Belief formation in ethical consumer groups: an exploratory study

• Published in: Marketing intelligence & planning Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 109 - 120
• Main Authors: Shaw, Deirdre, Clarke, Ian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford MCB UP Ltd 01.04.1999; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Beliefs; Consumer behavior; Consumer behaviour; Consumer marketing; Consumerism; Consumers; Consumption; Decision making; Demographics; Ethical consumerism; Ethics; Fair trade; Fair trading; Influence; Marketing; Marketing research; Personality; Purchase intention; Qualitative research; Sociodemographics; Ethics; Consumer marketing; Marketing research; Beliefs; Consumer behaviour; Fair trading
• ISSN: 0263-4503; 1758-8049
• DOI: 10.1108/02634509910260968

Belief formation is a neglected part of research in consumer behaviour and a potentially valuable area of study for helping to clarify the conditions under which they relate to actual patterns of behaviour. Outlines the results of qualitative research undertaken as part of a major study of readers of the UK Ethical Consumer magazine, which used focus groups to explore issues of major concern to ethical consumers - such as fair trade - and an elicitation questionnaire with a broader sample to ascertain the nature of factors influencing their beliefs on this subject.