Geopolitical Consumption: A Systematic Review of How Conflict Reshapes Global Consumer Behavior

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-440-2_160How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Geopolitical Conflicts; Consumer Behavior; Supply Chain Resilience; Technological Sovereignty

Abstract

This study systematically examines how geopolitical conflicts reshape consumer behavior in the globalization era through mechanisms including supply chain disruptions, technological blockades, ethical controversies, and information warfare. Integrating case analyses and theoretical frameworks (identity theory, risk perception theory, etc.), the research reveals differentiated impacts of three conflict types—wars, sanctions, and territorial disputes—on consumption patterns: wars trigger a chain reaction of “panic buying–price surges–generational behavioral shifts”; economic sanctions spark a “tech loyalty paradox” (e.g., Huawei sanctions driving domestic brand resurgence in China); and diplomatic clashes amplify nationalist sentiments via social media, transforming consumer goods into political symbolism. Consumer group characteristics (age, income, political orientation) further shape behavioral divergences: younger cohorts rapidly mobilize through digital platforms, high-income groups prioritize value-driven purchases, and collectivist cultures foster unified boycott campaigns. A “politically embedded consumption” framework is proposed, emphasizing the bidirectional interplay between consumer choices and global power dynamics. Resilience strategies for businesses include “dual-loop supply chains” and “tech sovereignty initiatives.” The study concludes that geopolitics has turned shopping carts into “microcosmic ballot boxes of power,” with consumer sovereignty quietly reconfiguring global order through algorithmic economies and ethical consumption.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Haocheng Wei
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/07/10
TI  - Geopolitical Consumption: A Systematic Review of How Conflict Reshapes Global Consumer Behavior
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 11th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research（ICHSSR 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1432
EP  - 1442
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-440-2_160
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-440-2_160
ID  - Wei2025
ER  -