Immigrant Consumption Behaviors: A Systematic Integrative Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

This article explores the concept of “immigrant consumption behavior (ICB)” in the context of its holistic surroundings. The study investigated the current dynamics and scientometrics of the research field regarding immigrant consumption behaviors. Using an integrative approach employing bibliometric and content analysis, it scrutinized a collection of 224 studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases to detect the field evolution, disciplinary distribution thematic map, and emerging trends in the ICB literature, as well as to forecast research directions. The results showed that ICB is a multi- and inter-disciplinary research area that experienced three phases of growth between 1989 and 2023: initiation (1989–2006), development (2007–2012), and consolidation (2013–now). The thematic analysis revealed five current trends, i.e., (1) the immigrant consumption behavior domain, (2) the demographic sub-groups of immigrants and related consuming products, (3) country-, region-, and cultural-focused studies, (4) the effects of culture and the acculturation process, and (5) the impact of urbanization. Each theme contains a number of sub-themes. Based on the current thematic evolution and keyword burst analysis, this paper suggests a number of critical research directions, comprising (1) observatory studies including remittances, China, ethnic minorities, lifestyle, inequality, urbanization, and food consumption; (2) context-based studies focused on socioeconomic, cultural, legal, and environmental factors; (3) studies based on compensatory and compromissory consumption behavior; (4) studies focused on sustainable and green consumption behaviors; and (5) studies regarding the behavior of specific demographic co-ethnic communities. The results have great implications for developing interventions and programs that can support immigrant populations in making appropriate consumption patterns and adapting to new cultural environments. The paper pushes forward the ICB investigation from individual empirical studies to synthesis-based research, which (1) provides an ample overview of the ICB literature, (2) identifies research priorities, emerging trends, and gaps, (3) proposes new research avenues for investigation, and (4) outlines expected contributions. The research contributes to a variety of disciplines through the provision of new knowledge, since ICB studies are multidisciplinary in nature. It also has numerous implications for policymakers and practitioners.

1. Introduction

Over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, population issues and population policies have evolved significantly. The rapid growth of the global population, which was framed as the central issue of population policy during the second half of the 20th century, has now started to slow [1]. International migration has become increasingly prevalent in our increasingly interconnected world [2]. With the advent of modern transportation, people can easily move to other countries for a variety of reasons, including employment, business opportunities, education, and quality of life. Global migration has continued to increase rapidly in recent years, according to the United Nations International Migration Report (2019), with over 258 million migrants in 2017 and more than 272 million migrants in 2019, up from over 220 million in 2010 and over 173 million in 2000 [3]. Even though “COVID-19 has radically altered mobility around the world”, international migrants still rose from 272 million to 281 million in 2020, according to the latest UN report ([2], p. 3). Moreover, the UN report stated that international migration is expected to continue in the near future. Scholars believe that individuals are currently able to move internationally more easily than in the past, and international migration and cross-border activities are growing faster, along with the use of capital transfers, technology spread, the exchange of goods, the provision of services, and the spread of culture [4]. Due to this global immigration trend, the IOM (2022) stressed the growing cultural bonds between people and countries.

However, such dramatic immigration flow could pose a number of challenges for the host-country (new resident country) operations, as well as socioeconomic changes in the immigrants’ home country (country of origin). Among these challenges, the immigrant consumption behaviors (ICBs) have dramatically changed host countries’ socioeconomic, cultural, entrepreneurial, and sustainable development environments in response to immigrants from various countries, religions, and lifestyles, in particular for some advanced countries with a high percentage of the population born overseas [5,6]. From an economic aspect, some research indicated that immigrants increase economic growth and decrease unemployment in the host country. Other studies reported inconsistent results, stating that immigrants hinder economic growth, due to most immigrants emigrating from developing countries with little or no wealth, and increase unemployment, due to the fact that their lack of employment skills required in receiving countries [7,8]. Empirical marketing studies show that the greatest challenge in marketplaces where foreign-born immigrants form significant consumer groups is the affinity to make ethnocentric consumption choices. From a business environment perspective, multilingual promotion and staffing are required for migrant businesses, such as retail ventures.

The immigrant population is one of the fastest-growing segments of the population in advanced countries, particularly in European, North American, and Australasian countries, representing a huge opportunity for socioeconomic change. In comparison to the early 1960s, when modern immigration began, there are a greater number of generations and a broader range of populations of immigrants today [9]. As a result, immigrants are a significant segment of the consumer market, making it important to reach them and understand how they behave. Compared to people in the host country, immigrants express diverse cultural backgrounds, have dissimilar habits, and display unique behaviors [9].

