Filling the void digitally: Compensatory expectations and social support in compulsive food ordering within super-app ecosystems.

Value signaling has emerged as a crucial mechanism in shaping consumer evaluations, with prior research highlighting how scarcity-based cues convey exclusivity and enhance perceived value. In this vein, scarcity operates not merely as a supply constraint but as a symbolic signal that shapes consumers’ perceptions of exclusivity and desirability. By reinforcing identity-relevant meanings, scarcity enhances perceived brand value and strengthens consumers’ affective and behavioral responses. This paper advances a meaning-based perspective by examining how scarcity, framed in marketing communication, influences consumers’ willingness to buy luxury products through perceived aesthetic appeal. Across two experimental studies involving fictitious luxury collectibles and fashion products (Study 1, N = 139; Study 2, N = 169), findings show that high (vs. low) scarcity message framing increases purchase intention by enhancing perceived aesthetic appeal. However, such a mechanism is not uniform across consumers: Drawing on status consumption theory, the results demonstrate that the positive effect of aesthetic appeal on willingness to buy is significantly stronger among consumers with a high (vs. lower) status consumption orientation, while scarcity cues may even dampen purchase intentions among low-status-oriented consumers.

In the context of the evolving social media communication landscape, social media native IPs—characterized by lightweight content and strong emotional engagement—have emerged as a key driver of growth in the cultural industry. This study takes Chiikawa as a case to examine the growth mechanism and commercialization path of native IPs from content dissemination to industrial transformation. Grounded in theories of symbolic consumption, art therapy, fan economy, and the IP value chain, this research adopts a mixed-method approach combining literature review, case analysis, and questionnaire survey, with quantitative analysis based on 133 valid responses. The findings indicate that Chiikawa fosters emotional projection and builds stable user attachment through highly symbolic character design and narratives reflecting real-life pressures. Furthermore, the development of social media native IPs follows an evolutionary path of "symbol construction–emotional resonance–fan participation–industry extension," in which emotional value serves as the core driver of both content dissemination and commercial conversion. This study provides theoretical insights and practical implications for the sustainable development and industrialization of social media native IPs.

ABSTRACT Rather than viewing non-fungible tokens (nfts) as a novel art form, this research reconceptualizes them as a technologically mediated mode of consumption defined by the possession of access. Drawing on strategic marketing and cultural consumption theory, it distinguishes intrinsic and symbolic art-value orientations from infrastructural legitimacy mechanisms embedded in blockchain-enabled access systems. Nfts are theorized to restructure authentication, participation, and distribution in the art markets. The results of two qualitative studies show that perceiving nfts as a novel consumption mode and digital ecosystem drives enjoyment, whereas intrinsic art-value orientations exert limited influence on immediate engagement but shape forward-looking opportunity perceptions. These findings identify a boundary condition: when cultural goods are mediated through access-based infrastructures, experiential engagement is driven more by participatory and technological affordances than by intrinsic product attributes. The study contributes to strategic marketing research by clarifying how new consumption modes gain legitimacy in symbolic markets and by identifying democratization and experiential value as central to NFT market sustainability.

ABSTRACT This study introduces a dual-process model of moral catalysis within an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), testing responsible consumption (RC) as a direct predictor and moderator of household food waste reduction. Based on survey data from 300 Vietnamese households analyzed via PLS-SEM, results reveal RC’s double-edged role: it enhances intentions and behaviors while influencing all TPB components. RC acts as a moral amplifier (strengthening attitude–intention and intention–behavior links) and a moral substitute (weakening subjective norms and perceived behavioral control), reconfiguring TPB and advancing ethical consumption theory in collectivist emerging markets.

