CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ACROSS BORDERS: ARE GLOBAL CONSUMERS REALLY CONVERGING?

Abstract

This article investigates whether global consumers are genuinely 
converging in their behaviour or whether enduring cultural differences continue to 
shape consumption patterns across international markets. Drawing on a systematic 
review of theoretical and empirical literature within the convergence–divergence 
paradigm, the study argues that neither convergence nor divergence alone adequately 
explains contemporary consumer dynamics. While globalisation, digitalization, and the 
spread of multinational brands have produced measurable similarities in observable 
consumption patterns – particularly among younger, urban, and digitally connected 
populations – deeper cultural values, motivations, and decision-making processes remain 
persistently divergent. The analysis reveals a hybrid model of global consumer behaviour, 
characterised by surface-level convergence alongside deep-level cultural divergence. The 
findings carry significant implications for international marketing strategy, specifically 
supporting a “glocalisation” approach that combines global standardisation with 
culturally sensitive local adaptation.