If we want to implement sustainable consumption, do we mean an efficient green economy or sufficiency strategies of post-growth societies? Do we need more privacy protection or are consumers migrating towards a post-privacy society? Does increasing social inequality require new consumer policies? Should politicians influence consumer behaviour through nudges?

These questions and the surrounding debates brought more than 130 participants from 18 countries to the International Conference on Consumer Research (ICCR) in Bonn on 26 and 27 September 2016. The ICCR provides an opportunity for empirical studies to be presented, but is also supposed to foster the establishment of the theoretical foundations for consumer research.

The conference proceedings "The 21st Century Consumer: Vulnerable, Responsible, Transparent?" collects selected contributions of outstanding experts in the fields of consumer behaviour, data protection, sustainability, and alternative consumption.

An online documentation of the ICCR 2016 is also online. You will find the original Programme Books and the Session Reports, written by young academics from North Rhine-Westpahlia here: https://www.verbraucherforschung.nrw/iccr-documentation.

The ICCR was organized by the Competence Center of Consumer Research North Rhine-Westphalia (CECORE NRW). The conference and the proceedings is funded by the Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Contributors:

Sarah-Lena Böning, Thomas Brunner, Ulrike Danier, Estela Díaz, Doris Fuchs, Ulrich Greveler, Daniel Guhl, Georgina Guillen-Hanson, Darya Hirsch, Christoph Klotter, Jaro Krieger-Lamina, Ortrud Leßmann, Christa Liedtke, Kathrin Loer, Reinhard Loske, Remi Maier-Rigaud, Agnieszka Małecka, Torsten Masson, Michele Micheletti, Maciej Mitręga, Jonas Nässén, Gianni Nicolini, Friederike Paetz, Walter Peissl, Michael Schleusener, Stefan Selke, Adrienne Steffen, Wiltrud Terlau, Frank Trentmann, Birgit Weber, Vita Zimmermann

The editors:

Dr Christian Bala, Project Manager CECORE

Wolfgang Schuldzinski, Chairman of the Consumer Assoication of North Rhine-Westpahalia

The publication:

Bala, Christian, and Wolfgang Schuldzinski, Hrsg. 2017. The 21st Century Consumer: Vulnerable, Responsible, Transparent? Proceedings of the International Conference on Consumer Research (ICCR) 2016. Düsseldorf: Verbraucherzentrale NRW.

Orders:

E-book and hardcover are free of charge (plus shipping and handling) via: www.ratgeber-verbraucherzentrale.de/verbraucherforschung. Foreign country orders: ratgeber@verbraucherzentrale.nrw for postage costs and delivery times.

E-book and all articles here: https://www.verbraucherforschung.nrw/iccr-proceedings-2016. Supplement material for download is available.

Review copies:

Order your review copy by e-mail to publikationen@verbraucherzentrale.nrw