Reframing The Ethical Consumption ‘Gap’

Abstract

Mainstream consumers are increasingly expressing concerns about the ethicality of their consumption choices upon the environment, animals and/or society (De Pelsmacker, Driesen, & Rayp, 2005; Shaw & Shui, 2002). Yet, the reality is that there is a ‘gap’ between ethically-minded consumers’ intentions and the extent to which these are expressed at the cash register (Auger & Devinney, 2007; Szmigin, Carrigan, & McEachern, 2009). A growing body of research attempts to understand ethical purchase decision-making (e.g De Pelsmaker et al., 2005; Vermeir & Verbeke, 2008), but focuses mainly on the formation of ethical purchase intentions. A handful of studies do go beyond ethical consumer intentions..