Consumers seek to punish fellow consumers who violate social
norms while shopping but also make exceptions depending on the
situation, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer
Research. "Punishment is a complex decision for consumers to
make as it is difficult to punish someone but also difficult to
look the other way. Consumers do not seem to make these
decisions lightly, and a number of interesting factors influence
consumer punishment decisions," write authors Lily Lin, Darren
W. Dahl (both University of British Columbia), and Jennifer J.
Argo (University of Alberta). Consumers are expected to follow
numerous social norms while shopping. Yet violations of these
norms are also very common. For example, some consumers may cut
in front of others while waiting in line for a cashier at the
supermarket, while others may take multiple free samples when
they aren't supposed to or create a huge mess at a store
display. How do consumers respond when other shoppers "break the
rules" in their presence? One