The Recovery of Mental Frameworks from the Past: Neo-Frugality as a Renewed Consumer Ideology

The quick succession of different kinds of crises (economic, social, environmental, sanitary, political, etc.) in the last fifteen years has led to a profound change in consumers’ mindset. The shift began with the economic recession that began in 2007-2008, which challenged the prevailing belief in continuous and unstoppable economic growth and ever-increasing levels of consumption. Recently, the spread of Covid-19 together with increasing environmental instability created an unforeseen challenge for established consumption styles and raised growing awareness of the need for more sustainable habits. In this context, we have witnessed a shift in consumers’ approach to consumption, moving from the logic of quantity to the logic of frugality. Although the concept of frugality might be new for current generations, it constituted a core value in the past. Consequently, we argue that both economic constraints and the re-emergence of past values and ways of thinking are responsible for a paradigm shift, which we refer to as «neo-frugality.» The purpose of this paper is to present evidence of the re-activation and re-interpretation of an ideology which was prevalent in past generations and has regained prominence in recent years. We examine the evolution of this mindset through a historical-genetic approach, drawing on a series of mixed methods studies we have conducted in recent years. These studies include ongoing surveys with representative samples of the Italian population and a series of in-depth interviews and focus groups with different targets of consumers. The adoption of a neo-frugal ideology has led to changes in consumption habits, as well as a shift in consumers’ values and ways of thinking, with individuals starting to pay increasing attention to savings, waste reduction and recycling of goods, and simultaneously developing an aversion towards every form of excess. We discuss the process behind the recovery of neo-frugal values and habits, and outline the forms that this ideology can take. We conclude with a discussion of potential practical implications for the marketing field and for institutions.