In the field of academic research, there is a growing focus on understanding and studying ICB [10,11]. Researchers are recognizing the importance of exploring how cultural influences, acculturation, and social and environmental factors shape the consumption patterns of immigrants and ethnic minorities. This interest stems from the recognition that immigrants play a significant role in the population increase of countries like the United States, and as their numbers continue to grow, it becomes increasingly important to understand their consumption behaviors [10,12]. By studying ICB, researchers hope to gain insights into how cultural adaptation and integration impact the consumption choices of immigrants [13]. Furthermore, researchers are interested in examining how different acculturation modes relate to immigrants’ product consumption behaviors and levels of ethnocentrism.

Consumer behavior may change when a person moves to a different cultural environment. Consumption changes of this type can be categorized as consumer acculturation, i.e., the movement of individuals from one country to another country and their adaptation to the consumer culture of that country. Consumers who migrate from one culture to another may assimilate to the majority culture’s norms, reject the majority culture’s norms and retain their original consumption patterns, or selectively adapt to the norms of the majority culture [14,15]. Other factors may influence the level of acculturation in addition to those listed above. Therefore, for marketing purposes, it is essential to understand how and why migrants change their consumption behaviors.

Currently, scholars agree that the cultural factors, cross-culture status, and the acculturation process are three key determinants that affect ICBs [16,17]. However, we do not have a good understanding of how immigrants’ cultural values differ from those in their home country and their host country, particularly regarding how values influence their behaviors. According to Berry (2005) [14], the migrant’s level of acculturation reflects the degree to which he or she adheres to or rejects a particular set of values. Nevertheless, research on how immigrant values change and consequently, how they affect behavior, is lacking [18,19]. In addition, urbanization is another key element impacting ICBs in regards to international immigrants and migrants with nations [20,21,22].

Most consumption theory research has been conducted in a national context, without considering the unique characteristics of subpopulations, geographic regions, or other socioeconomic classifications [5,23,24]. As part of the analysis of consumption patterns, some migrant characteristics are currently being considered. Krivohlavek et al. (2023) examine the household products [25], Kuuire et al. (2016) examine how consumption expenditures have changed in response to changing future expectations [26], and Kizgin et al. (2019) examine the impact of social media on consumption [9]. The research of Cockx et al. (2018) focused on the changes in urbanization and the dietary perspective and found that the changes in migrants’ consumption behavior are related to the transition out of farming, differences in food prices, and particularly, to income changes [20].

Meanwhile, immigrants are another group that has received insufficient attention in the research [5,23,27]. As a result, it is not surprising that migration is typically analyzed in terms of products rather than consumption and behavior [27,28,29]. Although immigrant consumption patterns differ from those of native-born citizens, these differences have important implications for governments, institutions, businesses, academics, and industries [16,28]. For example, as immigrants increase, a pattern generated by trips from the new host-country to the country of birth (home country or region) becomes more common, both for visiting friends and relatives, as well as for accessing health care services. However, these home-country visiting activities were scarcely studied [30]. According to Connell (2013), a large portion of international medical travel is conducted by diasporic populations [31]. There is thus a need to better understand the mobility consumption constellations of returning migrants, in which tourism may be bundled with other motivations and practices.

In addition, there is a lack of review study. The query results of this study are based on the Web of Science and Scopus databases, which are the most accredited academic repositories, and these two sources only reveal one review article, i.e., “A Systematic Review on the Impact of Internal Remittances on Poverty and Consumption in Developing Countries: Implications for Policy” [28]. Using narrative synthesis with 18 reviewed studies, this remittance-oriented review concluded that internal migration is an important strategy for reducing poverty, with remittances having the greatest impact on the poorest households in developing countries. But immigrant consumption is a much larger domain, which requires significantly more academic attention and a continuous series of different types of reviews [32,33,34]), including narrative and systematic reviews (e.g., bibliometric analysis).

It is intended that this domain-based systematic integrative review, which combines bibliometric analysis with content analysis [32,35]), will address this lack. As a result of these approaches, the above-mentioned gaps will be filled by systematizing the scientific accomplishments related to ICBs, providing a comprehensive overview of the latest fragmented literature and developing future research avenues. This objective was achieved by establishing four objectives: (1) to identify all articles that exist in accredited scholarly databases, such as WoS and Scopus, that are influencing the intellectual structure of the field of ICBs, (2) to identify the clusters, sub-clusters, and sub-sub-clusters of publications associated with a particular topic, (3) to identify emerging development paths represented by each thematic cluster, as well as their theoretical foundations and strategic principles, and (4) to forecast future research directions. Taking this into account, this review study was conducted to answer four research questions: (1) What are the current publication and citation trends in ICB research? (2) Which journals, authors, institutions, and countries are the most influential for ICB research? (3) What historical evolution of study themes has occurred in ICB research? (4) What are the current themes, emerging trends, and research agendas in ICB research?

