Exploring the resources associated with consumer vulnerability : Designing nuanced retail hardship programs

Journal article


Glavas, Charmaine, Letheren, Kate, Russell-Bennett, Rebekah, McAndrew, Ryan and Bedggood, Rowan E.. (2020). Exploring the resources associated with consumer vulnerability : Designing nuanced retail hardship programs. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 57, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102212
AuthorsGlavas, Charmaine, Letheren, Kate, Russell-Bennett, Rebekah, McAndrew, Ryan and Bedggood, Rowan E.
Abstract

Retailers across a variety of sectors offer hardship programs to assist consumers who are experiencing vulnerability. Hardship programs are typically designed as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, viewing consumer recipients as one homogenous group. To investigate the resources associated with consumer vulnerability, we thematically analyzed reports from 20 government-funded projects in Australia which directly assisted 32,498 low-income households in the energy retail sector. Our findings reveal three resource ‘bundles’: connections-resource-bundle, convenience-resource-bundle and security-resource-bundle. We then provide recommendations for retailers and service providers on what they can do to alleviate hardship for consumers within each resource-bundle.

Keywordsconsumer vulnerability; hardship; retail; resource-based view; motivation-opportunity-ability; consumer services
Year01 Jan 2020
JournalJournal of Retailing and Consumer Services
Journal citation57, pp. 1-11
PublisherElsevier Ltd. (UK)
ISSN0969-6989
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102212
Web address (URL)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698920301570?via%3Dihub
Open accessOpen access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range1-11
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Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online03 Sep 2020
Publication process dates
Accepted28 Jun 2020
Deposited19 Sep 2024
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Crown Copyright © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

For Author manuscript: © Crown Copyright
© 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0

Research data: available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698920301570?...
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Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
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