Consumer Behaviour against the Changeability of the Environment

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the behaviours of contemporary consumer determined by ongoing social and technological changes. The layout of the paper is dictated by the implementation of the objective. The first part introduces the subject matter of consumer behaviour. Part two focuses on the issue of social changes as contribution to the creation of new trends in consumer behaviour, whereas part three focuses on the issues of technological changes as contribution to the creation of new trends in consumer behaviour. The paper has a theoretical character. It is based on a critical literature review. Consumer behaviour is determined by a number of factors dependent of the consumer himself as well as his surroundings. Globalization of economies as well as social and technological changes have a particular impact on consumer behaviour in the 20th century. Among social changes, three main trends can be identified: customization of consumption, fragmentation and paradoxical juxtaposition of opposites. Among the changes of a technical nature surreality of means of simulation and communication stands first. Realisation of values and complexity also play an important role. All changes occurring in the social and technological areas lead to the creation of new trends in consumer behaviour. Main new trends include: increase in consumption and its changing structure, ecologization of consumption, virtualisation, socially responsible and sustainable consumption, collaborative consumption, smart shopping and other (e.g. ethnocentrism, hyperconsumption, democratization of luxury, digital abstinence,