Although consumption taboos are prevalent in everyday life, consumer research interest in the topic remains scant and focuses mostly on taboo products. This research moves by focusing on taboo persons and explores how barriers are presented in consumption choices for such individuals. A qualitative research design was used in the study and in‐depth interviews were conducted with 31 women from middle and upper income classes who showed an inclination to purchase sustainable menstrual products (SMPs). This study analyses how the intimate and private consumption of SMPs gets transformed into a complex socially embedded consumption choice. The study explores how and why a social structure steeped in symbolic violence towards menstruating women constrains the consumption of SMPs. Disillusioned by patriarchal subordination, the women preferred to respect boundaries and maintain stability in their life. Despite their socialization and engagement in several sustainable consumption decisions prior to the consideration of SMPs, these women exhibited a lack of agency as they could not transgress orthodox gender boundaries even as their choice reinforced prevailing social inequalities. They sought to conform to the gendered habitus instead of engaging in an act of defiance. This act of self‐restraint, however, results in tensions as the women try to legitimize a consumption choice which is inconsistent with their attitude towards sustainable consumption. The study discusses the consequences of the new restrictions faced by the women as they reframe concerns about the environment and justify their choice.
The internet has transformed the consumer approach to evaluate products and services. Consumers follow various internet-based platforms to evaluate products and services. Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is available in the form of various platforms like social media, online review websites, blogs and discussion forums in the form of textual or visual information. Hence, it is vital to have a comprehensive understanding of the eWOM domain. This article aims to systematically consolidate, synthesize and extend the knowledge on eWOM using bibliometric analysis from a multi-industry and multiple platforms perspective. A total of 746 papers have been obtained between 2000 and 2020 from the top 25 journals from the Web of Science database, including a count of 1,234 authors and 35,351 total citations in the study. This article underlines the trend of publications in eWOM research and identifies the most influential work, most productive authors, countries and journals in the eWOM domain. The clusters from co-citation and co-word analysis networks have defined the intellectual structure of eWOM literature. Finally, the keyword co-occurrence has expressed the research themes in the eWOM area through thematic evolution. The article also discusses the linkage of eWOM to information and communication technologies like the Internet of Things and blockchain technologies. Lastly, the article identifies the gaps in the literature and suggests future research directions.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the evolution, current competitive scenario, and future direction for the food-tech business in the Indian market. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on press reports, industry reports, and secondary information about companies based on interviews of CEOs, analysts, industry trend watchers, and academicians. Findings The incumbents are competing on the basis of various parameters such as capital infusion (especially, funding), tie-ups with restaurants, customer loyalty, fleet size and management, and management of employees. High growth is driving volumes for all companies, although there is lack of differentiation in offerings. Companies need to build customer loyalty and seek diverse monetization models for profitability in the future. Research limitations/implications First, food-tech companies need to identify means of differentiation to gain competitive advantage. Second, customer loyalty is the key to long-term profitability and firms need to identify ways to build it. Promotions and offers cannot build loyalty. Third, firms would need to expand into different types of monetization methods, such as cloud kitchens, B2B food delivery services, to build revenues and profits. Practical implications Incumbents and prospective entrants in the food-tech industry need to understand the structure of the industry and the structure of competition to be able to succeed in the long term. They need to understand that promotions cannot be a differentiator and that funding will dry up. Therefore, it is critical to identify means of differentiation to build a loyal customer base. Social implications The food-tech industry in India has strong social foundation. More than 50 per cent of the Indian population is below the age of 25, the percentage of working population is increasing in India and so are income levels. In this context, the food-tech business is important as order outs are increasing. This, however, has also led to problems in the workforce for such startups as companies do not want to invest in employee training, safety or work conditions owning to high attrition rate because of the standardized nature of the job. Originality/value This paper makes an attempt to assimilate information about the progress of the food-tech industry in India in the last few years. It attempts to identify various factors that decide the nature of competition among incumbent players. It also identifies what factors these incumbents need to bear in mind while looking ahead.
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