by ConsumerShift identifies the changing consumer values and external trends that are remaking the consumer landscape. Five key themes form the core of these changes, making “A CASE” for change. Third, is “A”: Anti-consumerism.
Ironically, a book with the word Consumer in it title (twice, nonetheless) should suggest that consumerism is on its way out. The concept and the word is so pervasive today, that to not use it risks irrelevance. At the same time, the idea of consumption as the means to happiness is on its way out.
A disenchantment with consumerism has been gaining momentum. The rapid pace of modern life has taken its toll on lifestyles and relationships. People are recognizing those costs, and given their relative affluence, are increasingly willing to trade off money and material goods for time to enjoy experiences and invest in relationships. This is not necessarily extreme, e.g., recycling underwear—they appreciate the need for goods and services—but rather a sense that the consumption relationship needs to be reoriented such that consumption is not the end, but a means to various ends. Andy Hines
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