Amazon.com and others are eager to fill the skies with drones delivering packages at all hours. Convenient, yes, but it could transform – and not in a good way – our ability to make informed choices.
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Articles on Consumerism
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The Victorians had some interesting solutions to the problem of telling children where our stuff comes from.
Each Mardi Gras, 25 million pounds of beads hit the streets of New Orleans. One researcher went to the Chinese factories that make them – and spoke to the workers who believe the beads will be given to royalty.
You may not be free but buying lots of stuff can create the illusion that you are.
Which objects would you choose to tell the story of your life?
Back in 1663, it was all about staff getting the day off, now it’s all about boosting the coffers of the major stores.
Stores are engaged in an arms race to make online shopping less of an impersonal chore.
Modesty in your spending (and half an eye on the future) could make you very cheerful indeed.
REI’s ‘Opt Outside’ campaign makes a virtue of shunning Black Friday and hiking instead of shopping. But while outdoor retailers preach sustainability, they still fuel our consuming habits.
John Lewis’ Christmas ad is highly anticipated and guaranteed to get Britain spending.
People are buying more and more things. But does that make them more contented?
As a remedy to rampant consumerism and the throwaway culture of fast-fashion, a few clothing brands actively encourage their customers to buy less.
Luxury holidays aren’t just a dent in your bank balance – they’re also doing untold harm to the environment. But you can have a good, green holiday.
Fashion weeks are becoming less about fashion cliques, and opening up to the masses.
A new industry is being created under President Xi Jinping. Meet the two men making it happen.
Microplastics go largely unseen but are a scourge of the oceans. Filmmaker Jo Ruxton answers questions about the challenge of filming it.
Researchers calculate whether we’re using less materials, or whether we’re just shipping it in from abroad.
Perhaps surprisingly, men spend more money after being romantically rejected while women do the opposite.
Many of us are concerned about just want to get through it. But the consumer madness of late December is the perfect time to ponder the consequences of our habits and excesses.
How the best brands tap into the spirit of the season.
Top contributors
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Academic Director, School for International Training, The University of Melbourne
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Associate Professor of History and Environmental Studies, Bowdoin College
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Professor of Consumer Research, University of Bath
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Omar H. Fares is a Friend of The Conversation.
Lecturer in the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, Toronto Metropolitan University
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Professor of Work and Organisation, University of Essex
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Reader in Consumer Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University
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Associate Professor, Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra
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Professor of Media and Communications, Monash University
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Professor of Media Studies, Queens College, City University of New York
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Lecturer in Communication Studies, University of Otago
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Adjunct Fellow, T.C. Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland
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Research Fellow, University of Exeter, University of Exeter
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Professor of Marketing and Consumer Research, University of Birmingham
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Senior Lecturer in Practice, London School of Economics and Political Science
