Towards a preliminary model of consumer empowerment

Internet technologies have the potential to promote a power shift from sellers to buyers. Consumers may be empowered because they are just ‘one click’ away from a plethora of global competitors, all vying for their business. Because consumer empowerment may imply switching suppliers in search of better value propositions, it checks competitive advantage hence business cannot afford to ignore it. This paper develops a model of consumer empowerment enabled through the growth of information and communication technology that links the sources of consumer empowerment as an interactive process involving marketing activity