ABSTRACT This paper advances existing work on the mobilities and geographies of students by examining the complexities and contestations affecting international students' consumption perceptions and experiences. This is important in positing new ways of understanding how educational mobilities, in both their meta and micro forms, can influence, and be influenced by, consumption practices and ideologies. Drawing on a set of semi‐structured interviews with Brazilian international students living and studying in London, UK this paper draws together mobilities and consumption theories as a lens for interpreting consumption knowledge and practice as an evolving and iterative set of performances that align closely with an individual's life‐course opportunities and barriers. This paper makes two contributions. First, we identify mobile consumption as a way for international students to reflexively connect their past and present experiences when adapting to new or unfamiliar consumption practices and places. Second, we recognise consumption to be potentially burdensome for international students whose mobilities mean that consumption practices are temporal, intersecting between past, present and future experiences that shape how international students relate to their belongings and make liminal consumption decisions, knowing their time in in their host city is limited.

The global crisis has changed consumption behaviors. Drawing upon the compensatory consumption theory and the terror management theory (TMT), this study investigated whether, why, and when the threat of death affects the intention to engage in self-gifting. To this end, we enacted four studies. Study 1 (n = 95) revealed that individuals tend to resort to self-gifting in order to cope with the threats of death, and this effect is positively mediated by perceived stress. Study 2 (n = 120) found that conspiracist ideation positevely moderates the link between the threat of death and self-gifting. Study 3 (n = 129) further showed the moderating role of perceived social support. Specifically, perceived social support weakened the effects of (a) the threat of death on self-gifting and (b) perceived stress on self-gifting. Finally, Study 4 (n = 123) confirmed the moderating effect of loneliness. Specifically, loneliness strengthened the effects of (a) perceived stress on self-gifting and (b) the threat of death on self-gifting. These findings propose a need for further work on the origins and sources of self-gifting, particularly examining the roles of perceived stress, conspiracist ideation, perceived social support, and loneliness in the onset and maintenance of self-gifting behaviors.

The share of feed in the cost of livestock and poultry production amounts to up to 60% of total costs. The feeding ration of animals and poultry changes throughout the year. To maintain product output at approximately the same level, it is necessary to provide feed that contains natural vitamins. A technology for preparing a vitamin feed supplement based on sprouted grain is proposed. Attention is paid to the technological operation - chopping the sprouts to the size of compound feed particles of 1.1-1.6 mm. This operation is carried out using knives. Sprouted grain consists of a weakly bonded sprout and a grain kernel. To chop them, it is necessary to use two methods - crushing for the grain kernels and cutting for the sprouts. A classification of methods for preparing feed for feeding is presented, and the direction of the research is indicated. A methodology for selecting the design parameters of knives for chopping sprouted grain is proposed. A classification of chopping units is provided, and the direction of development is indicated. The calculation ratios are based on V.P. Goryachkin's theory of energy consumption for cutting. Ratios are obtained that relate the knife sharpening angle to the knife blade thickness and the initial layer height. The knife blade thickness and the compression layer thickness are linked to the strength properties of the material, which allows optimizing the parameters and dimensions of the working parts of the chopper's cutting apparatus. It was determined by calculation that with a knife thickness b=0.002 m, a cutting edge thickness a=20·10⁻⁶ m, and a blade sharpening length l=0.004 m, the knife sharpening angle α will be 14-17°. For a linear knife speed of 12 m/s, an angular knife speed of 272.3 rad/s, and a cutting edge length of 0.05 m, the number of knives moving in the same plane is 6 units. An experimental setup for chopping sprouted grain and its technical characteristics are presented.

The primary purpose of this article is to integrate relevant documentation on the endeavors and contributions of women economists between 1901 and 1939 within Original American Institutional Economics (OAIE). In this regard, I identify nineteen women economists who made significant and original contributions to fields such as the theory of consumption and savings, women's labor, and feminist economics. Unlike the existing literature, which separately explores women economists and OAIE, this article takes an integrated approach. Through a comprehensive review of various bibliographic sources, it presents a unique exploration that identifies women economists within the OAIE as a cohesive group. These women, with shared affinities, worked in cooperation and through networks, and their endeavors— which I reviewed in this article —are highly relevant to current research. In this article I discuss the claim that, after the pioneering work of Thorstein Veblen and Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the early XX Century on the social and economic status of women, institutional economics entirely overlooked the issue.

