The impact of forced electricity rationing on shopping and media consumption

Purpose - This study provides detailed insights into how electricity rationing affects shopping and media consumption in an emerging market context. Given that electricity rationing (also known as load-shedding) is a regular occurrence in many countries, this research brings a unique consumer perspective. Design/methodology/approach - The study employed a qualitative exploratory design to investigate the effect of electricity rationing on shopping and media consumption. A combined convenience and snowball sampling technique was utilised to select 78 households across various locations in South Africa. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, themes were extracted and explained. Findings - The findings showed that, for higher-income households, media consumption remained relatively consistent or increased during load-shedding periods. Middle-income families showed a mixed pattern of media use in response to load-shedding. Lower-income households were found to bear the brunt of media-consumption constraints caused by electricity shortages. Consumers are increasingly switching to streaming alternatives to adapt to the limitations of load-shedding. The availability of streaming platforms on mobile devices and laptops and limited household battery backups allows viewers to sidestep disruptions caused by outages. Originality/value - While electricity outages are the norm in many countries, the impact on shopping and media consumption is significant. To date, no other research has comprehensively explored the impact of these outages on consumer behaviour in emerging markets.