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Changes and trends in alcohol consumption patterns in Europe
Author(s) -
Smith David E.,
Solgaard Hans Stubbe,
Beckmann Suzanne C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of consumer studies and home economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.775
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1470-6431
pISSN - 0309-3891
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2737.1999.00115.x
Subject(s) - consumption (sociology) , internationalization , convergence (economics) , pace , alcohol consumption , consumer demand , economics , consumer spending , economic growth , alcohol , sociology , geography , social science , market economy , international trade , macroeconomics , biochemistry , chemistry , geodesy , recession
Consumer behaviourists and consumer policy‐makers are interested in the degree to which global convergence is occurring for various consumer behaviour dimensions, the extent to which the consumption patterns in different parts of the world are becoming similar and the extent to which these trends may be influenced and/or influence consumer policy. With increasing internationalization and cultural cross‐fertilization, the industrialized societies of the world are converging in many ways. Shifts in alcohol consumption patterns in Europe over the past 50 years represent a case in point. As traditional cultural boundaries become blurred, consumer preferences for alcoholic beverages appear to be driven less by long‐standing local and regional traditions and more by growing acceptance of a wider choice. The disparity in total alcohol consumption among the 15 countries studied has also decreased. Other powerful forces are likely to accelerate the pace of convergence in the future.