Consumerism News

September 23, 2023

Top Headlines

US Municipal Bond Market Pricing May Be Biased by Race, Unphased by Climate Risk

Aug. 9, 2023 — New research suggests that the US municipal bond market systemically misprices risk, as the pricing of municipal debt does not account for local physical climate risk, but does demand larger credit ...

Smart Devices: Putting a Premium on Peace of Mind

Aug. 7, 2023 — The White House has announced plans to roll out voluntary labeling for internet-connected devices like thermostats and baby monitors that meet certain cybersecurity standards. A new survey of U.S. consumers shows that they are willing to pay a ...

The Good Advice That Could Lift People out of Poverty

July 12, 2023 — Researchers have found that providing access to advice about housing, debt and benefits within food banks could help lift people out of poverty. The initiative meant that people forced to use a food bank were also able to access advice on a range of ...

Producers and Consumers Must Share Burden of Global Plastic Packaging Waste

May 26, 2022 — Plastic packaging waste is everywhere. Our plastic bottles, food wrappings, and grocery bags litter the landscape and pollute the global environment. A new study explores the global patterns of plastic packaging waste. The study finds three ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:12pm EDT

Carbon Emissions and Grocery Shopping: EVs and Home Delivery Better, 'Trip Chaining' and Robots Best

Aug. 8, 2022 — Researchers modeled emissions for a single 36-item grocery basket transported to the customer via dozens of traditional and e-commerce pathways. Of ...

Plastic Bag Bans May Unintentionally Drive Other Bag Sales

Mar. 29, 2022 — When cities or counties institute plastic bag bans or fees, the idea is to reduce the amount of plastic headed to the landfill. But a new analysis finds these policies, while created with good ...

Food Labeling Is Lacking in Online Grocery Retailers

Jan. 20, 2022 — Online food retailers do not consistently display nutrition information on their websites -- and U.S. laws are lagging behind in mandating the same labeling required for foods sold in ...

Business Use of Avatars

July 14, 2021 — An associate professor of marketing says digital avatars can replace a sales force and customer service employees at a fraction of the ...

Dealing With Global Carbon Debt

July 8, 2021 — As atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide continue to rise, we are putting future generations at risk of having to deal with a massive carbon debt. Researchers are calling for immediate action ...

Reducing Plastic Waste Will Require Fundamental Change in Culture

July 1, 2021 — Plastic waste is considered one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Researchers surveyed consumers in Germany about their use of plastic packaging. Their research reveals that ...

Mar. 4, 2021 — Researchers examined the role and economic impacts of recommender systems, and how they affect consumers' ...

Fuel Efficiency of One Car May Be Cancelled by Your Next Car Purchase

Mar. 2, 2021 — Researchers find that consumers tend to buy something less fuel efficient for their second car after springing for an eco-friendly vehicle. The study reports a 57% reduction in the benefits of your ...

Study Sheds Light on How People Cope With Health Challenges and Medical Debt

Feb. 16, 2021 — A recent qualitative study sheds light on how people cope with health and financial challenges, highlighting the important role that communication ...

When Consumers Trust AI Recommendations, or Resist Them

Nov. 25, 2020 — The key factor in deciding how to incorporate AI recommenders is whether consumers are focused on the functional and practical aspects of a product (its utilitarian value) or on the experiential and ...

Earlier Headlines

Summaries
Headlines

21st Century Economic Growth Will Be Slower Than We Thought

June 23, 2023 — The global economy will grow slower in the 21st century than economists have expected, a finding that has implications for our ability to adapt to climate change in the coming decades, according to ...

Dietary Education Leads to Healthier Lives, Study Finds

Dec. 13, 2022 — Initial data from a clinical research study aimed at increasing diet quality and decreasing cardiovascular risk shows positive results. The study, called Supermarket and Web-Based Intervention ...

Cancer and Diabetes Aren't the Only Conditions Driving Medical Debt

Sep. 22, 2022 — Expensive ongoing treatment for cancer and diabetes are the best-known drivers of the medical debt that contributes to two-thirds of personal bankruptcies, but a new study indicates other chronic ...

