Disadvantaged Consumers, Market Access, and Consumer Well-Being

In this chapter, we examine how the experiences of disadvantaged consumers, including ethnic and religious minorities, immigrants, and refugees, those with disabilities or chronic illness, and the low literate, shape psychological well-being. Disadvantaged consumers experience a higher risk of discrimination compared to the general population, resulting in inequitable access to the marketplace. The availability, affordability, and acceptability of goods and services are lower for minority consumer groups. Importantly, improving disadvantaged consumers’ psychological well-being involves more than simply removing objective access barriers. The vulnerable consumer’s psychological well-being also depends on their perceived sense of inclusion in the marketplace. The chapter identifies promising avenues for marketing practitioners and policymakers to develop more inclusive practices that improve these consumers’ psychological well-being.