Call for Papers

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The Journal of Consumer Affairs announces a Special Issue on

"Enhancing Consumer Well-Being: Addressing Gaps, Building Strength"

Submission deadline: September 1 2025 extended to October 1, 2025

Special issue editors:
Yilan Xu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Swarn Chatterjee, University of Georgia

Enhancing consumer well-being requires a clear understanding of the factors that shape access to opportunity and the capacity to navigate disruption. This special issue explores how gaps in resources, information, and support systems affect consumer outcomes—and how households respond to economic and environmental challenges that threaten their well-being. We invite interdisciplinary research that examines barriers in accessing tools, services, and knowledge that enable informed decision-making. We also seek studies that analyze how consumers prepare for, respond to, and recover from adverse events such as personal financial shocks (such as job loss, medical expenses, or family disruptions), natural disasters, and market disruptions—highlighting the behavioral, institutional, and structural factors that foster adaptability and security. By advancing evidence on these fronts, this issue aims to inform practical solutions, policy strategies, and regulatory frameworks that strengthen consumer capacity, reduce gaps, and promote long-term stability and well-being.

The special issue welcomes submissions in topics including but not limited to:

  • Examining factors contributing to differences in consumer outcomes, including financial capability, income, education, employment, and geographic context.
  • Exploring access challenges faced by various consumer segments, such as technological gaps, financial constraints, or physical limitations.
  • Evaluating the differential impact of consumer policies on different consumer groups, taking into account variations in income, demographics, and regional characteristics.
  • Assessing the effectiveness of policies, programs, outreach strategies, or best practices that aim to promote consumer accessibility and well-being.
  • Examining consumers’ adaptation to environmental challenges, such as natural disasters and resource depletion, to ensure their well-being.
  • Analyzing consumers’ preparedness for withstanding economic fluctuations, recessions, financial crises, and health shocks.
  • Evaluating strategies for enhancing financial capability and preparedness, including promoting financial literacy, encouraging savings, and expanding income sources.
  • xamining the roles of institutional and community-based supports, such as social safety nets and peer networks, in helping consumer navigate uncertainty and risk.

Timeline

Submission window: June 1 – September 1, 2025 extended to October 1, 2025
Publication date expectation: Winter 2026

Submission Criteria

We seek high quality quantitative and qualitative research that contribute to the understanding of consumer equity and resilience. The selection is based on JCA criteria for original manuscripts.

Full manuscripts to the Special Issue may be submitted online through Scholar One Manuscripts at https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/JOCA. Style guidelines and publishing requirements can be viewed online at wileyonlinelibray.com/journal/JOCA.