Outline: Nature of Supermarket Power on the High Street and Beyond
Outline the nature of supermarket power on the high street and beyond.
For this essay, I will attempt to construct an argument based on outlining and explaining supermarket power and where it comes from. To do this, I will go back to the very basics of consumerism and build up from there to the market power and buying power of supermarkets.
Defining Consumption
Consumption is defined as the “utilization of economic goods in the satisfaction of wants or in the process of production resulting chiefly in their destruction, deterioration, or transformation”, (Merrian Webster, 2013).
This definition sets the tone for consumer society and consumption itself. Kevin Hetherington describes a consumer society as a “label used to refer to a society which is defined as much by how and what people purchase and use as by what they make or do.” (Hetherington, 2012, p.13)
Social consumption is affected by two main factors: need and want. Need is something of necessity, for example food, shelter. A want is something that an individual requires mostly out of impulse without any essential need for the product or service.
Why do we consume?
An individual consumes for many reasons. Some of which are outlined below.
- They are influenced by the media and advertising.
- Social status.
- The theory of “keeping up with the Joneses”.
- The economy encourages it and thrives on it.
- The need for identity.
Schouten and McAlexander theorize subculture by using the example of the Harley Davidson Bike Club and it’s role in society. This is an excellent example of the progression of a product within the consumer society. It is a product that has spawned it’s own specific society and identity. At present, there are numerous Harley clubs all over the world with individuals who associate and identify with the Harley Davidson brand and product. That society then use that brand and product to convey their own identities. Another example of a company that has created a
For this essay, I will attempt to construct an argument based on outlining and explaining supermarket power and where it comes from. To do this, I will go back to the very basics of consumerism and build up from there to the market power and buying power of supermarkets.
Defining Consumption
Consumption is defined as the “utilization of economic goods in the satisfaction of wants or in the process of production resulting chiefly in their destruction, deterioration, or transformation”, (Merrian Webster, 2013).
This definition sets the tone for consumer society and consumption itself. Kevin Hetherington describes a consumer society as a “label used to refer to a society which is defined as much by how and what people purchase and use as by what they make or do.” (Hetherington, 2012, p.13)
Social consumption is affected by two main factors: need and want. Need is something of necessity, for example food, shelter. A want is something that an individual requires mostly out of impulse without any essential need for the product or service.
Why do we consume?
An individual consumes for many reasons. Some of which are outlined below.
- They are influenced by the media and advertising.
- Social status.
- The theory of “keeping up with the Joneses”.
- The economy encourages it and thrives on it.
- The need for identity.
Schouten and McAlexander theorize subculture by using the example of the Harley Davidson Bike Club and it’s role in society. This is an excellent example of the progression of a product within the consumer society. It is a product that has spawned it’s own specific society and identity. At present, there are numerous Harley clubs all over the world with individuals who associate and identify with the Harley Davidson brand and product. That society then use that brand and product to convey their own identities. Another example of a company that has created a
References: Corneliussen, Hilde G., Rettburg, Jill Walker., (2008) Digital Culture, Play and Identity: A World of Warcraft Reader. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. FanPop.com (2012) “Justin Bieber JustBeat headphones will 'open the ears ' of young fans”. Retrieved from http://www.fanpop.com on 4th January 2013. Hetherington, Kevin., (2009) Making Social Lives., Material Lives, Chapter 1., page 13. The Open University, Milton Keynes. Hetherington, Kevin., (2009) Making Social Lives., Material Lives, Chapter 1., page 29. The Open University, Milton Keynes. Hetherington, Kevin., (2009) Making Social Lives., Material Lives, Chapter 2., page 66. The Open University, Milton Keynes. Hetherington, Kevin., (2009) Making Social Lives., Material Lives, Chapter 3., page 72. The Open University, Milton Keynes. McAlexander, James H., Schouten, John W., Subcultures of Consumption: An Ethnography of the New Bikers. Retrieved from http://classes.bus.oregonstate.edu on 4th January 2013.