This research aims to investigate the potential of consumer empowerment, the activation of consumers’ perceived power over companies, to achieve improved advertising effects for organic food compared to only communicating ecological benefits (classical green appeals). Two online experiments were conducted to analyze the ad effectiveness for consumers’ responses including their evaluations of the company and purchase intentions (nStudy1 = 294; nStudy2 = 457). Results indicate that green empowerment ads reach overall better performance to increase people’s perceived customer orientation and purchase intentions compared to green appeals, while similar effects are identified for perceived corporate environmental responsibility. Empowerment tactics are especially effective when consumers perceive the supplier to be a larger, high-resource company compared to a smaller, low-resource one. The significant effects of perceived corporate resources also indicates that smaller companies should use differentiated ad strategies depending on if they intend to enhance consumers’ purchase intentions or their environmental reputation.

Consumers often struggle to assess food's environmental impact. A product ranking based on a standardized scoring approach (aggregating multiple indicators) that is easily accessible, for instance, via a mobile app, could serve as a simple decision aid for consumers. However, to avoid information overload, research is needed in which format such information should be presented. This paper examines how different information levels of an eco-score ranking influence decision uncertainty and sustainable food choice. In an online experiment (n = 332, representative by age and gender), we compared a basic eco-ranking and an extended eco-ranking (eco-rank plus additional indicators: transportation distance and eco-certifications) against a control group (no eco-ranking) in three different food categories: milk, juice, and eggs. The basic eco-ranking successfully lowered decision uncertainty compared to the two other groups. In contrast, the extended eco-ranking did not reduce consumers' decision uncertainty level. Further, the basic (extended) eco-ranking increased the likelihood of choosing a sustainable product by 26 (17) percentage points compared to the control group. Thus, providing access to a simple eco-ranking can help avoid information overload and increase sustainable consumption.

Purpose This study investigates the potential of two different digital in-store technologies and advertisement message framings according to the construal-level theory for increasing sustainable consumption. This paper aims to provide managerial implications for the promotion of sustainable products at the point of sale as well as to theoretically contribute by integrating the literature streams of perceptual research, point-of-sale marketing and construal-level theory. Design/methodology/approach The authors tested their hypotheses in a two-week field experiment with a 2 (product label: organic vs local) × 2 (message framing: high vs low construal level) × 2 (presentation technology: digital signage vs augmented reality) between-subjects factorial design. The study was conducted in two grocery stores of different sizes using milk as a test product. Purchase data, as well as attention data gathered by facial recognition software, were analyzed. Findings Even though the magic mirror augmented reality application attracted significantly more attention, it did not significantly boost sales compared to the digital signage technology. In the larger store, the sales of the advertised sustainable products were significantly higher in both technology conditions than in the control condition without advertisement. If consumers pay enough attention to the promotion, results indicate that using messages with a concrete low-level construal is more useful for organic goods. Originality/value This study is the first investigating a combination of in-store technology and construal-level message framing for the promotion of sustainable products. It extends the retailing literature by proposing a two-step approach on how to use in-store technology effectively: (1) gaining attention and (2) matching messages to existing cognitions.

Retailers increasingly focus on preventing competitive research shopping through a closer integration of their retail channels. This integration often focuses on pre-purchase aspects of the purchase process (e.g., tablets in stores to access the online store). Cross-channel delivery might be a post-purchase means to reduce competitive research shopping. One distinguishes between click and collect (delivery from the online shop to the store) and home delivery (delivery from the store to consumers’ home). An experimental study and an adoption model, developed from a large field survey, confirm the positive effects of both forms of cross-channel delivery in reducing consumers’ propensity to research shop competitively. Situational drivers appear to be instrumental especially for click and collect (experimental Study 1), but also emerge as a general driver of value perception of the service in a large field survey (Study 2, n = 1,500). Our results suggest that retailers should communicate relevant, channel-specific benefits of cross-channel delivery (e.g., time savings) to drive adoption and lower competitive research shopping.

