Consumer behavior: status, risks, habitualization

The article discusses the peculiarities of consumer practices from the sociological point of view. The first feature is that consumer practices are a complex process which is associated not only with meeting the needs but also with status motives that are not always recognized. The second characteristic of consumer behavior is its risks. The risks arise because consumption occurs in the absence of a deficit, and the number of goods and services offered is so great that individuals can no longer be guided by them. The third feature is the habitualization of consumer practices. The article presents the results of an empirical research to verify the hypothesis advanced about the peculiarities of practices. Based on the alternative practices of food consumption (raw food diet), the author substantiates the characteristics of consumer practices.