More than 50 years of consumer behavior research: What will the future look like?

• Published in: Journal of business research Vol. 186; p. 115027
• Main Authors: Kahn, Barbara E., Wilson, Anne V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.01.2025
• ISSN: 0148-2963
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.115027

•The field has evolved from a reliance on the analytic scientific approach to new models of research that examine culture and consumption contexts.•We describe the next significant shift in consumer behavior in response to (1) new sources of data, including “big data,” LLM, etc., and (2) technological advances that influence the marketplace.•Internal forces, including community debates and editorial pressures, threaten research innovation and affect the future trajectory of the field.•External forces influence scholars’ research questions. There is both a narrowing theoretical focus and continued innovation. To understand how consumer behavior research has evolved and what the future might hold, we first summarize the intellectual trajectory of scholarship in the area and briefly describe the research paradigms that developed over time. We report on the trends in research topics over the years and the “hot topics” projected for the near future. We also discuss the internal and external forces that fundamentally shape research and scholars. These forces provide both constraints and opportunities that will define the future of the field. We predict that some forces, unfortunately, incentivize scholars to examine more minor, less influential research questions. However, new sources of data and areas of inquiry are simultaneously providing opportunities for innovation and creativity in exploring how consumer behavior will change or evolve in response to macroeconomic factors, such as social issues, political movements, or rapid technological advances.