Does the breakdown of consumption in the 1990’s spell the end for consumer society ? Will abstinence become a protest vote for consumer citizens ? The answer is no. Consumer society is not dead, in fact it is refining its effect on our way of life. This book demonstrates how with households equipped and individuals saturated, consumption must respond to other, more immaterial needs. The new markets are those which can reassure people : healthcare, ecology, land, family and even solidarity.

Robert Rochefort is the director of CREDOC.