Following the introduction section, this paper begins with a brief explanation of the research background and the state-of-the-art of the literature. The third section offers the research design, the data collection process and analysis, and the visualization. Further, it highlights research gaps, as well as popular research themes. Comprehensive investigative results comprising the dataset description, scientific production, citation, and thematic analysis, including ICB research evolution and thematic maps, are then presented. Then, the emerging trends are synthesized, and the research agenda is forecasted. In the Conclusion, the study is summarized, and its theoretical and practical implications, current research gaps, and research limitations are discussed.

2. Research Background

Two sociological research streams, ethnocentrism and acculturation, exist in the extant literature. Ethnocentrism may explain the purchase decisions of immigrants. As a result of one’s biased evaluation, ethnocentrism refers to a critical view of the cultural values and norms of another. As a result of ethnocentrism, immigrants may feel a sense of belonging and pride which may influence their consumption choices in favor of ethnic brands and businesses. The ethnocentric view of immigrant consumer behavior is supported by studies conducted with ethnic retailers and foreign-born consumers [36]. Acculturation, another concept, may explain an immigrants’ adaptive behavior after settlement that is different from an ethnocentric view [18]. Acculturation results in immigrants learning and engaging in consumption practices that are shaped by the cultural practices of the country in which they live. Theoretical evidence indicates that the consumption-related behavior repertoires of immigrants (e.g., eating, media usage) differ not only with respect to time, but also with respect to the type of consumption [18]. When it comes to tangible and intangible products, including food and travel services, new settlers are more likely to choose ethnic brands and stores than acculturated representatives.

Using ethnocentrism and acculturation lenses, Guo and Özdinç (2021) examine Chinese New Zealanders’ consumption choices. In the study, they examined the tendency of customers to visit a Chinese or mainstream business and their fondness for being served by a Chinese staff member in a majority society. The correlation between a strong command of English and acculturation is positive, whereas the correlation between ethnic identification and preference for ethnic businesses is negative. There is a tendency for women, young people, people with less education, and those who are economically inactive (e.g., retired) to patronize Chinese businesses when they purchase items of a basic nature (i.e., groceries), a high risk nature (i.e., real estate), a private natures (i.e., medical treatment), and a sensitive nature (i.e., personal care). At mainstream retailers, Chinese consumers are also eager to be served by Chinese employees. In local markets where Chinese immigrants are concentrated, small mainstream businesses may be threatened by their ethnocentric consumption preferences. In order to meet the needs of ethnically diverse consumers, a strategy must be developed that caters to their needs.

Traditionally, Hofstede’s (1998) definition of culture, used in cross-cultural studies, has been that culture refers to the collective programming mindset that differentiates members of one group from those of another [37]. Culture is defined as “the lens through which all phenomena are viewed (p. 4).” Therefore, it determines the way in which these phenomena are understood and assimilated. In simpler terms, it is the plan for human behavior. As per McCracken (1990), emic methods encourage a deep comprehension of the study’s culture by adopting an insider’s perspective. The choice between emic, which explores one culture from within, and etic, which compares cultures from an foreigner’s view, depends on the research question, purpose, available resources, and correlated training.

Luna and Gupta (2001) created a model that explains how culture and consumer behavior interact, building on Hofstede’s (1998) [37] definition of culture. According to this model, people’s behavior is shaped by their cultural values in a given context. Culture influences consumer behavior, which in turn reinforces cultural elements such as values, heroes, rituals, and symbols. Consumer behavior, as described by Bennett (1996), is the way in which people exchange goods and services, involving a dynamic interplay between emotions, thoughts, actions, and the environment.

The process of cultural change and adaptation begins as immigrants become acquainted with the host culture [14]. When two or more cultures are continuously in contact, a process known as acculturation occurs, which results in a change in both or either group’s original cultural patterns [38]. In spite of the fact that acculturation may be both a one-way and a two-way process [15], studies to date have focused on the influence of the host culture on acculturating immigrants, since minority groups are more affected by acculturation than are the host group.

A variety of contextual factors contribute to varying degrees of acculturation, depending on the immigrant group and the host society [15]. However, it is commonly believed that acculturation at the individual level is a universal phenomenon. In spite of substantial differences in circumstances, psychological processes regarding acculturation are essentially the same for all cultural groups [15]. In spite of the fact that context can affect immigrants’ acculturation, this view acknowledges that there are underlying psychological processes that occur during acculturation [14,15].

