 🎓 interesting topics to write about consumer protection.

• Consumer Protection: Does It Work Simultaneously, for an attorney and police professionals who know their job, detecting the signs of crime in consumer extortion is not difficult, and the police department can interpret such actions as felony.
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission The two organizations are essential for the economy of the United States and ensuring that merchants observe the rights of consumers.
• Consumer Protection Law: Product Recall The level of negligence in allowing the use of the LED bulbs by the consumers is minimal and the risks that have been reported by the consumers of the goods are less.
• Business Law, Consumer Protection Laws The role plays by the law in the control of the supply of products that are harmful to the body remains only to few people who can dispute. The due effect of this is that […]
• Consumer Protection Under Gulf State Laws In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, consumer protection is and still one of the vital issues in the country. In 1979, Onah extended the consumerism idea to countries in the third world with an aim […]
• Antitrust and Consumer Protection Law Scenario In this section we will briefly review the circumstances of the case against the sexual harassment laws that governs the workplaces of all the organizations in the United States.
• Contract Law in Business and Consumer Protection When the couple approached the hotel manager, they were referred to the terms and conditions form they had signed as they checked in and one of the terms and conditions read that the hotel will […]
• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading 2008 This paper assesses the extent to which the implementation of the requirements of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive by Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 has resulted in the general duty for fair trade.[3] […]
• The New York State Consumer Protection Board They go on in stating that it is not the credit crunch or the subprime meltdown crisis that developed out of the reach of the law and thus made it necessary for it to be […]
• Consumer Protection and Communication In the period of globalization, a consumer is a person who accesses global resources and buys global goods and services.in its turn, the consumer is influenced by “global web of logos and brands”.
• Bankruptcy and the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 The stated purpose of the amendments to the Bankruptcy Code enacted in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 ‘ is to “improve bankruptcy law and practice by restoring personal responsibility and […]
• The Sharing Economy and Consumer Protection Regulation In daily occurrences, one can experience the impact of the market economy through the changes in the prices of goods and services.
• Customer Service: Quality and Protection It is important to note that the differences do not relate to the number of individuals involved in the purchase or consumption of the product.
• Online UAE Consumer Protection and Threats Before engaging in an online purchase in the UAE, it is vital for the customer to access its merits and demerits, security of the transaction, and regulative organs that directly provide protection from unpredictable and […]
• Consumer Protection in Islam: The Case of Pakistan The purpose of this framework is to prevent injustice as it gives the customer the right to forgive or sue in case of deception.
• Financial Services and Consumer Protection After the Crisis The case-study examines principal theories and the reasoning behind market intervention for the purpose of consumer prevention in the post-crisis era.
• Consumer Protection Without Law The purpose of this article is to investigate the regime of one-way contracts between the customer and the business, which binds the consumers to the business and not the other way.
• Dubai Consumer Protection Division’s Activities It is possible to identify current customer preferences, interests, and needs and use the accumulated data to improve the quality of service.
• UK Employment, Competition and Consumer Protection Laws For example, the transformation in the scope and content of business law has made it possible for both the employees and the employers to benefit from legal protection.
• Safety and Consumer Protection in US Airline Industry This paper reviews and discusses one safety recommendation by the NTSB and one consumer protection by the Department of Transportation, with the view to demonstrating how safety and consumer protection issues are entrenched within the […]
• Poison Politics: A Contentious History of Consumer Protection Against Dangerous Household Chemicals in the United States Lastly, the authors use the concepts of mass consumption and advertisement to demonstrate how the problem of misusing dangerous household chemicals became internalized in America.
• Consumer Protection: European and UK Regulation According to the EU, the objective of a good customer protection approach includes the ability to empower the consumer through the creation of a transparent market which can supply the consumer with a wide spectrum […]
• The Protection of Consumer Welfare The Household Preferences over the Two Goods with Similar Policy Implications on the Household Items In Terms Of the Utility and Level of Consumption of the Two Goods Convex indifference curves are extensively used in […]
• The Effectiveness of Alcohol Marketing, Regulation and How It Is Can Protect the Consumer From Fake Products The institution has the mandate to inspect places of work, and production factories, carry out surveys of goods in the market, test and approve the products in the market, and to persecute those found to […]
• The Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 Implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act will affect providers and consumers of financial products and services in some ways; it will lead to sweeping of consumer financial protection.
• Consumer Protection in the UAE The cost of UAE’s consumer behavior is therefore the high expectations on the government to deliver but ultimately, the benefits for such high consumer expectations would be better customer services, increased employment opportunities and the […]
• Consumer Protection with Regard to the Ethics Code The APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct is a set of rules and standard aimed at sustaining favorable relationships between a psychologist and a patient/client and introducing the basis for customer protection.
• 1987’s Consumer Protection Act and Its Impact
• Agencies Adopt Consumer Protection Rules for Insurance Sales
• Australian and New Zealand Competition and Consumer Protection Regimes
• Overview of Australian Consumer Protection Legislation
• Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
• Banks and the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act
• Relations Between Behavioural Economics and Financial Consumer Protection
• Business and Consumer Protection in Islam
• Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act
• Competition and Consumer Protection in the Romanian Banking Sector
• Considering Market-Based Instruments for Consumer Protection in Higher Education
• Consumerism: Consumer Protection and Competitive Advantage
• Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
• Consumer Protection and Consumerism of India
• Linking Consumer Protection and Contingent Charges
• Consumer Protection and Federal Trade Commission
• E-Commerce Audit Connection With the Consumer Protection
• Consumer Protection and Financial Innovation: A Few Basic Propositions
• The Link Between Consumer Protection and E-commerce
• Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Lessons From Nine Country Studies
• The Unintended Consequence of Doorstep Consumer Protection
• Consumer Protection and the Incentive to Become Informed
• Ethical Consumerism: Consumer Protection Law in India
• Consumer Protection and the Role of Advice in the Retail Financial Services Market
• Federal Consumer Protection Regulation: Disclosures and Beyond
• Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations
• Fixing Consumer Protection Laws So Borrowers Understand Their Payment Obligations
• Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations in Deposit and Loan Services
• Overview of Information Remedies for Consumer Protection
• Consumer Protection Through Prices: Energetic Sector in European Union Countries Analysis
• Jamaica Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy
• Consumer Protection Using the Legal Instrument of Infringement
• Linking Law, Consumer Protection Act, and Competition Law
• Customer Service and Consumer Protection at Richer Sounds
• The Relationships Between Online Commerce and Consumer Protection
• Customer Service Quality and Incomplete Information in Mobile Telecommunications
• Online Consumer Protection: Theories of Human Relativism
• Private Voluntary Health Insurance: Consumer Protection and Prudential Regulation
• Relief Under Consumer Protection Law and Policy
• Sales Talk, Cancellation Terms, and the Role of Consumer Protection
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Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics

