PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a new perspective on resistance and anti‐consumption literature by relating it to consumer cynicism.Design/methodology/approachThe paper proceeds to a conceptual deconstruction of consumer cynicism by comparing the contemporary meaning of the term with the original signification of cynicism, contrasting the psychological approach with the philosophical one. This perspective sheds light on disparate forms of consumer cynicism found in previous research.FindingsFour different figures of consumption related to cynicism were distinguished in this paper. Defensive cynicism and offensive cynicism are psychological tools used to neutralize persuasion attempts or divert marketing techniques. Subversive cynicism and ethical cynicism, which are reminiscences of cynicism in Ancient Greece, challenge the consumerist ideology and even propose an alternative ethics.Originality/valuePrior research on consumer cynicism has focused on the defensive psychological dimension of the concept, limiting it to a coping device for deceived consumers. Three other facets have been explored in this paper and provide a broader framework that can account for the disparate manifestations observed in the resistance and anti‐consumption literature. This new conceptualization of consumer cynicism could also explain why consumers' disappointment with private consumption does not always lead to public involvement.

Previous research has shown that promotional techniques influence both the smart‐shopper feeling and the consumption level at home through a direct mechanism (lower perceived cost) and an indirect consequence of promotions (larger supply). The development in France of virtual bundles with quantity discounts raises questions regarding a consumer's cognitive and affective appreciation of the deal, and therefore promotional efficiency. Four experiments on French consumers confirm the effect of price and supply on declared consumption, but only for “vice” products. In Experiment 2, virtual bundles with quantity discounts lead to the lowest perceived unit price and consequently to the highest level of consumption. Additionally, when compared with more traditional promotional techniques (e.g., physical bundles), virtual bundles with quantity discounts reduce the evaluation of a “good deal” and the smart‐shopper feeling (Experiments 3 and 4). To summarize, such promotional techniques, which might have seemed appealing at first (“buy more to save more”), are preferred less by consumers than more traditional promotional techniques. These preliminary results could be enriched by field studies that go beyond declared consumption and observe consumers evolving in their natural environment across time.

Over time, consumers have developed a strong knowledge and mistrust toward stimuli from various commercial sources: Advertising, salespersons, and more recently promotional pricing techniques supposed to reduce their everyday spending. Three experiments demonstrate that consumer skepticism toward sales promotions has a detrimental effect on promotion effectiveness through two mechanisms: The discounting of savings (“too good to be true”) and the reduced purchase intention of promotional offers.

Valeur et sincérité perçues d'une promotion multi-mécanismes Résumé : Une promotion multi-mécanismes associe dans la même communication plusieurs mécanismes promotionnels mis en place par le distributeur et l'industriel. D'après la théorie des prospects, la multiplication des mécanismes devrait être créatrice de valeur pour le consommateur. Une expérimentation inter-sujet sur 210 consommateurs, proposant un ou plusieurs mécanismes monétaires pour une valeur constante de l'offre, montre que la promotion simple est préférée. De plus les résultats mettent en avant l'importance de la sincérité perçue dans la valeur perçue d'une offre promotionnelle.