CONSUMER AND ITS ACTIVITIES: TODAY, TOMORROW AND DAY AFTER

The intent of this article is to investigate links between consumer activism, consumerism and effect of globalization in order to provide a conceptual and theoretical framework for studying consumer activism and its impacts. Consumer Activism means getting in the habit of making informed buying decisions. The three elements which are necessary for consumer activism are identity, opposition and totality. It has evolved over the years, from the early days of the cooperative movement to the contemporary era of consumerism. Consumer activists are thus cause-oriented, as they seek to bring about change within the marketplaceusually through protest, campaigning, buycotts (refusal to buy particular products, e.g., that are highly polluting), and boycotts (only buying brands that fulfil particular criteria based on human, social, and environmental capital)and their attention can focus on all or combinations of stakeholders who influence the ethos and behaviour of the market, including other consumers. Consumerism is a movement or policies aimed at regulating the products or services, methods or standards of manufacturers, sellers and advertisers in the interest of buyers, such regulation may be institutional, statutory or embodied in a voluntary code occupied by a particular industry or it may result more indirectly from the influence of consumers organizations. The principle of Caveat emptor relieved the seller of the obligation to make disclosure about the quality of the product. In addition, the personal relation between the buyer and seller was one of the major factors in their relations. But with the growth of trade and its globalization the rule no more holds true. It is now impossible for the buyer to examine the goods before hand and most of the transactions are concluded by correspondence. Further on account of complex structure of the modern goods, it is only the producer/seller who can assure the quality of goods. In the age of revolutionized information technology innovations the consumers are further deprived to a great extent. As a result buyer is being misled, duped and deceived day in and day out.

NAME: APEKSHA TIWARI UNIVERSITY: NIRMA UNIVERSITY, AHMEDABAD CONTACT DETAILS: BUNGLOW NO. 12, SANSKRITI BUNGLOWS, SARKARI VASAHAT, VASTRAPUR, AHMEDABAD- 320085 PHONE: 09067479779, 08306340222 EMAIL: 11bbl119@nirmauni.ac.in, apekshaatiwari@gmail.com