When critical purchase behaviour promotes socio-economic wellbeing: the case of Italian EPGs

The paper focuses on ethical purchase group (EPG) phenomenon as an alternative model of consumption (i.e., critical consumption), driven by care of community, wellbeing and social responsibility, where consumption itself is a language through which producers and consumers intertwine and exchange each other meanings, beliefs and values. Specifically, having underlined the social role of EPGs in orienting consumers choices, we aim to describe and give evidence of their capability to share knowledge and experiences among members in a virtuous process of mutual learning. Approaching the analysis from a historical perspective, thus, we frame ethical consumer behaviour as a coherent system of decisions inspired by sobriety, social equity and solidarity to offer a real, concrete alternative to consumerism and mass capitalism.