Consumer behavior research paper topics are essential to students studying this field. This comprehensive guide from iResearchNet provides a comprehensive list of consumer behavior research paper topics divided into 10 categories, expert advice on selecting a relevant topic, and a step-by-step guide on writing a successful research paper. Additionally, iResearchNet offers writing services with expert degree-holding writers, custom written works, in-depth research, custom formatting, top quality, customized solutions, flexible pricing, short deadlines, timely delivery, 24/7 support, absolute privacy, easy order tracking, and a money-back guarantee. By following the expert advice provided and using iResearchNet’s writing services, students can produce high-quality research papers that make meaningful contributions to the field of consumer behavior.

Understanding Consumer Behavior Research

Consumer behavior research is an essential field of study that explores the processes and activities that individuals undertake when making decisions related to purchasing goods and services. This field is particularly important for marketers, advertisers, and sales professionals who seek to understand how consumers make purchasing decisions and how they can influence these decisions.

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For students studying consumer behavior, research papers are a common assignment that require them to explore various topics related to this field. However, selecting a relevant and feasible research paper topic can be challenging. Furthermore, writing a successful research paper requires attention to detail and adherence to academic standards. This comprehensive guide from iResearchNet is designed to assist students in selecting appropriate consumer behavior research paper topics and providing expert advice on how to write a successful research paper. The guide also provides information on iResearchNet’s writing services, which offer students a valuable resource for producing high-quality research papers that meet the academic standards of their instructors. By following the guidelines and using iResearchNet’s writing services, students can produce research papers that make meaningful contributions to the field of consumer behavior.

