Exploring the resources associated with consumer vulnerability: Designing nuanced retail hardship programs |
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| Institution: | 1. NEOMA Business School, 1 rue du Marechal Juin, 76825 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France;2. School of Business and Economics, University of Canterbury, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand;1. Vinod Gupta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India;2. Department of Marketing, Griffith Business School, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, QLD4222, Australia;1. School of Built Environment, University of Salford, United Kingdom;2. Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Australia |
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| 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. |
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| Keywords: | Consumer vulnerability Hardship Retail Resource-based view Motivation–opportunity–ability Consumer services |
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