Do Consumers Respond to Social Movements? Evidence from Gender-Stereotypical Purchases After #MeToo

Clément S. Bellet (), David Dubois () and Frédéric Godart ()
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Clément S. Bellet: Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, Netherlands
David Dubois: INSEAD, 77300 Fontainebleau, France
Frédéric Godart: INSEAD, 77300 Fontainebleau, France

Management Science, 2025, vol. 71, issue 6, 4915-4941

Abstract: This paper explores whether and how consumers respond to global social movements challenging systemic discrimination and stereotypes. We examine the impact of the #MeToo movement on the market for products with stereotypical markers of femininity. Our analysis of high-frequency stockout and price data from a leading global fashion retailer spans from January 2017 to December 2018 and covers 32 countries, or 89% of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) population. Using a triple-difference approach across time, countries, and products, we identify changes in product-level stockouts, corresponding to a drop in the purchase of stereotypically “feminine” items. Our findings suggest a sudden shift in demand, with no immediate adjustments in product assortments or pricing. We discuss potential driving mechanisms, as well as implications for product management and marketing in marketplaces where segmentation is gender based.

Keywords: social movements; consumption; gender stereotypes; natural experiments; online retail; fashion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:71:y:2025:i:6:p:4915-4941

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