B56: An Exploration of Benelux Consumer Behavior as a Unique Product of Liminal and Cross-Border Interactions

The countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, commonly known as the Benelux region, benefit from the economic and consumer bridges facilitated by the European Union, Schengen Agreement, and a shared currency (the euro). Understanding the history of this region through historian Tony Judt’s Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 provides the necessary context to study the region’s consumption habits in the present. The Benelux countries have a unique, companionate consumer culture based on their frequent cross-border interactions of shopping and working and significant shared social concerns such as environmentalism, immigration, and language. This region’s economy is dominated by the services sector, which contributes the most to the innovation and wealth of the region. Although nationalism is on the rise across Europe, national borders do not demarcate strong taste or consumption preferences compared to regional (or even subnational) habits in the Benelux countries. Labor economics and inflation play a role in maintaining economic standards and stability within this region, impacting the cost of goods and services in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Ultimately, the higher labor costs, regulated by government mandates during inflationary times, combined with higher costs of goods due to limited scale economies create a more expensive purchasing environment in the Benelux region. This creates a conversation for marketers working for multinational companies to determine the best ways to serve consumers within the region, such as through offering varying types of promotions, changing packaging to include multiple languages, preferring different methods of payment, and considering the environmental and social ramifications of selling products within the Benelux region. Through this evaluation of consumption in the Benelux region, it becomes clear that cross-border interactions are paramount to the consumption experience of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Author(s): Lidia Marusic, Marketing & Human Capital Management and Leadership Major

Advisor(s): Erik Jensen, Department of History