An Overview of Postmodern Research in the Consumer Behaviour Field: Towards the “New Consumer” Paradigm

The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the research based on the Consumer Culture Theory that will help us to understand the new forms of the consumption experiences. This will provide us with a conceptual framework to define the new status of the consumer in the marketing literature and therefore understand the paradigm of the “new consumer”. Indeed, we can notice in the recent research in the consumption field the evolution of the consumer representations in the consumer behaviour literature since the consolidation of the multidisciplinary approach based on CCT. This article reviews the extensive, multidisciplinary body of French and international literature relating to consumer behaviour studies. The key outputs of this paper showed that the main behaviours of the “new consumer” might be defined according to different categories such as: experiential and hedonistic behaviour, digital and competent behaviour, paradoxical behaviour, responsible, and ethic behaviour, co-production and participative behaviour, empowerment, do-it-yourself behaviour. These concepts mainly derived from the CCT philosophy highlight the transformation of the consumer status: from a passive role to an increasingly active role within his consumption experiences.

Citation:

Wided Batat (2011) ,"An Overview of Postmodern Research in the Consumer Behaviour Field: Towards the “New Consumer” Paradigm ", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Zhihong Yi, Jing Jian Xiao, and June Cotte and Linda Price, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 304-312.