100 Consumer Behavior Research Paper Topics

Consumer behavior research encompasses a wide range of topics, each of which explores different aspects of how individuals make decisions related to purchasing goods and services. Here are ten categories of consumer behavior research paper topics that students can consider when selecting a research topic, along with ten sample topics for each category:

Perception and consumer behavior:

• The impact of package design on consumer perception of food products
• The effect of product display on consumer attention and purchase intention
• The role of brand familiarity in consumer perception of luxury goods
• The influence of product color on consumer perception and behavior
• The effect of music in advertising on consumer perception and recall
• The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer perception of products
• The effect of font type on consumer perception of brand personality
• The role of scent in retail environments on consumer behavior
• The influence of product label claims on consumer perception of health and wellness
• The impact of product design on consumer perception of eco-friendliness

Motivation and consumer behavior:

• The influence of brand personality on consumer motivation to purchase
• The role of scarcity in marketing on consumer motivation and behavior
• The impact of rewards and incentives on consumer motivation and loyalty
• The effect of social proof on consumer motivation to purchase
• The influence of emotions on consumer motivation to purchase
• The role of self-congruity in consumer motivation and brand preference
• The impact of brand trust on consumer motivation to purchase
• The effect of personalized marketing on consumer motivation and engagement
• The influence of product involvement on consumer motivation and purchase intention
• The role of value perception in consumer motivation and price sensitivity

Attitudes and consumer behavior:

• The impact of brand image on consumer attitudes and loyalty
• The role of social responsibility in consumer attitudes towards brands
• The influence of culture on consumer attitudes towards luxury goods
• The effect of perceived risk on consumer attitudes and behavior
• The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer attitudes towards products
• The role of nostalgia in shaping consumer attitudes towards brands
• The influence of brand authenticity on consumer attitudes and behavior
• The effect of word-of-mouth communication on consumer attitudes and behavior
• The impact of service quality on consumer attitudes and loyalty
• The role of price perception in shaping consumer attitudes towards products

Learning and consumer behavior:

• The impact of advertising on consumer learning and recall
• The role of sensory marketing in consumer learning and behavior
• The influence of online reviews on consumer learning and purchase decisions
• The effect of product placement in movies on consumer learning and recall
• The impact of social media on consumer learning and brand awareness
• The role of brand familiarity in consumer learning and recall
• The influence of product packaging on consumer learning and memory
• The effect of information overload on consumer learning and decision making
• The impact of brand slogans on consumer learning and recall
• The role of perceived value in consumer learning and purchase behavior

Memory and consumer behavior:

• The influence of brand familiarity on consumer memory and recall
• The role of nostalgia in consumer memory and brand preference
• The impact of product design on consumer memory and recall
• The effect of advertising repetition on consumer memory and brand awareness
• The influence of mood on consumer memory and recall of advertising
• The role of social media in consumer memory and brand awareness
• The impact of story-telling in advertising on consumer memory and recall
• The effect of novelty in advertising on consumer memory and recall
• The influence of age on consumer memory and recall of advertising
• The role of emotions in consumer memory and recall of advertising

Culture and consumer behavior:

• The impact of cultural differences on consumer behavior and preferences
• The role of religion in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of gender roles on consumer behavior and preferences
• The effect of country-of-origin on consumer behavior and brand perception
• The impact of subcultures on consumer behavior and preferences
• The role of ethnicity in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of language on consumer behavior and perception
• The effect of cross-cultural marketing on consumer behavior and perception
• The impact of cultural values on consumer behavior and decision making
• The role of consumer ethnocentrism in shaping consumer behavior and preferences

Emotions and consumer behavior:

• The impact of emotions on consumer decision making and behavior
• The role of mood on consumer decision making and purchase intention
• The influence of emotional branding on consumer behavior and loyalty
• The effect of emotional appeals in advertising on consumer behavior
• The impact of emotions on consumer satisfaction and loyalty
• The role of self-expression in shaping consumer emotional responses to brands
• The influence of nostalgia on consumer emotional responses to brands
• The effect of humor in advertising on consumer emotional responses and behavior
• The impact of product design on consumer emotional responses and behavior
• The role of perceived authenticity in shaping consumer emotional responses to brands

Social Influence and consumer behavior:

• The impact of social norms on consumer behavior and preferences
• The role of social comparison in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of reference groups on consumer behavior and brand perception
• The effect of social media on consumer behavior and decision making
• The impact of social identity on consumer behavior and brand loyalty
• The role of social class in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of social networks on consumer behavior and brand perception
• The effect of social proof in marketing on consumer behavior and preferences
• The impact of peer pressure on consumer behavior and decision making
• The role of social responsibility in shaping consumer behavior and brand perception

Decision Making and consumer behavior:

