Consumption Megatrends in the Conditions of Globalization

Abstract

Globalisation is one of the challenges at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. This notion is used in everyday life and may be considered from different points of view, because globalisation is a process relevant to and significantly affecting various aspects of human existence. Globalisation processes determine the changes in the system of consumer values. Globalisation of consumption is also treated as both a cause and a result of changes in consumer behaviour on the market. It involves a spread and extension of the product offer promoted on the global market, leading to convergence of consumption patterns and purchase and consumption behaviours in different parts of the world. Societies in developing countries relatively quickly adopt patterns that emerge in developed countries, often at the expense of their local cultural identities. This article aims to reveal the relationship between globalisation processes and the market behaviour of today’s con-sumers. The study contains a purely theoretical analysis of the processes of consumption globalisa-tion. In view of the requirements concerning its length, imposed by the journal, the first part of the paper concentrates solely on discussing the key determinants of globalisation as well as mechanisms and manifestations of consumption globalisation processes. Further, the focus is on consumption megatrends emerging in the era of globalisation and the Internet.