According to Lee et al. (2023), the attitudes and behaviors of immigrants adapted to host cultures are discussed and explained by two acculturation theories: unidimensional and bidimensional [18]. The two approaches are quite different in terms of how they conceptualize the dynamic between an individual’s original culture (home-country culture) and the dominant cultural environment (host-country culture). According to unidimensional models, acculturation occurs linearly, as individuals adapt to the host culture while distancing themselves from their own culture [39,40]. As described by de Snyder (1987), acculturation can be viewed along a bipolar continuum (unacculturated to assimilated). It is generally regarded that adhering to the home-country culture and immersion in the mainstream culture are polar opposites [40]. In the process of acculturation towards the dominant culture, individuals tend to lose certain aspects of their original culture.

According to Berry (2005), there are four ways in which people acculturate to a new culture [14]. These include (1) assimilation: the process whereby a person loses his or her home culture and completely adopts the values and norms of the new culture; (2) integration: this occurs when one has one foot in each camp, as it is when they are a part of their new culture and adopt some of its norms and values, while also maintaining strong relationships with their culture of origin; (3) separation: this occurs when an individual refuses to participate in the new culture, as their preference is to remain rooted in their own culture; and (4) marginalization: in this case, a person rejects both their home culture and their new culture. There is no affiliation between them and either group. When adjusting to life in a new culture, immigrant behavior can vary depending on their acculturation strategy. Studies have shown that people who “integrate” have the best psychological outcomes.

A number of shortcomings have been identified with unidimensional conceptualizations. As a first point, they are simplistic and fail to recognize that in contemporary multi-cultural societies, there is no requirement to lose original cultural traits when adopting the host culture [41]. In the same way, unidimensional models fail to recognize the complex cultural processes that allow two cultures to coexist within an individual. These models pose measurement difficulties due to their interdependence rather than an orthogonality between the original culture and the host culture, as well as their inability to capture how individuals acculturate to both cultures [39,42].

A bidimensional conceptualization of acculturation emerged later, which treats home and host cultures as independent. It is defined as a dynamic process in which the original culture is maintained (i.e., ethnic identification), while simultaneously adapting to the host culture (i.e., acculturation) [39,42]. In cultural maintenance, individuals maintain characteristics of their culture of origin to varying degrees, from solid adherence to their original culture to total resistance to maintaining it. A person’s adaptation involves their interaction and participation with the host-country culture, ranging from active participation and adaptation to completely rejecting the host culture’s values, feelings, and manners [14]. Thanks to these two dimensions, individuals are capable of understanding both cultures and comprehending the realities and challenges that are inherent to the cultural shift process in a more effective manner.

Currently, researchers are generally in agreement that the bidimensional model of ethnic identification and acculturation offers a more comprehensive framework for cultural change than the traditional paradigm, as it allows individuals to maintain or reject their cultural heritage, while simultaneously acquiring elements of the host culture. To understand how acculturation affects immigrants, it is vital to recognize its dimensions, as each can impact outcomes in various ways [43]. In this regard, Phinney and Flores (2002) [43] emphasize the importance of considering each dimension independently. Studying the relationship between acculturation and ethnic identification and consumer loyalty constructs is still the main purpose in the ICB research field [18].

However, all the above-mentioned research areas are mainly investigated using empirical or qualitative review studies. There is a lack of quantitative investigation based on author keywords and context. This research aims to fill the gap through bibliometric and content analysis. Duan (2023) indicated that combining bibliometric analysis and content analysis can be used for big data analytics, such as literature metadata analysis—descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analysis—which are the concerns of this study.

3. Data Collection and Analysis

3.1. The SPAR-4-SLR Protocol of This Systemic Literature Review

To assist academics in systematically reviewing a particular domain and aligning their decisions regarding these reviews, Paul et al. (2021) [34], recommend a scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol. In this bibliometric analysis of ICB, three stages and six substages are involved (Figure 1). As a first step, it is necessary to identify and acquire previously unreported literature. The second stage involves organizing and purifying the literature that is currently being synthesized. In the third stage, the synthesized literature is evaluated and reported. By utilizing the SPAR-4-SLR protocol, systematic literature reviews can generate state-of-the-art knowledge and promote agendas to advance knowhow [32,33]. SPAR-4-SLR will also provide such insights and agendas clearly, transparently, and logically, based on logical and pragmatic reasoning. To maintain the rigor of SPAR-4-SLR protocol (e.g., efficiency and effectiveness), Paul et al. (2021) [34] strongly discourage users from modifying its procedures and standards.