• The impact of information overload on consumer decision making
• The role of decision heuristics in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of product complexity on consumer decision making and preferences
• The effect of decision context on consumer decision making and behavior
• The impact of decision fatigue on consumer behavior and decision making
• The role of decision-making style in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of decision-making strategies on consumer behavior and preferences
• The effect of cognitive dissonance on consumer behavior and decision making
• The impact of choice architecture on consumer decision making and behavior
• The role of decision framing in shaping consumer behavior and preferences

Ethics and consumer behavior:

• The impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior and brand perception
• The role of ethical consumption in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of perceived ethicality on consumer behavior and brand loyalty
• The effect of green marketing on consumer behavior and purchase intention
• The impact of fair trade on consumer behavior and brand perception
• The role of animal welfare in shaping consumer behavior and preferences
• The influence of social justice issues on consumer behavior and brand perception
• The effect of cause-related marketing on consumer behavior and brand loyalty
• The impact of transparency in marketing on consumer behavior and trust
• The role of consumer activism in shaping consumer behavior and preferences

These ten categories provide a broad range of consumer behavior research paper topics for students to explore within the field of consumer behavior. By selecting a topic that aligns with their interests and research goals, students can produce a high-quality research paper that contributes to the knowledge base of consumer behavior.

Choosing a Consumer Behavior Topic

Choosing a topic for a research paper in consumer behavior can be a challenging task, especially given the vast array of potential topics. To help students navigate this process, it is important to consider a few key factors when selecting a topic.

• First , it is essential to choose a topic that aligns with your interests and passions. When you are passionate about a topic, it is easier to stay engaged throughout the research process and to produce high-quality work. Additionally, having a personal connection to the topic can inspire new and unique perspectives, leading to original research.
• Second , consider the relevance and significance of the topic. The best research papers are those that make a meaningful contribution to the field of consumer behavior. Look for topics that are timely, relevant, and offer a new perspective on existing theories or practices. A topic that is of current interest to industry professionals, policymakers, or academics can also provide opportunities for real-world impact.
• Third , consider the available resources and access to data. Research papers require a significant amount of data and research, so it is important to choose a topic that allows for access to relevant data and resources. Consider the availability of data sources, academic journals, and industry reports that may be needed to support your research.
• Fourth , consider the scope and focus of the research paper. A topic that is too broad or too narrow can make the research process more challenging. It is essential to identify a specific research question or hypothesis that can be effectively addressed within the scope of the research paper. Additionally, it is important to consider the level of analysis, such as individual or group-level behaviors, and whether the research will be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.
• Fifth , consider seeking guidance from your instructor or a research advisor. They can provide valuable insight and feedback on potential topics and can help guide the research process. Additionally, they may be able to offer suggestions for data sources or research methodologies that can strengthen the research paper.

Ultimately, the key to choosing a successful topic for a consumer behavior research paper is to identify a topic that aligns with your interests, offers relevance and significance, has available data sources and resources, has a focused research question or hypothesis, and seeks guidance from a research advisor or instructor. By carefully considering these factors, students can select a topic that inspires them and leads to a high-quality research paper.

How to Write a Consumer Behavior Research Paper

When it comes to writing a research paper on consumer behavior, there are several key steps to follow to ensure a successful outcome. Here are some tips to help guide you through the writing process:

• Develop a clear and concise research question : The first step in writing a research paper on consumer behavior is to develop a clear and concise research question. This question should be focused and specific, and should guide your research and analysis throughout the writing process.
• Conduct a thorough literature review : Before beginning your research, it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to identify existing theories and research related to your topic. This review will help you to identify any gaps in the existing research that your paper can address.
• Choose appropriate research methods : There are a variety of research methods that can be used in consumer behavior research, including surveys, experiments, and case studies. Choose the appropriate method(s) based on your research question and the data you are trying to collect.
• Collect and analyze data : Once you have identified your research question and chosen your research method, it is time to collect and analyze your data. This may involve conducting surveys or experiments, analyzing existing data sets, or conducting interviews or focus groups.
• Organize and present your findings : After analyzing your data, it is important to organize your findings in a clear and concise manner. This may involve creating charts or graphs to visually represent your data, or using tables to compare and contrast your findings. It is also important to provide a clear and concise summary of your findings in your conclusion.
• Use appropriate formatting and citation styles : When writing a research paper on consumer behavior, it is important to use appropriate formatting and citation styles. Most papers in this field will use either APA or MLA style formatting and citations.
• Revise and edit your paper : Once you have completed your first draft, it is important to revise and edit your paper to ensure clarity, conciseness, and accuracy. This may involve reorganizing sections, cutting out extraneous information, or rephrasing sentences for clarity.

