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Why do consumers purchase goods and services in the informal economy?

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  • Williams, Colin C.
  • Martinez-Perez, Alvaro

Abstract

To evaluate critically the dominant discourse that consumers acquiring goods and services in the informal economy are rational economic actors seeking a lower price, the results of a 2007 Eurobarometer survey involving 26,659 face-to-face interviews in 27 European Union member states form the basis for analysis. The finding is that achieving a lower price is the sole motive for just 44% of informal economy purchases, one of several rationales in 28% of transactions, and not a rationale in 28% of acquisitions. Consumers also use the informal economy to circumvent the shortcomings of the formal economy in terms of the availability, speed, and quality of goods and services provision, as well as for social and redistributive reasons, with multilevel mixed-effects logit regression analysis revealing how the prevalence of these rationales significantly varies across populations. The paper concludes by discussing the theoretical and policy implications of the findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Williams, Colin C. & Martinez-Perez, Alvaro, 2014. "Why do consumers purchase goods and services in the informal economy?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 802-806.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:67:y:2014:i:5:p:802-806
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.11.048
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard White & Colin Williams, 2010. "Re-thinking Monetary Exchange: Some Lessons from England," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 68(3), pages 317-338.
    2. Andreas Buehn & Friedrich Schneider, 2012. "Shadow economies around the world: novel insights, accepted knowledge, and new estimates," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 19(1), pages 139-171, February.
    3. Benno Torgler, 2007. "Tax Compliance and Tax Morale," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 4096, March.
    4. Maloney, William F., 2004. "Informality Revisited," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1159-1178, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Colin C Williams, 2021. "Tackling Undeclared Self-Employment in South-East Europe: from Deterrents to Preventative Policy Measures," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 2, pages 280-298, July.
    2. Colin C. Williams & Abbi M. Kedir, 2017. "Starting-up unregistered and firm performance in Turkey," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 797-817, September.
    3. Wen, Huwei & Li, Nuoyan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2021. "Energy intensity of manufacturing enterprises under competitive pressure from the informal sector: Evidence from developing and emerging countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    4. Colin C. Williams, 2023. "A Modern Guide to the Informal Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 18668, March.
    5. Colin C. Williams & Ioana A. Horodnic, 2017. "Explaining participation in the undeclared economy in Central and Eastern Europe: a demand-side approach," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 297-312, July.
    6. Nesma Mohamed Ali, 2017. "Towards a better integration of the informal sector: three empirical essays on the interaction between formal and informal firms in Egypt and beyond," Erudite Ph.D Dissertations, Erudite, number ph17-05 edited by Manon Domingues Dos Santos & Boris Najman.
    7. Burgstaller, Lilith & Feld, Lars P. & Pfeil, Katharina, 2022. "Working in the shadow: Survey techniques for measuring and explaining undeclared work," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 661-671.
    8. Colin C Williams & Slavko Bezeredi, 2017. "Explaining Consumers’ Motives for Purchasing from the Informal Economy: Some Lessons from a Study of Bulgaria, Croatia and FYR of of Macedonia," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 4, pages 515-531, December.
    9. Williams Colin C., 2015. "Evaluating the Variations in Employment Relations Across Developing! Economies: A Degrees of Informalisation Approach," Journal of Economy and its Applications, Sciendo, vol. 5(1), pages 1-21, December.
    10. Adeleke. O. Banwo & Bola Momoh, 2022. "The Contextual Dimensions of Informal Economy and Entrepreneurship," Management & Economics Research Journal, Faculty of Economics, Commercial and Management Sciences, Ziane Achour University of Djelfa, vol. 4(2), pages 63-82, September.
    11. Colin C. Williams & Ioana A. Horodnic, 2016. "Evaluating the multifarious motives for acquiring goods and services from the informal sector in Central and Eastern Europe," Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 321-338, September.
    12. Adebanji William Adebanji & Oluwole Iyiola & Olaleke Oluseye Ogunnaike & Stephen Ayodotun Ibidunni & Oluwaseun Akinde & Idowu Olubodun, 2017. "Empirical Assessment of Social Motivation and Performance of Informal Entrepreneurs in Computer Village, Lagos State," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 13(5), pages 26-47, OCTOBER.
    13. Zhao, Nan & Liu, Xiaojie & Zhang, Zizhe, 2022. "Does competition from the informal sector affect firms’ energy intensity? Evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 130-142.
    14. Liu, Yang & Deng, Ping & Wei, Jiang & Ying, Ying & Wu, Bing, 2021. "How to gain from international R&D alliances? A mutual dependence logic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 800-815.
    15. Ioana Alexandra Horodnic & Colin C. Williams & Oana Țugulea & Iuliana Claudia Stoian Bobâlcă, 2022. "Exploring the Demand-Side of the Informal Economy during the COVID-19 Restrictions: Lessons from Iași, Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-16, June.
    16. Brian T. McCann & Mona Bahl, 2017. "The influence of competition from informal firms on new product development," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(7), pages 1518-1535, July.
    17. Ioana Alexandra Horodnic & Colin C. Williams & Alexandru Maxim & Iuliana Claudia Stoian & Oana Carmen Țugulea & Adrian V. Horodnic, 2021. "Knowing and Unknowing Purchases of Undeclared Healthcare Goods and Services: The Role of Vertical and Horizontal Trust," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, November.
    18. Colin Williams & Brunilda Kosta, 2021. "Why do Consumers Buy from Informal Sector Suppliers in East-Central Europe? A Case Study of Home Repair and Renovation Services," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 1, pages 134-152, March.
    19. Kefyalew Endale, 2024. "The Effects of Informal Competition on Manufacturing Firm Productivity in Ethiopia," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 15129-15160, September.
    20. Heredia Pérez, Jorge A. & Kunc, Martin H. & Durst, Susanne & Flores, Alejandro & Geldes, Cristian, 2018. "Impact of competition from unregistered firms on R&D investment by industrial sectors in emerging economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 179-189.
    21. Colin C Williams & Ioana Alexandra Horodnic, 2016. "An institutional theory of the informal economy: some lessons from the United Kingdom," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(7), pages 722-738, July.
    22. Eghosa O Igudia, 2020. "Exploring the theories, determinants and policy options of street vending: A demand-side approach," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(1), pages 56-74, January.

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