Cost of Cancer Treatment Can Impact Health of Survivors

Sep. 15, 2022 — A significant number of people who have survived cancer are living in poverty, which can have negative effects on their physical and mental health, according to ...

Local Food Boon Spurred by Pandemic May Be Short-Lived, New Research Reports

Sep. 6, 2022 — The COVID-19 pandemic affected American households in countless ways, but according to researchers, some of the most tangible shifts are taking place in the food ...

Hiding Chocolate Stashes or Online Purchases from a Partner? 'Guilty' Purchases May Have Benefits, Study Finds

Aug. 24, 2022 — Do you have a secret stash of chocolates that you keep from your partner, or do you intentionally keep your spouse from knowing about something you bought online? New research indicates that small ...

Maximizing Could Be Key to Minimizing Our Environmental Footprint

Aug. 22, 2022 — It is well documented that maximizers are less happy with their product-choices than are satisficers, but would this mean that maximizers use their products less? The authors conducted two studies ...

Smartphones Make Consumers Prefer Unique, Tailored Products

Aug. 22, 2022 — Using our own smartphone -- but not a stranger's phone -- pushes us into an individualistic mindset that has us prefer products and services that are rare, special or customized to our ...

'Nutri-Score' Label May Counter Misleading Sugar Claims on Groceries, Analysis Suggests

Aug. 17, 2022 — A new analysis suggests that the Nutri-Score -- a label indicating the overall nutritional quality of a food product -- can counteract the misleading effects of sugar ...

Music Is Key to Converting Consumers' Good Intentions to Actual Purchases in Ethical and Sustainable Markets

June 29, 2022 — Companies selling ethical and sustainable products should use up-tempo major mode music in their marketing to help well-meaning consumers convert their good intentions into actual purchases, new ...

Tight Budgeters Beware: Skip the Coffee Before Shopping

June 16, 2022 — The study found that shoppers who drank a cup of complimentary caffeinated coffee prior to roaming the stores spent about 50 percent more money and bought nearly 30 percent more items than shoppers ...

Why Science Doesn't Help Sell Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 9, 2022 — People don't want science anywhere near their delicious chocolate chip cookies. But they're happy to have science create body wash that fights odor-causing ...

Student Debt Can Impair Your Cardiovascular Health Into Middle Age, Study Finds

May 3, 2022 — Individuals with student loan debt into early middle age have a higher risk of cardiovascular illness, undermining the usual health benefits of a post-secondary education, researchers ...

Study Finds Top Reviews, Not Average Ratings, Sway Consumer Decision-Making

Apr. 12, 2022 — Collective wisdom dictates that online shoppers gravitate toward the highest-rated products. But new research debunks this and shows top reviews carry more sway in a customer's final buying ...

Can Supermarkets Coax People Into Buying Healthier Food?

Mar. 24, 2022 — Restricting supermarket placement of less healthy items and increasing the availability of healthier alternatives in these stores may be promising interventions to encourage healthier purchasing ...

Environmentally Conscious Consumers More Likely to Buy Chicken Raised on Insects or Algae

Mar. 22, 2022 — Eating chicken raised on a diet of bugs or algae may sound downright unappetizing to some, but there are ways to make the idea more palatable to at least one type of food shopper. Consumers who are ...

When Money Is Tight, 'Purchase Happiness' Is Low

Feb. 28, 2022 — Whether they're getting a new shirt, a new computer, or taking a trip, people derive less 'purchase happiness' from buying things when they feel financial stress, new research ...

Like Peanut Butter? This Algorithm Has a Hunch as to What You'll Buy Next

Feb. 3, 2022 — New research brings a methodology called tensor decomposition -- used by scientists to find patterns in massive volumes of data -- into the world of online shopping to recommend complementary ...

Picture Warnings on Sodas? A Promising Tool to Fight Childhood Obesity

Feb. 1, 2022 — The first study in a laboratory 'mini mart' shows picture warnings reduced parental purchases of sugary drinks like juice and soda. Researchers say the warning labels could be new tool in ...

Research Reveals New Evidence That Sugary Beverage Tax Impacts Are Sustainable, Effective

Dec. 1, 2021 — Two new studies based in Seattle provide evidence that public policies to reduce consumption of added sugars through taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages are effective and ...

Friday, June 23, 2023