Consumerism

Consumerism is a term which is often misused and misunderstood. Several times it is wrongly used to refer to consumer affluence, conspicuous consumption etc. The true meaning of consumerism is quite different from these.

Consumerism is a collective endeavor of the consumers and social institutions to protect the rights of the consumers.

It is a social force:

(i) to educate the consumers,

(ii) to pressurize the government to adopt necessary measures to protect the consumer interests by guaranteeing their legitimate rights, and

(iii) to make the business more honest, efficient, responsive and responsible.

Utility of Consumerism:

Well-organized and dynamic consumerism may be expected to produce the following results:

(i) Producers and sellers will not take the consumer for grated. ‘When consumers are strong enough to protect their rights, the business will be compelled to shun unfair trade practices.

(ii) Consumerism will provide feedback for the business. It will enable the producers understand consumer needs and wants. This will assist in the more effective implementation of the marketing concept or the societal marketing concept, depending upon the nature of consumerism.

(iii) Producers will be able to enlist the support of consumers to minimize the imperfections on the distribution front. Several times the supply position is made worse by hoarding and black-marketing by traders. Further, many sellers have a tendency to charge a price which is higher than the actual by giving one or other reason. There is no reason why the consumer and producer should not co-operate to get rid of the unscrupulous traders.

(iv) Consumerism will make the government more responsive to consumer interests, prompt it to take necessary statutory measures, and make the required institutional arrangements to safeguard rights.