Analyzing bibliometric data (i.e., publication and citation information) through the use of quantitative tools can be defined as bibliometric analysis. This study analyzes the literature comprising ICB studies using bibliometric analyses (e.g., publication productivity, key articles) and content analyses (e.g., topics, themes, application areas), following SPAR-4-SLR protocol. The method of bibliometric analysis, combined with content analysis, can be applied to a variety of fields, including those associated with ICB, and is a recognized method of scientific inquiry. The combined method is an objective methodology for reviewing literature because it is based on specific review protocols and quantitative analysis techniques. Compared to other review methods, this technology overcomes some drawbacks, such as a lack of review protocol (e.g., judgmental) or limits of independent clarification due to the absence of empirical analysis techniques (e.g., thematic). An overview of the procedure of this study can be found in Figure 1.

According to Gupta, Chauhan, Paul, and Jaiswal (2020) [44], prior research indicates that when the purpose of the research is to identify research themes in quantitative studies using a large number of publications, it is not necessary to study all the findings of each paper to control the quality of the research. In fact, in the data collection process, the quality of the research papers was controlled through SSCI and SSCI extensions, as well as Scopus’ inclusive criteria.

3.2. Data Collection

Before conducting a scientometric analysis, it is important to collect data that can be processed by selected data processing applications. As part of this study, we searched for papers that demonstrated significant achievements in the area of ICB. In order to obtain such high-quality research, we consulted the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) and Scopus, which provide detailed metadata regarding publications, including title, keyword, abstract, author, affiliation, and cited references. As far as scientometric analysis is concerned, these databases are of good design and are widely recognized. The query string of (“consumption behavio*” or “consuming behavio*”) and (migrant* or immigrant* or migration or immigration) for all fields were used as the subjects of the investigation. SCI (SCI-EXPANDED) and SSCI (Social Science Citation Index) were selected as database restrictions for the search expression. With the purpose of determining the earliest publication and exploring the publication trend, no time limitation was set up, and the latest and most historical immigrant-consuming behavior research would be included. The document types were established as “Articles” and “Review Articles” in regards to the validity of various types of research papers in the two databases. The language was limited to English. As a result, 48 articles were selected and extracted to Endnotes.

In order to exhaustively include research articles, a second search using the Scopus database was conducted. Elsevier’s Scopus database contains abstracts and citations of peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals, books, and conference proceedings. The same search string was applied to search the Scopus database’s titles, keywords, and abstracts. After applying the same inclusive criteria, 223 research papers, including 11 review research, were exported to Endnotes.

In the process of merging two datasets into a final dataset, 36 duplicated articles were removed, leaving 235 entries for document screening. In the document screening process, one report was found and remove, thus, the final dataset contains 234 articles. The procedure of data collection and processing is shown in Figure 2.

3.3. Data Analysis and Visualization

A bibliometric analysis was conducted on all 234 articles, and the results were presented accordingly. As a first step, we provide an overview of the ICB studies published to date, as of August 2023. As a second step, we present the most cited hallmarked studies in the field of consumption behavior among immigrants. The third part of our study focuses on the most prominent and influential journals in terms of publishing articles related to ICB research. The paper concludes with a list of the most influential and productive authors who have contributed to the advancement of ICB research. A comprehensive overview of the bibliometric data (data analysis and visualization) was obtained using VOSviewer and R-Bibliometrix applications. In addition to its user-friendly interface and advanced data visualization capabilities, these applications allow researchers to analyze and explore large amounts of complex data.

Cluster analysis is primarily concerned with creating thematic or social groups (depending on the type of analysis). Generating network clusters and detecting their evolution can be helpful in identifying how a study field manifests and evolves [45]. Thematic clusters were created by utilizing keyword co-occurrences, co-citation analyses, and bibliographic couplings, for example, to shed light on the major themes that have underpinned the intellectual structure and how they have developed over time. Various clustering techniques are available. In this study, VOSviewer author keyword co-occurrence clustering is employed. The key measurements in this study include co-occurrences, links, total links, average publication year, average citations, and normalized citations.

4. Findings and Discussion

In this section, first, the paper analyzes the publication and citation trends. Then, the distribution of ICB research in the extant literature is presented. After that, the paper focuses on a detailed review of the research clusters (themes) existing in the ICB literature. Accordingly, this section provides an explanation of the research themes and sub-themes of each cluster but does not comment on the quality of the articles reviewed.

4.1. Production and Citations

Table 1. Information about the dataset.

