The rise of anti-consumer communities, is your business in danger?
In today’s fast developing world we are constantly surrounded by brands and advertisements. Therefore, it is not a mistake to call our society or at least majority of it — consumer society. However, with remarkable growth of consumerism, the anti-consumer volunteer simplifier community is growing and thriving better than ever.
THE RISE OF VOLUNTEER SIMPLIFIERS
So what is a volunteer simplifier and why are they imposing such a threat? Well, these are people who out of their free will choose to limit their expenses on materialistic consumerism driven purchases and instead they turn to nonmaterialistic means for satisfaction and fulfilment (A. Etzioni). Anti-consumer communities has seen a significant growth over the past few years with people focusing more on their mental health and lifestyle sustainability. More and more people realize that money can’t buy long term happiness and that the extent of our consumption does irreversible harm to our planet, therefore people pay more attention on what they put in their shopping carts.
ANTI-CONSUMER THRIVE DURING PANDEMIC
With global pandemic affecting people one way or another, world has seen consumerism increase and decrease, both during the same year. While we have seen a global sold out on the necessities like pasta, masks, toilet paper and many more things, other industries faced the unexpected crisis. According to statistical office of European Union “Eurostat” between February and April 2020 all product groups except food and drinks has experienced a sudden drop of sales with clothing and footwear retail plunging over 75 percent. Luckily, most sales are back to normal by now, but is it really time to relax and celebrate? Not at all. During stay at home orders many people lost their income sources and were pressured to live out of their savings leading people think twice before making an unnecessary purchase. Others are scared of the second wave and saving as much as possible. This is particularly dangerous for non-necessity brands since some people will get used to lower consumption and might choose volunteer simplifiers path instead.
THE ERA OF SUSTAINABABLE BUSINESS
If five years ago classifying your business as sustainable was optional and enough to stand out in the crowd full of competitors, today it is a requirement from consumers themselves, especially anti-consumers. While some businesses might have a hard time shifting their production process to an environmentally friendly one, for others this trend opens up the doors for new opportunities and business ventures. For instance, worry about sustainability and the environment resulted in sudden increased demand of reusable straws and in the end creating responsible consumer base.
3 TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAY RELEVANT DURING ANTI-CONSUMER BOOM:
- INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
If it’s still not obvious that sustainability isn’t just another trend that will come and go in a nick of time, this is your wake up call. Today sustainable development isn’t just another positive feature for a business, doing nothing to prevent our environment from being harmed can easily destroy reputation of your business and substantially reduce your customer circle.
2. OFFER VALUE, NOT GOODS
Every invention, every product has a reason why they exist. So don’t just sell your products of services, sell the experience that will come with it. For instance, hotels on the Hawaiian beaches sell the relaxing tropical fantasy experience for the ones who are willing to pay for it, not just a place to sleep during their vacation. Identify what value your goods provide to the customers and get creative with it!
3. LET YOUR BRAND CREATE LIFESTYLE TRENDS
Stop chasing consumption trends. These trends aren’t long lasting and most likely will be forgotten about in a year or two. Instead focus on creating long-lasting lifestyle trends that are going to improve people’s lives. Each business is unique in their own way, so find your niche and let your business submerge in it — the outcome will be so much more satisfying!
