The role of sustainability in profiling voluntary simplifiers

Mathias Peyer, Ingo Balderjahn, Barbara Seegebarth and Alexandra Klemm

Journal of Business Research, 2017, vol. 70, issue C, 37-43

Abstract: Studies focusing on voluntary simplifiers are gaining in popularity, but doubt remains about the relevance to business of this segment and to what extent this lifestyle is attributable to sustainability-rooted choices. Instead of the commonly used self-reported scales, a novel measurement approach is applied using objective data to identify voluntary simplifiers. Based on equivalent household incomes and level of product possession this research provides, using a large-scale, representative sample, empirical evidence that voluntary simplifiers comprise almost one-sixth of the German population. Results indicate that voluntary simplifiers buy more green products, exhibit a greater environmental and economic sustainability consciousness and share more universalistic values compared to four other uncovered segments, namely well-off consumers, over-consumption consumers, less well-off consumers and poor consumers. From a business perspective, moderate voluntary simplifiers do not exit the market. Instead, they constitute an attractive target group for ecological products and alternative consumption options such as sharing.

Keywords: Voluntary simplicity; Sustainability consciousness; Human values; Sustainable consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:70:y:2017:i:c:p:37-43

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.07.008

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