Description	Results	Description	Results
DATASET		AUTHORS
Timespan	1989:2023	Authors	626
Sources (journals, books, etc.)	171	Authors of single-authored docs	72
Documents	235	AUTHORS COLLABORATION
Annual growth rate %	5.87	Single-authored docs	72
Document average age	8.39	Co-authors per doc	2.85
Average citations per doc	24.35	International co-authorships %	6.383
References	12,075	DOCUMENT TYPES
KEYWORDS		Article	223
KeyWords Plus (ID)	1581	Article; early access	1
Author’s keywords (DE)	747	Review	10

displays the results of a database search for articles in the period between 1989 and 2023, along with the corresponding quantitative analysis of the main information. The collection contains 234 articles, published by 171 sources and citing a total of 12,075 references. The number of authors across these articles amounts to 626, with a significant number of international co-authorships (calculated at 6.38%). Over the last 34 years, the annual growth rate of publications in this field equals 5.87%. The average age of the documents in the collection is 8.39 years, indicating that the majority of the articles are recent. This dataset can provide insights into the latest developments in the ICB domain. The table shows that the collection includes 747 author keywords and 1581 Keywords Plus generated from the titles and keywords in the reference list.

Figure 3 shows the trend of ICB research based on the 235 articles extracted from the WoS and Scopus databases search. It also illustrates the yearly total citation numbers for the entire period of 1989–2023. During this period, scientific production regarding ICB research has increased continuously. According to the graph, scientific production (represented by the blue line) can be divided into three distinct phases. The first phase is characterized by slow growth (1989–2006), during which time only three articles were published, thus named the “initiation” period; a medium growth period (2007–2012), named the “development” period, in which the total number of publications remained statically between four and nine; and a consolidation period (2013–present), in which the yearly number of publications grew from 7 (2014) to 28 (2020), accordingly named as the “consolidation” period. After 2020, the number of publications dropped in 2021 and 2022. However, in the first half of the year 2023, 13 research papers had already been published. That explains why this research considers 2008–present as one period.

Between 1997 and 2008, the number of citations for published articles increased rapidly. Each year, the number of citations per article increased, from 69 (in 1997) to 191 (in 2006), which amounts to an average of 11.25 citations per article per year. The highest number of citations was observed in 2006, after which the number decreased beginning in 2007. Please note that this calculation does not take into account the citable years.

The initial article that was published corresponding to the research target was, “The Influence of Lifestyles on the Patterns and Practices of Alcohol Use among South Texas Mexican Americans”, published in the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences [46]. In this study, the immigrants were divided into six subgroups: Working Class, Urban Middle Class, Farm Workers, Farmers/Ranchers, Migrants, and Upper-Class Mexican Americans. In terms of the location and amount of alcohol consumed, similarities and differences were noted among the six groups. It was generally true for all groups that people drank in the homes of family and friends; drinking associated with Pachanga was also widespread. Drinking in nightclubs, at dances, and in cocktail lounges was less common among farmworkers, farmers, and upper-class individuals, according to the article [46].

4.2. Discipline Distribution

Figure 4 illustrates the percentage pie of the distribution of ICB research in extant literature. With 32.3% of the publications stemming from social science, sociology is the largest contributor in the field. Social science theories play a crucial role in understanding and analyzing the consumption behavior of immigrants. They provide a framework to examine factors such as socialization, cultural adaptation, and economic integration that shape immigrants’ consumption patterns. By applying social science theories to ICB research, scholars can gain insights into the underlying motivations and decision-making processes of immigrants when it comes to their purchasing and consumption choices. These theories allow researchers to explore how immigrants navigate between their cultural heritage and the new cultural norms they encounter in their host country. Additionally, social science theories help shed light on the impact of acculturation and cultural change on immigrant consumer behavior. Some examples of social science theories commonly used in ICB research include: (1) this theory examines how immigrants adapt to and adopt the cultural values, beliefs, and practices of their host society; (2) social identity theory: this theory explores how the individuals’ sense of identity and belonging, including their ethnic or cultural identity, influences their consumption behavior; (3) segmentation theory: this theory suggests that immigrants, as a distinct consumer segment, may have unique needs, preferences, and consumption patterns that differentiate them from the majority population; (4) symbolic interactionism theory: this theory emphasizes the role of social interactions and symbolic meanings in shaping consumer behavior. Social science theories provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the dynamic nature of ICB.

The second largest source of ICB research is environmental science (16.2%). The incorporation of environmental science theories in ICB research can provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of immigration on resource utilization, waste generation, and sustainable practices. By examining how immigrants consume goods and services in their host country, researchers can assess the environmental implications of immigration and identify opportunities for promoting more sustainable consumption patterns. This can help inform policy decisions and interventions aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of immigrant populations and ensuring long-term sustainability for both immigrants and their host communities.