Many people think that only powerful institutions are effective to combat eironmental problems, especially in government-guided countries such as China. This study contrasts people’s beliefs in their own abilities to improve the eironment to their perceptions of other powers (e.g. government, corporations, higher powers, and earth-cycles). Previous research explored the impact of internal and external control beliefs on individuals’ pro-eironmental behavior mostly separately in developed Western countries. Since China’s cultural and sociopolitical eironment significantly differs from that of Western countries, we develop and test an integrated model of eironmental locus of control (ELOC) to enlighten possible interactions and simultaneous effects in China. As expected, results indicate that internal ELOC generates positive effects on Chinese people’s behaviors. But contrary to our predictions, external ELOC is positively correlated with internal factors and also positively influences behaviors. The belief in one’s own abilities outperforms the belief in others to translate the confidence into reported behaviors. Nevertheless, Chinese perceive a higher level of governmental and corporate responsibility relative to their own eironmental impacts which is driven by Confucian values (i.e. group orientation, belief in hierarchy). Compared to relatively consistent internal ELOC, the perceptions of most external ELOC factors significantly differ among provinces by levels of GDP per capita. Promotional programs should stress the individual’s significance through daily behaviors in specific ways such as green purchase, activism, advocate (e.g. persuasion of friends), and recycling. Communicating the impact of powerful institutions might not necessarily trigger responsibility diffusion, but seems to promote the sense of shared responsibility.

Sustainability reports are a crucial instrument to inform outside stakeholders not only about a company's sustainability performance but also to manage impressions. However, they are often prone to greenwashing and the reporting of negative topics can jeopardize corporate legitimacy. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze reporting quality and how grocery retailing companies deal with this challenge of reporting the true picture. The empirical material is taken from the latest sustainability reports and information available on the Internet for two major German supermarkets, six grocery discount retailers, and two organic supermarkets. The Global Reporting Initiative standards are used to assess and compare the extent of information disclosure. A qualitative content analysis is applied to identify negative disclosure aspects and their legitimation. While the main focus areas (supply chain, employees, eironment/climate, and society) are similar for the companies, different levels of reporting quality appeared. Negative information is rarely reported and “abstraction” and “indicating facts” are the dominant legitimation strategies.

Consumers are put in the driver seat on the road to a sustainable development. Following a consumer-centric approach, this paper explores the dimensionality and the antecedents of responsible consumption from a psychological perspective. Concerning the dimensionality, the study proposes that responsible consumption should comprise a societal as well as an individual dimension. The data (N = 339) supported this two-dimensional approach, differentiating between societal responsibilities of consumers (doing good) and consumers’ responsibilities for their personal well-being (doing well). Moreover, the results indicate that both consumer awareness and sustainability-focused value orientation have a direct positive influence on responsible consumer behavior. In addition, the hypothesized mediating role of consumer awareness is confirmed, with mediations for societal or personal responsible consumer behavior by the respective consumer awareness dimension. Consequently, it is crucial for organizations to flank their sustainable offers with appropriate communication activities in order to motivate consumers to engage in more responsible consumption._x000D_ Keywords: Consumer awareness, multiple mediation mode, responsible consumer behavior, sustainability, sustainability-focused value orientation

Eine empirische Bestandsaufnahme zur Verständlichkeit und Akzeptanz aus Verbrauchersicht_x000D_ _x000D_ Einige Nachhaltigkeits-Claims – insbesondere zum Thema Klima – sind für die Konsumenten nur wenig verständlich und wenig kaufrelevant. Die subjektive Verständlichkeit wirkt sich in der Regel positiv auf die Kaufrelevanz eines Claims aus. Auch pauschale Aussagen wie „Aus kontrolliertem Anbau“ lösen positive Assoziationen aus und werden meistens nicht als Negativbeispiel identifiziert. Subjektive Verständlichkeit entspricht nicht immer tatsächlichem Verständnis. Umweltbewusste Konsumenten sind aufgeschlossener gegenüber Nachhaltigkeits-Claims, aber nicht unbedingt informierter.