Abstract
In the era of consumer society, the depletion of the world's natural resources brings conscious consumption in the spotlight. More and more people are said to be conscious consumers, who act responsibly with regard to the environment and society. Therefore, researches about conscious and responsible purchase behaviour draw the attention of economists and marketing specialists as well - thus being able to form their market actions. According to the stereotype about conscious consumers in our heads, the conscious consumer is young, well educated, and female. This paper aims to reveal the consumption habits of people and their attitude toward consciousness and responsibility, furthermore, to investigate them from the stereotype's point of view that finds youngsters more conscious. An online survey was conducted with 652 consumers of a German supermarket chain in Hungary. The research concentrates on identifying the main differences between generations regarding their purchase habits. The research results show that the consciousness is rather manifested in the self-interest than in the responsibility. While other international survey data have proven development through generations and found younger consumers more conscious and responsible, this fact has not been statistically proven in Hungary. The real causes or drivers behind conscious behaviour are still questionable in the Hungarian market.
Highlights
Environmental protection, sustainability, conscious consumption are magic words in our days
This paper aims to reveal the consumption habits of people and their attitude toward consciousness and responsibility, to investigate them from the stereotype’s point of view that finds youngsters more conscious
A quantitative approach was chosen to assess the attitude of consumers of different generations toward conscious consumption
Summary
Environmental protection, sustainability, conscious consumption are magic words in our days. Based on the view of Collomb, it is only the business sphere that plays the most important role in realizing sustainability [1, 2]. Companies have to fulfill two, in most cases contradictory demands: on the one side they have to offer their products and services at a low price; they should be economically and socially conscious as well. This way, as they are unable to resolve this conflict; a more complex approach is needed, and all sectors have to do their share in this fight [1]
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