The reconstruction of Chinese culture caused by the cross-cultural communication of Western festivals has been widely discussed, but academia still lacks a systematic explanation of the core mechanism of Christmas localization and the interactive logic of commodity symbols and consumption rituals. Based on the symbolic consumption theory and structural theory, this paper integrates the literature and empirical data at home and abroad in the past 15 years, focusing on the localization and transformation of Christmas in China and the integration of consumer culture. The research shows that Christmas has transformed from a traditional religious festival to a secular cultural phenomenon with both consumption attributes and social functions. The core consumer groups are 18-35-year-old youth and college students. Commodity symbolization realizes the value transition through the three-level path of "meaning binding - media diffusion - consumer identity". There is a dynamic correlation between the two. Based on this, this paper proposes that cross-cultural Festival communication should pay attention to the localization of symbols and the adaptation of consumption ritual scenes, taking into account the differences in group needs and cultural inclusiveness, so as to provide practical reference for the sustainable development of festival consumption culture.

Busyness is a pervasive feature of contemporary consumer life, yet its implications for choice remain underexplored. This paper investigates how consumers’ subjective appraisals of busyness shape preferences for assortment size. Drawing on dual-process theories of cognition, we argue that busyness influences decision making by directing how cognitive resources are deployed rather than by uniformly constraining them. When busyness is appraised positively, consumers remain cognitively engaged, rely more on analytical thinking, and prefer larger assortments that support careful evaluation and optimization. When busyness is appraised negatively, consumers disengage from deliberation, rely more on experiential thinking, and favor smaller assortments that reduce decision effort. Evidence from multiple studies, including experimental and survey data, provides consistent support for this mechanism. These findings clarify how everyday experiences of busyness shape cognitive processing and assortment choice, with implications for consumer theory and retail assortment design.

Packaging is more than a protective shell: it is a critical communication channel between brand and consumer. This paper investigates how packaging functions as a business-communication tool from a consumer-centred perspective. Drawing on semiotics, sensory marketing, and experiential consumption theories, the study uses a qualitative methodology—semi-structured interviews and focus groups with diverse consumers—to examine how packaging elements (colour, typography, imagery, materiality, shape, and information architecture) influence perceptions of brand meaning, product quality, trust, and purchase intention. Thematic analysis reveals that consumers interpret packaging through three overlapping communicative pathways: symbolic/identity cues, functional/ informational cues, and sensory/experiential cues. The findings show that effective packaging design aligns these pathways with brand strategy and consumer expectations and that mismatches (e.g., premium cues on a low-quality product) can erode trust. The paper concludes with managerial implications for packaging strategy, design guidelines for consumer-centred communication, limitations, and directions for future research. Keywords: Packaging design; business communication; consumer-centred; semiotics; sensory marketing; qualitative research; thematic analysis

Against the backdrop of cultural industry innovation and consumption upgrading, the revitalization of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) faces a transitional need from "protective inheritance" to "innovative development." Taking the "Dye-Charm Blind Collection" tie-dye blind box project as a case study and employing qualitative research methods, this paper systematically explores innovative pathways for integrating ICH with the blind box economy. The research finds that the project achieves the commercial transformation of tie-dye cultural capital through a three-dimensional innovation system encompassing "product reconstruction (cultural symbols + functional extension + experience design), technological empowerment (process optimization + digital design + standardized production), and ecosystem construction (online-offline integration + domestic-overseas markets + experience-sales synergy)." Practice demonstrates that the project has not only achieved significant economic benefits (projected revenue of 1.7 million RMB for 2025, with a repurchase rate of 40%) but also generated positive social impacts in areas such as rural revitalization and cultural dissemination. This study proposes that ICH revitalization should, based on Cultural Capital Theory and Scene Consumption Theory, construct a sustainable development model of "culture-commerce-society" synergistic symbiosis, providing theoretical reference and practical guidance for the innovative development of ICH.