By following these steps, you can produce a high-quality research paper on consumer behavior that contributes to the field and provides valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and industry professionals alike.

iResearchNet Writing Services

At iResearchNet, we understand the challenges that students face when it comes to writing high-quality research papers on consumer behavior. That’s why we offer custom writing services designed to help students produce well-researched, well-written papers on any topic related to consumer behavior.

Here are some of the features and benefits of our writing services:

• Expert writers : Our team of writers includes experienced professionals with advanced degrees in marketing, consumer behavior, and related fields. They have the expertise and knowledge to produce high-quality, original research papers that meet your specific requirements.
• Custom written works : Our writers will work with you to create a custom research paper that meets your specific needs and requirements. This includes selecting a research question, conducting a literature review, and collecting and analyzing data to support your thesis.
• In-depth research : Our writers will conduct extensive research to ensure that your paper is well-supported with data and evidence from credible sources.
• Custom formatting : Our writers are well-versed in a variety of formatting styles and will ensure that your paper meets the specific requirements of your instructor or academic program.
• Top quality, customized solutions : We take pride in producing high-quality, customized research papers that meet your specific needs and exceed your expectations.
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Whether you need help developing a research question, conducting a literature review, or writing the final paper, our team of expert writers can help. Contact us today to learn more about our custom writing services for consumer behavior research papers.

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In conclusion, writing a research paper on consumer behavior can be a challenging task, but it is also a rewarding one. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can produce a high-quality research paper that contributes to the field and provides valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and industry professionals alike.

Remember to choose a clear and concise research question, conduct a thorough literature review, choose appropriate research methods, collect and analyze data, and organize and present your findings in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, using appropriate formatting and citation styles and revising and editing your paper are also important steps in producing a successful research paper on consumer behavior.

If you need additional help with your research paper, iResearchNet offers custom writing services designed to help students produce high-quality, well-researched papers on any topic related to consumer behavior. Our team of expert writers has the knowledge and expertise to help you produce a paper that meets your specific needs and exceeds your expectations.

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• Identity Theft & Identity Fraud Under Consumer Protection Laws

Last reviewed October 2023

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Household Inflation Expectations: An Overview of Recent Insights for Monetary Policy

This paper discusses the recent wave of research that has emphasized the importance of measures of consumers’ inflation expectations. In contrast to other measures of expected inflation, such as for experts or financial market participants, consumers’ inflation expectations capture the broader distribution of societal beliefs about inflation. This research has revealed very significant deviations from traditional assumptions about rationality in consumers’ expectations formation. However, households do act on their beliefs about inflation, though in heterogeneous ways that can depart from the predictions of conventional economic models. Recent euro area experiences highlight the importance of tracking the degree of anchoring in consumers’ inflation expectations in a way that considers their inherent complexity, heterogeneity, and subjectivity. On average, consumers’ medium and longer-term expectations deviate noticeably in levels from central bank targets and, in contrast with expert expectations, often co-move more closely with shorter-term inflation news. By stepping up their engagement with the wider public, central banks may be able to influence expectations by building up greater knowledge and trust and thereby support more effective monetary transmission. Communication efforts need to be persistent because central banks must compete with many other demands on consumers’ attention.

More Research From These Scholars

Does policy communication during covid work, fiscal policy and households’ inflation expectations: evidence from a randomized control trial, how did u.s. consumers use their stimulus payments.

• Consumer Awareness, Consumer Rights and Responsibilities

Consumer Awareness is an act of making sure the buyer or consumer is aware of the information about products, goods, services, and consumers rights. Consumer awareness is important so that buyer can take the right decision and make the right choice. Consumers have the right to information, right to choose, right to safety. Let us learn more about Consumer rights, responsibilities and consumer awareness in detail.

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Consumer Rights and Responsibilities

Consumer Rights is an insight into what rights consumer holds when it comes to seller which provide the goods. What if the goods provided to the consumer by the business is not up to the standard? Then in that case – what should a consumer do? To be precise, what rights consumer have is in the court of law to fight against the malpractices of the business firms or seller.

