Anti-consumption beyond boundaries: From niche topic to global phenomena

The first anti-consumption special issue was published by Psychology & Marketing in 2002. More than a decade later, in 2018, the International Center for Anti-consumption Research held its seventh Symposium at the University of Almeria, Spain. This gathering was accompanied by an open call-for-papers in Psychology & Marketing to create a much-anticipated follow-up special issue. Many papers were received for both the symposium and official call. This editorial introduces the final 10 papers that comprise the Psychology & Marketing 2020 special issue on anti-consumption. While the area of anti-consumption has mushroomed into a vast array of work since 2002, this editorial provides four major themes that help to frame the contributions of the 10 new papers as well as set the scene for future work in anti-consumption. The four themes are: Conceptual clarity and refinement; ideological perspectives; environmental and sustainability focus; and novel outlooks on anti-consumption.