The Experience Economy has reshaped how luxury brands conceptualize and communicate value, shifting the emphasis from physical product superiority to personalized, immersive experiential interactions. This literature review explores marketing strategies adopted by luxury brands to align with contemporary consumer demands for emotional resonance, aesthetic appreciation, cultural symbolism, and social belonging. Based on Pine and Gilmore's 4E Framework (experience, education, entertainment, aesthetics), this paper systematically evaluates the impact of experiential strategies on consumer loyalty and brand equity through the integration of Schmidt's experiential marketing theory (sensory, affective, cognitive, behavioural, relational) and symbolic consumption theory. Furthermore, digital transformation and the sharing economy have rendered experiential consumption more accessible, thereby redefining exclusivity through participation rather than possession. The paper demonstrates that the application of experiential strategies fulfills customers' emotional, psychological, and social demands, strengthening the bond between consumers and brands and fostering sustainable competitive differentiation.

This study aims to examine the role of zakat as an economic instrument that can encourage household consumption, increase income equality, and support macroeconomic stability within the framework of Islamic economics. As a form of wealth redistribution, zakat has an important function in distributing part of the muzakki's wealth to the mustahiq, thereby strengthening the purchasing power of low-income groups who tend to have higher marginal consumption. This increase in consumption then contributes to aggregate demand growth and expands economic activity. In addition, zakat acts as an automatic stabilizer that maintains the consumption capacity of vulnerable communities during economic slowdowns, thereby reducing the risk of a decline in aggregate demand and maintaining overall economic stability. This study uses a qualitative method with a literature review approach to examine various scientific sources related to zakat, consumption theory, and the concept of income distribution. The findings of the analysis show that the success of zakat as an economic instrument is greatly influenced by professional and transparent governance, as well as targeted distribution, particularly through productive zakat programs that encourage the independence of mustahiq. Zakat also has significant potential in strengthening the Islamic economic structure oriented towards justice through reducing inequality and improving community welfare. Thus, optimizing zakat management is a strategic effort to build an inclusive, sustainable economy that supports the empowerment of vulnerable groups.

Abstract Popular society increasingly questions preferences that drive many resource allocations and production decisions, with many groups actively seeking to alter those preferences to achieve changes to resource use. Agricultural and applied economists, who are already equipped with excellent technical skills to undertake consumer preference and valuation studies, must also be challenged to understand post‐Beckerian consumer theories that can help guide emerging requests placed upon economists as multi‐disciplinary collaborators as non‐academic groups press us to join in work involving interventions that work from the implicit assumption that preferences are malleable and potentially endogenous. I call association members to follow our best traditions of studying production dynamics and incorporating emerging theories drawn from or inspired by other disciplines so that we may better interact with the broader scientific community who, as many suggest, finds our insistence on stable and static preferences to limit the usefulness of economists in handling a raft of modern dilemmas. In addition to setting out the history of economists' reticence in considering endogenous preferences, I will outline several threads of emerging literature that can provide structure to professional inquiry in this domain and sketch some emergent cases with implications for the agricultural and resource sectors.

ABSTRACT Scales, serving as measurement instruments composed of carefully designed items intended to capture latent constructs, play a critical role in advancing consumer theory and marketing practice. Yet, developing and validating scales poses a formidable challenge due to the diverse methods required to ensure rigor and robustness. This article presents a clear and concise guide that addresses key aspects of the scale development and validation process. A practical framework grounded in a mixed‐method approach and illustrated through five studies serves as a reference for selecting techniques to measure complex phenomena and further advance theoretical and practical insights. These guidelines are particularly pertinent to consumer behavior and marketing research, where accurately measuring latent constructs such as consumers' beliefs, perceptions, emotions, attitudes, and intentions underpins both theoretical testing and the design of effective marketing strategies.

