Consumer behavior research in the 21st century: Clusters, themes, and future research agenda

Abstract

This study provides a quantitative overview of contemporary consumer behavior research in the 21st century (2001–2020) to inform future research directions in consumer behavior research. Using co‐citation analyses, this study identifies the most cited authors, publications, and academic journals in consumer behavior research in each of four 5‐year intervals in 2001–2020 to profile research themes and relationships among different research clusters. Key research themes are then mapped based on co‐citation matrices. The results show that major research themes in consumer behavior research in the last two decades have shifted from the focus on fundamentals of consumer behavior, consumers' decision‐making process, development of more robust measures and analytical methods to the focus on service quality and consumer satisfaction, online consumer behavior and virtual communities, sustainable consumption, as well as the experiential aspects of consumer behavior. The findings help map the invisible knowledge network embedded in contemporary consumer behavior research and shed light on future research agenda in consumer behavior studies.