Exploring Consumption Stigma: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

Siti N. Suwanda, Emily C. Tanner, Farnoush Reshadi and M. Paula Fitzgerald

Journal of Consumer Affairs, 2025, vol. 59, issue 3

Abstract: Stigma in marketing is an umbrella topic for many marketing‐related phenomena. We conduct a systematic review of a specific stigma, consumption stigma, which we define as individuals devalued or assigned a negative social identity due to using or not using certain products or services. Using the SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol to review 50 articles, we map consumption stigma's antecedents, decisions, and outcomes to structure existing research. We find that consumers navigate stigma along a continuum, from stigma avoidance to active destigmatization efforts, including helping others. By combining the temporal stages of stigma (from its origins to its waning) with a micro, meso, and macro systems perspective, we identify 12 research questions. We conclude that researchers have many opportunities to explore how stigma is created, navigated, and mitigated by individual firms, and in the meso and macro environments.

Date: 2025
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