Despite the continuous state of economic instability and increased consumer anxiety in the post-pandemic period, the global luxury consumption trend has actually remained strong. This paper attributes this paradoxical phenomenon to compensatory consumption and proposes that luxury consumption could actually be an important psychological resource for those confronting threatened self-evaluation, control, and social comparisons. Based on previous studies illuminating consumer anxieties, emotion regulation, and symbolic consumption, our paper provides a threefold conceptual framework to isolate psychological compensation to regain self-esteem and control, emotional compensation to reduce distress, and social-symbolic compensation to communicate symbolic markers. We further outline boundary conditions under which compensatory luxury consumption is more likely to emerge and discuss when such consumption may become maladaptive. By reframing luxury demand as partly motivated by self-regulatory goals under uncertainty, this article extends compensatory consumption theory to the luxury context and offers directions for future research on mechanism-specific outcomes and ethical implications.

This study examined the influence of authentic culinary experiences on tourists’ expectations and experiences in selected culinary destinations in Manila, specifically Binondo, Quiapo, and España. Grounded in theories of authenticity, expectancy theory, experiential consumption, and tourist experience typologies, the research aimed to assess how authenticity-related attributes shape tourist satisfaction and expectations across emotional, learning, meaningful, and enjoyment dimensions. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed using a structured survey questionnaire administered to 389 tourists aged 18 years and above who had visited the selected areas multiple times within the past one to two years. Data were analyzed using weighted mean, Shapiro–Wilk test, Pearson Product–Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Spearman’s Rank Correlation to examine relationships between expectations and experiences. Findings revealed that authenticity significantly enhanced overall tourist satisfaction, particularly through genuine food presentation, quality, cultural immersion, and supportive service and atmosphere. Taste and quality of food, value for money, and service and atmosphere were positively associated with satisfaction, while authenticity emerged as the key differentiating factor across destinations. Strong positive relationships were found between tourists’ expectations of authenticity and their actual experiences across all dimensions. Differences in meaningful and enjoyment expectations, as well as authenticity satisfaction, were observed among the three culinary districts. The study concludes that authentic culinary experiences play a critical role in shaping memorable and meaningful tourism experiences and recommends strengthening cultural authenticity, service quality, and collaborative destination management to sustain culinary tourism development. The study aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by highlighting the role of authentic culinary tourism in supporting local livelihoods, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting responsible, community-based food practices. Overall, the findings contribute to socio-economic, cultural, and institutional sustainability by informing destination planning, tourism education, and sustainable urban tourism strategies.

IntroductionTo explore the impact of the digital divide on residents' healthcare consumption inequality, reveal its underlying transmission mechanisms and heterogeneous effects, address the gap in existing literature that focuses on macro-level health inequality but neglects micro-level disparities, and provide theoretical support and actionable policy recommendations for reducing global healthcare consumption inequality amid digital transformation.MethodsMulti-wave data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) were used as the analytical sample. The Kakwani index was utilized to measure both healthcare consumption inequality and the digital divide. A two-way fixed-effects model and a mediation model were applied to examine the impact of the digital divide on residents' healthcare consumption inequality.Results(1) The digital divide significantly exacerbates residents' healthcare consumption inequality, with a regression coefficient of 0.0523 (p < 0.01) after controlling for individual, household, and regional factors. (2) Income inequality and credit constraints serve as key mediating pathways, accounting for 48.37% and 43.99% of the total effect, respectively. (3) Heterogeneous effects are evident: the impact of the digital divide is weaker in rural regions and economically underdeveloped areas, but stronger among residents with low education levels and high-income households.ConclusionTheoretically, this study extends health inequality research from the macro-level to the micro-level by linking the digital divide to healthcare consumption disparities, and validates the applicability of Keynesian consumption theory and the life-cycle hypothesis in the digital era. Furthermore, the findings align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3 and 10): targeted interventions can mitigate the adverse effects of the digital divide. For developing countries, this study offers a strategic framework to balance digital healthcare advancement with equity, preventing technological exclusion from exacerbating healthcare disparities.