The third largest research strand comes from the perspective of economics (13.4%). The economic perspective in ICB research is crucial for understanding the impact of immigration on aggregate demand, prices, and wages. It helps to analyze the purchasing patterns, savings behavior, and spending habits of immigrants, which can provide valuable insights into their integration into the host country’s economy. Furthermore, studying the consumption behavior of immigrants from an economic perspective allows us to assess the effectiveness of immigration policies and their potential implications for overall economic growth and development. By examining the consumption behavior of immigrants through an economic lens, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of how immigration affects various sectors of the economy, such as retail, housing, and food services. This understanding can inform policymakers and guide the formulation of immigration policies that not only address labor market concerns but also promote overall economic stability and integration. Furthermore, studying the consumption behavior of immigrants from an economic perspective allows us to understand the impact of immigration on aggregate demand and the resulting effects on prices and wages.

A significant amount of research suggests that once an immigrant group improves their socioeconomic status in the host society, they tend to move to wealthier neighborhoods in order to live closer to middle-class whites. In these higher-status areas, new immigrants are slowly and steadily accepted as neighbors. The majority of scholars agree that immigrants have a greater chance of settling in desirable suburbs as they acculturate, acquire human capital and financial resources, and improve their ability to interact socially with locals [47].

The next research stream is business and management (7%). In the field of business and management, studying ICB is crucial for understanding market dynamics and effectively targeting this growing consumer segment. By examining how immigrants consume goods and services, businesses can tailor their marketing strategies to better meet the specific needs and preferences of these individuals. Furthermore, understanding the factors that influence ICB can also provide valuable insights for businesses regarding product development, pricing strategies, and market expansion. Additionally, studying ICB can also shed light on the impact of immigration policies on consumer spending patterns.

The figure illustrates that the disciplinary distribution on ICBs is diverse, with research conducted in fields such as sociology, psychology, public health, and cultural studies. These different disciplinary perspectives contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the complex factors that influence ICB, including cultural norms, social environments, acculturation processes, and the influences of the broader food system. This interdisciplinary approach is crucial for developing effective interventions and policies that promote healthier food choices and address disparities in dietary habits among immigrant populations. Furthermore, understanding the factors that drive food consumption among immigrants is important for addressing issues of nutritional disparities and promoting healthier diets. By considering the disciplines such as agriculture, anthropology, behavioral science, economics, geography, nutrition, psychology, public health, and sociology in assessing ICB, we can gain insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by immigrant communities in adopting and adapting to new food environments. This interdisciplinary approach allows us to examine the intersections of culture, identity, environment, and socioeconomic factors that shape ICB.

4.3. Clustering of Research Works of ICBs

The clustering of published studies in the field of ICB is performed using the keyword co-occurrence technique. With the minimum number of co-occurrence set to five, 105 out of 2106 keywords meet the criteria in five clusters (Figure 5). These clusters are conceptualized as Cluster-1: the constituents of the ICB domain; Cluser-2: demographic sub-groups of immigrants and related consuming products; Cluster-3: host country, region, and city-focused studies; Cluster-4: culture- and acculturation-related studies; and Cluster-5: urbanization and new migrants’ consumption behavior.

Figure 5 illustrates how each node represents an entity (for example, an article, an author, a country, an institution, a keyword, a journal), and in this case, a keyword, which can be grouped into clusters, wherein: (1) the size of the node reflects how frequently the keyword appears, (2) co-occurrences between nodes are indicated by the link between the nodes (i.e., keywords that co-occur or occur together), (3) the thickness of the link signals the frequency of keyword co-occurrences, (4) the higher the occurrence of the keyword, the larger the node, and (5) the frequency of co-occurrences between keywords increases with thicker links between the nodes. The color indicates a thematic cluster, with nodes and links representing keywords (nodes) covered by the cluster and the relationships (links) between those keywords (nodes) that manifest within that theme (cluster).

Table 2. Clusters, elements, and their impacts regarding ICB.

