Subsistence Marketplaces: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This introductory article is a biennial exercise to reflect on the stream of subsistence marketplaces as a prelude to the special section on this topic following the Sixth Subsistence Marketplaces Conference in 2016. The call for papers was not restricted to conference presentations. At the end of the review process, the special section contained four articles spanning a diverse set of topics. The authors provide an overview of the subsistence marketplaces stream and a background of the conference series. This is followed by a brief introduction to the special issue. They then discuss the what, how, and why for past and future work on subsistence marketplaces.

Consumer well‐being and social responsibility of subsistence entrepreneurs in subsistence marketplace

“…Our study contributes to the consumer affairs literature by focusing on the phenomenon of business malpractices in SMs that impact the wellbeing of a vulnerable group of consumers (see, e.g., Belwal et al ., 2012; Venugopal and Viswanathan, 2017; Viswanathan et al ., 2019; Fitzgerald et al ., 2020). The importance of studying subsistence entrepreneurs in SMs stems from their being a growing segment in developing countries, where they serve the poorest and most vulnerable consumers who require protection and responsible behavior from the businesses with which they interact and transact.…”

Quality-of-life as chronotopefication and futurization: Subsistence consumer experiences in India

“…Within subsistence marketplaces, involvement in marketing practices should be deeply ingrained with the purpose of social good, that is, enhancing the welfare of communities and individuals (Viswanathan et al, 2009(Viswanathan et al, , 2019. This research highlights the need for a microlevel, situated, authentic understanding of QOL experiences in subsistence marketplaces, not only required for businesses (Viswanathan et al, 2009), but also for consumers, active subsistence marketplace agents, to deeply understand the sources of their own well-being.…”

Quality‐of‐life as chronotopefication and futurization: Subsistence consumer experiences in India

“…Within subsistence marketplaces, involvement in marketing practices should be deeply ingrained with the purpose of social good, that is, enhancing the welfare of communities and individuals (Viswanathan et al ., 2009, 2019). This research highlights the need for a microlevel, situated, authentic understanding of QOL experiences in subsistence marketplaces, not only required for businesses (Viswanathan et al ., 2009), but also for consumers, active subsistence marketplace agents, to deeply understand the sources of their own well‐being.…”

“…Globally, a majority of consumers live in societies underscored by subsistence marketplaces (Viswanathan and Rosa, 2007; Venugopal and Viswanathan, 2017). Research on subsistence marketplaces adopts “a bottom‐up approach that aims to build from a microlevel understanding of individuals and communities in subsistence contexts rather than adopting a priori theoretical stances” (Venugopal and Viswanathan, 2017, 342), while at the same time focusing on well‐being outcomes for subsistence consumers as part of its broader research program (Viswanathan, 2017; Viswanathan et al ., 2019). Responding to Viswanathan et al .…”

“…Responding to Viswanathan et al . 's (2019) call for a nuanced understanding of subsistence consumers' lived experiences of well‐being, this research offers unique theoretical lenses (i.e., QOL‐CFF Framework, to be discussed in the subsequent sections) for exploring extremely impoverished consumers' well‐being experiences.…”