This summer has brought heatwaves to much of the world, with sweltering temperatures in North America and Europe in particular. Unlike in places that are more used to extreme heat, consumers in the United States or in Europe are struggling to adapt because their buildings and modes of transportation are not as heat-proof. As a result, consumers are trying to help themselves to some relief from the heat: Fans have sold out, cafés fill with people craving iced drinks, grocery delivery becomes more attractive, and portable air conditioners suddenly seem desirable rather than ugly.
Consumer Motivation
Although heatwaves are becoming the new normal, consumers still seem surprised each summer when they come along. Instead of preparing for heat early on by investing in fans or air conditioners, consumers panic-buy once the first really hot days make sleep and work nearly impossible. This might seem shortsighted. But it is a common consumer phenomenon that when a specific need arises (e.g., we are very hungry, or very hot), consumers’ attention narrows to whatever promises immediate relief (e.g., food, a fan), leading consumers to desire the product more and think about it in much more detail. In my own work, published in 2019, with my co-author Jochim Hansen from Salzburg University, I found that consumers who feel hot consider products that bring relief in detail because the motivation is there to purchase such a product.
But what could be wrong with consumers helping themselves and buying relief when temperatures rise? The ability to do so is very unequal in society because relief from heat is expensive. Although fans are on the cheaper side of relief measures, more effective and lasting ways to purchase relief come at a cost. Yet the costs of staying cool extend beyond the price tag of a fan or an electricity bill. They also depend on where people live and the choices available to them. A well-insulated home, access to shade, nearby parks, flexible working hours, or the option to work from home all make it easier to cope with extreme heat. Others have no choice but to commute on crowded trains, work outdoors, or live in apartments that trap heat long after the sun has set. Researchers such as Antonella Mazzone and colleagues (in 2023) have begun referring to this unequal access to cooling as cooling poverty.
Comfort as a Privilege
From a consumer perspective, this raises an interesting question. Consumers are buying fans, air conditioners, or iced coffees, but more importantly, they are buying comfort. Because the more effective measures against the heat are also more expensive, thermal comfort may become a luxury. We often think of luxury as something indulgent or extravagant, such as designer handbags or first-class travel. But in a hotter world, luxury may be to sleep comfortably through the night, work productively during the day, and escape the heat when temperatures soar. As heatwaves become more and more part of everyday life, comfort itself might be becoming a privilege that not everyone can afford.