Browse more Topics under Consumer Protection

• Intro & Importance of Consumer Protection
• Consumer Protection Act
• Legal Protection to Consumers
• Consumer Organisations and NGOs

Consumer Rights

• Right to Safety :  This is the first and the most important of the Consumer Rights. They should be protected against the product that hampers their safety. The protection must be against any product which could be hazardous to their health – Mental, Physical or many of the other factors.
• Right to Information : They should be informed about the product. The product packaging should list the details which should be informed to the consumer and they should not hide the same or provide false information.
• Right to Choose : They should not be forced to select the product. A consumer should be convinced of the product he is about to choose and should make a decision by himself. This also means consumer should have a variety of articles to choose from. Monopolistic practices are not legal.
• Right to Heard : If a consumer is dissatisfied with the product purchased then they have all the right to file a complaint against it. And the said complaint cannot go unheard, it must be addressed in an appropriate time frame.
• Right to Seek Redressal : In case a product is unable to satisfy the consumer then they have the right to get the product replaced, compensate, return the amount invested in the product. We have a three-tier system of redressal according to the Consumer Protection Act 1986 .
• Right to Consumer Education : Consumer has the right to know all the information and should be made well aware of the rights and responsibilities of the government. Lack of Consumer awareness is the most important problem our government must solve.

Learn more about Intro and Importance of Consumer Protection here in detail.

  Responsibilities of a Consumer

The consumer has a certain responsibility to carry as an aware consumer can bring changes in the society and would help other consumers to fight the unfair practice or be aware of it.

• They should be aware of their rights under the Consumer Protection Act and should practice the same in case of need.
• They should be well aware of the product they are buying. Should act as a cautious consumer while purchasing the product.
• If in case a product is found of anything false or not satisfactory a complaint should be filed.
• The consumer should ask for a Cash Memo while making a purchase.
• A customer should check for the standard marks that have been introduced for the authenticity of the quality of the product like ISI or Hallmark etc.

What Is the Meaning of Consumer Awareness?

Consumer Awareness is the process of making the consumer of goods and services aware of his rights. It involves educating a consumer about safety, information and the redressal options available to him.

As previously discussed consumer awareness is one of the most persistent problems the government faces when it comes to consumer protection. To resolve this problem the government has come up with various methods over the years. In fact, it is the main aim of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Consumer Awareness in India

One of the most important and successful Consumer Awareness campaign in recent times has been the “ Jago Grahak Jago ” campaign. You must have certainly come across it. It is a great example of successful consumer awareness.

Learn more about Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (COPRA) here .

Solved Question for You

Question: Explain the following rights: (a) The right to safety (b)The right to consumer education.

Ans: Let us take a look at the two rights:

• The right to safety : It refers to the right to be protected against products, production processes and services that endanger the physical health or well being of the consumer.
• The right to consumer education: It refers to a right that protects the consumer from various large companies of the products and services they sell. It is basically about informing people and giving them the required knowledge for living in a consumer society.  These rights and exercises must be followed by every consumer.

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Consumer Protection

• Intro and Importance of Consumer Protection

2 responses to “Consumer Organisations and NGOs”

from -mukesh m chandiramani,7a-30,navjivan society,lamington road,mumbai-400008 i had booked the appoinment for covid-19 test for mr mukesh mohan chandiramani(age 48) and rekha mohan chandiramani(age 73) with KlinicApp Network Lab – Krsnaa Diagnostics dated 30-07-2020.but the government of maharashtra did not allow KlinicApp Network Lab – Krsnaa Diagnostics to enter navjivan society,lamington road,mumbai-400008.the government of maharashtra blocked my testing by KlinicApp Network Lab – Krsnaa Diagnostics,inspite of repeated calls to 022-23835004 bmc d ward office i was not allowed to be tested for covid-19.i have sent emails to hon chief mininster of maharashtra and hon prime minister of india dated 30-07-2020 and 31-07-2020 but till date i have not got any reply. i would like the government of india to pay me compensation of 5 lacs for blocking my covid -19 test dated 30-07-2020

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• भारत सरकार Government Of India
• उपभोक्ता मामले, खाद्य और सार्वजनिक वितरण मंत्रालय MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
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• उपभोक्ता मामले, खाद्य और सार्वजनिक वितरण मंत्रालय MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

Consumer Rights

Right to Safety Means right to be protected against the marketing of goods and services, which are hazardous to life and property. The purchased goods and services availed of should not only meet their immediate needs, but also fulfil long term interests.

Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the quality of the products as well as on the guarantee of the products and services. They should preferably purchase quality marked products such as ISI,AGMARK, etc  

Right to be Informed Means right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices.

Consumer should insist on getting all the information about the product or service before making a choice or a decision. This will enable him to act wisely and responsibly and also enable him to desist from falling prey to high pressure selling techniques.  

