Zusammenfassung
Wachsende kritische Einstellung und politische Aktivität der Verbraucher, steigende Konsumgütervielfalt und die Konzentrationstendenzen innerhalb der Konsumgüterindustrie veranlassen die staatliche Verbraucherpolitik mehr und mehr, auf detaillierte warenbegleitende Produktinformation hinzuwirken. Zumeist werden Informationsauflagen so ausgestaltet, daß sie die Verbraucher mit objektiven Fakten versorgen und ihnen die vergleichende Beurteilung der Kaufalternativen erleichtern. Erste Befunde über die Reaktion der Verbraucher auf solche Informationen stützen die Vermutung, daß sie sie zwar schätzen, aber doch mehr als ein Element der Sicherheit und nicht so sehr als Entscheidungshilfe betrachten. Sie möchten sichergehen, daß eine „dritte Instanz“ die wichtigsten Produkteigenschaften überwacht hat. In der Reaktion der Anbieter auf solche Maßnahmen liegt vermutlich deren größter Effekt. Denn der Wettbewerb wird solche Produkteigenschaften stärker berücksichtigen, die durch Informationsauflagen hervorgehoben werden.
Abstract
Government programs requiring detailed information on consumer product labels have become the usual response to: a) the greater awareness and political activity of consumers; b) the greater complexity of consumer products; and c) the emergence of large conglomerate structures within the consumer goods industries. These programs are usually designed by experts to provide consumers with objective facts, presumably to enable analysis of purchase alternatives. Early evidence concerning consumer use of these informative labels suggests that they like them but see them more as an element of security than as an input to the decision process. They want to know that a “third party” has exercised surveillance over important objective dimensions of the products. The greatest effect such programs may have on the market is through the response of manufacturers. The third party identification of particular product characteristics focuses developmental activity on those features.
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Additional information
Daniel I. Padberg is Head of Department, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. 61801, USA.
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Padberg, D.I. Non-use benefits of mandatory consumer information programs. J Consum Policy 1, 5–14 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382718
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382718