Empowering Consumers: The Impact of Awareness on Skill Development and Assertiveness in Market Engagement

Consumer empowerment focuses on the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and advocacy that enable consumers to recognize and defend their rights and responsibilities. This study aims to explore the relationship between consumer awareness, skills, and assertiveness, highlighting the role of consumer empowerment in defending their rights. The study involves 2,600 respondents, consisting of 1,400 individuals from urban areas and 1,200 individuals from rural areas, analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings reveal that consumer awareness significantly enhances both skills and assertiveness. Additionally, consumer skills serve as a mediator linking awareness and assertiveness. This research emphasizes that higher awareness among consumers can strengthen their competencies in defending their rights and improve assertiveness in making consumption-related decisions. Therefore, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature on consumer empowerment and provides deeper insights into the importance of awareness in supporting greater empowerment for consumers. The findings can also be used to design more effective policies in the future to enhance consumer awareness and skills.