Right to Choose Means right to be assured, wherever possible of access to variety of goods and services at competitive price. In case of monopolies, it means right to be assured of satisfactory quality and service at a fair price. It also includes right to basic goods and services. This is because unrestricted right of the minority to choose can mean a denial for the majority of its fair share. This right can be better exercised in a competitive market where a variety of goods are available at competitive prices  

Right to be Heard Means that consumer's interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums. It also includes right to be represented in various forums formed to consider the consumer's welfare.

The Consumers should form non-political and non-commercial consumer organizations which can be given representation in various committees formed by the Government and other bodies in matters relating to consumers.  

Right to Seek redressal Means right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers. It also includes right to fair settlement of the genuine grievances of the consumer.

Consumers must make complaint for their genuine grievances.Many a times their complaint may be of small value but its impact on the society as a whole may be very large. They can also take the help of consumer organisations in seeking redressal of their grievances.  

Right to Consumer Education Means the right to acquire the knowledge and skill to be an informed consumer throughout life.Ignorance of consumers, particularly of rural consumers, is mainly responsible for their exploitation. They should know their rights and must exercise them. Only then real consumer protection can be achieved with success.

Credit report errors are more common than you think. Here's how to dispute one

Nearly half of all credit reports may contain errors, some of them costly to your credit score, according to a new watchdog report.

Two consumer groups, Consumer Reports and WorkMoney, invited more than 4,300 volunteers to check their credit reports for accuracy, as a sort of performance review of the three major credit agencies: Equifax , Experian and TransUnion .

Here’s what the y found :

• One-quarter of the consumers were unable to access their credit reports, which are supposed to be available to all.
• Among those who read their reports, 44% found errors.
• Of the errors, 27% were potentially damaging to the consumer’s credit.

The findings, released in late April, suggest that American consumers would be wise to read their reports. The credit agencies allow free access to them on a site called AnnualCreditReport.com .

Learn more: Best personal loans

“People don’t volunteer to be a part of this system, and a lot of decisions are made about you based on what’s in your account,” said Lisa Gill , an investigative reporter at Consumer Reports.

Related story: What information is on your credit report? Here's what I found when I read my own.

Credit scores are part of 'being able to afford life'

Credit reports factor into a dizzying array of consumer transactions. If you want to rent an apartment, buy a house, take a new job or negotiate a better rate on a car loan, insurance premium or cellphone contract, your credit score may determine your success. People with weak credit may get turned down, or penalized with higher rates and more stringent terms.

“It’s such an important part of people being able to afford life,” said Carrie Joy Grimes , CEO of WorkMoney, a nonprofit that helps consumers with their finances. “This is not a partisan issue. This is everyone in America.”

Consumer advocates acknowledge that it has probably never been easier to access your credit score, a metric of creditworthiness that ranges from 300 to 850, and the report upon which the score is based.

Long ago, consumers weren’t permitted to read their credit reports. Americans eventually gained the right to see their credit dossier, typically for a $15 fee. A 2003 law guaranteed access to free credit reports once a year . Today, consumers may see their reports once a week.

Industry leaders say they want consumers to read their reports, and to help credit agencies spot and fix potential errors.

“The consumer reporting industry shares the same goal as consumers, advocates, and regulators when it comes to credit reports: they should be accurate and complete,” the Consumer Data Industry Association, a group that represents the credit bureaus, said about the new report in a statement to USA TODAY.

“The nationwide credit reporting agencies are working diligently across the financial ecosystem to achieve that goal,” the statement said. “The entire business model of these companies is predicated on accuracy: when the information is accurate, everyone wins.”

Credit agency complaints nearly doubled in a year

Consumer watchdogs say the credit bureaus should do a better job.

Credit agencies are the most common subject of complaints filed to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to research by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). Complaints about credit reporting nearly doubled between 2021 and 2022, the nonprofit found.

Most complaints concerned allegations of improper use of credit reports, errors, or problems with getting an agency to correct mistakes, said Teresa Murray , consumer watchdog director at PIRG.

The credit bureaus “have not served consumers well for decades,” Murray said. “It’s gotten better, but it’s still a huge problem.”

Complaints are increasing, in part, because consumers have better access to their credit reports and are more keenly aware of them, she said. The massive Equifax data breach in 2017 raised public awareness of credit reports and their vulnerability.

In the Consumer Reports investigation, 872 consumers said they found errors in their credit reports about financial information: accounts they didn’t recognize, payments wrongly reported as late or missed, and debt-collection efforts of which they were not aware, among other issues.

'I had no idea this could happen'

One consumer volunteer in the watchdog study was Tammy Chambers, 55, of Tacoma, Washington.

When Chambers reviewed her Experian credit report, earlier this year, she found four delinquent loans totaling more than $2,000. None of them were hers.

Chambers said an identity thief took out the consumer installment loans in her name more than a year ago. When the loans went delinquent, her credit score sank from nearly 800 to “maybe 520,” she said. She spent months working with the loan company and the credit agency, trying to get the debts removed, to no avail.

“I did my due diligence,” she said. “I had no idea this could happen.”

Chambers finally got the debts expunged this spring. According to Consumer Reports, most of the fault lay not with Experian but with the company that issued the loans, which kept reporting them on Chambers’ account long after she had filed disputes.

Hundreds of other consumers in the watchdog study found mistaken personal information, including incorrect addresses and wrong or misspelled names.

Errors on credit reports can unfairly damage your credit score

Financial errors involving delinquent accounts are worrisome, consumer advocates say, because they can unfairly damage your credit score.

“Anything that’s reporting debt and collections that’s not yours, that is going to pull that score down 30, 40, 50 points, sometimes more,” Gill said.

An unfamiliar name or address or account on a credit report, meanwhile, “can be a signal of identity theft,” Gill said.

Roughly one-quarter of consumers in the watchdog study were unable to access their credit reports in the first place.

Many couldn’t get past the screening questions, which asked them to identify a familiar car loan or home mortgage on a multiple-choice list. Others got past those questions only to hit an error message, saying their credit reports were unavailable.

If you're concerned about your credit report, consumer advocates offer these tips:

Freeze your credit

Freezing your credit means no one can open a new account in your name. It’s free, and a great way to combat identity theft, Murray said.

PIRG offers a step-by-step guide .

One downside: If you want to open a new account, you will have to temporarily unfreeze your credit.

Read your credit reports

Consumers should review their credit reports at least once a year, looking for errors and anything unfamiliar, Murray said.

“If you want to overachieve, stagger them,” she said: Read a report from a different agency every four months.

Report any errors

If you find an error on a credit report, especially something that could affect your credit score or signal possible identity theft, you should report it.

“The bureaus are responsible for providing accurate information on the report,” Gill said.

You can report errors at any of the three credit bureau websites. If the error is on a specific account, consider contacting that company directly.

If necessary, file a complaint

If you find an error in a credit report, give the credit bureau time to fix it. If that doesn’t work, Murray said, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Complaints matter, Murray said: The more of them the agency receives, the more likely policymakers will step in to make it easier for future consumers to review and correct their credit reports.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA TODAY.

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How Marketers Can Adapt to LLM-Powered Search

• Stefano Puntoni,
• Mike Ensing,
• Jarvis Bowers

With the addition of AI-generated overviews, Google, Perplexity, OpenAI and other search engines are changing how consumers find information.

Large language models (LLMs) provide a search experience that’s dramatically different from the web-browser experience. The biggest difference is this: LLMs promise to answer queries not with links, as web browsers do, but with answers . Increasingly, using apps such as ChatGPT or Perplexity, or search portals such as Google’s Search Generative Experience (now AI Overviews) or Bing’s Copilot, customers will learn about products and brands through natural-language outputs. And that process, which will be highly consultative and conversational, will create a new information pipeline that marketers need to monitor to ensure their brands are presented for relevant prompts and described accurately. The authors present three ways for marketers to rise to this challenge.

For millions of consumers around the world, Google is the access point to the internet — and as a result, the company today enjoys a 91% market share in the $50 billion market for search ads. However, thanks to the advent of large language models (LLMs), a shakeup now seems possible for the first time in two decades.

• SP Stefano Puntoni is a professor of marketing at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the co-author of  Decision-Driven Analytics: Leveraging Human Intelligence to Unlock the Power of Data (Wharton Press).  
• ME Mike Ensing is the CEO and co-founder of Revere. He is an entrepreneur, advisor, and tech-industry executive focused on generative AI and its applications for enterprises and brands and has held senior and advisory positions with leading companies such as RealNetworks, Microsoft, and McKinsey.
• JB Jarvis Bowers is the COO and co-founder of Revere, an emerging marketing-technology company focused on elevating brands with LLMs and generative AI. Jarvis is an experienced marketing leader focused on the use of consumer and creative insights, customer data, and emerging platforms to deliver unique brand experiences.

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