Cluster and No. of Keywords	Author Keywords	Occurrences	Links	Total Link Strength	Avg. Pub. Year	Avg. Citations	Avg. Norm. Citations
1 (30)	consumption behavior	174	103	787	2015	25.95	1.06
	migration	47	84	240	2015	20.36	0.77
	United States	27	70	184	2015	45.00	1.13
	China	34	61	147	2018	19.88	1.31
	household income	11	44	70	2017	24.64	1.22
	migrant worker	13	44	66	2017	21.31	0.98
	remittances	13	28	62	2016	27.23	1.12
	migrants’ remittance	14	25	59	2015	25.64	1.41
	urbanization	9	30	52	2017	43.56	2.67
	Rural–urban migration	11	23	46	2016	53.09	1.88
	developing world	7	24	42	2017	30.86	2.87
	economics	5	30	39	2018	21.00	1.12
	population migration	6	32	39	2012	33.50	1.10
	household expenditure	9	20	37	2016	16.22	1.82
	international migration	8	23	37	2011	20.88	0.64
	remittance	7	22	37	2017	7.71	0.98
	poverty	6	20	36	2016	33.67	1.77
	numerical model	5	27	35	2015	26.80	1.59
	food supply	5	24	33	2018	27.00	2.14
	inequality	9	20	32	2019	6.11	0.88
	internal migration	5	19	29	2013	39.40	1.54
	expenditure	7	18	28	2019	6.00	1.53
	Sub-Saharan Africa	5	19	28	2015	46.60	2.45
	consumption patterns	5	19	27	2016	26.40	1.99
	economic growth	5	17	22	2015	14.60	0.94
	labor migration	5	15	22	2017	22.80	1.35
	sustainability	5	13	18	2015	20.60	0.93
	sustainable development	5	11	17	2014	11.60	0.66
	economic development	6	11	16	2015	18.50	0.58
	service sector	5	11	16	2020	12.80	1.22
2 (27)	human	24	67	296	2018	13.54	0.94
	humans	22	65	283	2017	14.36	0.97
	article	20	67	264	2018	13.80	1.10
	female	13	55	205	2018	15.31	0.88
	adult	13	55	196	2017	16.77	0.87
	controlled study	11	54	159	2017	19.73	1.14
	male	10	54	159	2018	12.80	0.81
	adolescent	8	48	134	2017	14.88	0.83
	young adult	7	45	118	2016	24.00	1.08
	migrant	9	46	106	2019	10.00	0.72
	smoking	6	44	96	2018	15.83	0.79
	cross-sectional studies	5	40	95	2020	4.80	0.51
	cross-sectional study	5	40	95	2020	4.80	0.51
	epidemiology	5	42	93	2020	4.80	0.41
	emigrants and immigrants	5	37	84	2018	18.60	0.91
	health risk	9	41	84	2020	16.78	1.39
	alcohol consumption	5	38	80	2017	10.80	0.60
	demography	5	36	75	2020	4.20	0.48
	alcohol drinking	5	34	70	2016	12.20	0.52
	child	5	32	67	2020	6.20	0.57
	Hispanic	5	32	60	2019	18.40	0.79
	consumer	6	36	57	2021	19.67	1.82
	regression analysis	6	34	55	2013	16.50	0.74
	social status	5	33	52	2012	17.80	0.61
	health	7	33	51	2020	17.86	1.10
	risk assessment	6	30	46	2020	17.83	1.14
	commerce	5	25	37	2016	25.00	1.88
3 (19)	immigrant population	15	54	130	2014	28.67	0.81
	ethnicity	11	51	95	2015	12.18	0.74
	Canada	10	46	86	2009	22.70	0.87
	lifestyle	8	34	53	2017	8.25	0.59
	Ontario [Canada]	5	34	51	2012	24.80	0.99
	Eurasia	6	34	42	2007	71.17	0.75
	housing market	10	23	41	2014	33.50	1.14
	North America	7	20	41	2008	125.29	1.55
	migrants experience	7	24	40	2014	44.86	0.93
	Toronto	5	20	40	2009	27.60	1.11
	decision making	5	29	37	2017	27.40	1.36
	Germany	7	25	33	2014	44.86	1.07
	investment	6	22	31	2007	44.33	1.78
	price dynamics	5	25	30	2014	9.00	0.29
	retailing	8	14	30	2014	27.13	1.99
	shopping activity	6	11	26	2016	31.67	2.10
	United Kingdom	9	14	23	2013	50.89	0.89
	homeownership	5	17	22	2014	6.00	0.90
	market conditions	5	16	21	2018	3.00	0.16
4 (19)	immigrant	22	66	171	2016	17.14	0.85
	consumption	38	67	152	2014	17.11	0.87
	acculturation	16	42	81	2017	12.13	0.73
	food consumption	10	44	77	2017	27.80	1.70
	immigrants	8	37	55	2017	10.00	0.73
	adolescents	6	34	51	2017	12.83	0.73
	immigration	10	33	47	2014	13.80	0.50
	employment	6	36	45	2017	12.83	0.77
	migrants	11	20	32	2018	15.91	0.65
	culture	7	22	31	2015	14.43	0.74
	health impact	5	21	26	2015	10.40	0.46
	alcohol	5	22	24	2015	15.40	1.28
	education	8	16	24	2018	14.25	0.71
	impact	7	17	24	2016	15.71	0.93
	identity	6	15	23	2018	11.83	0.99
	ethnic identity	6	12	18	2017	17.00	1.18
	income	5	14	18	2010	6.60	0.26
	model	6	14	18	2008	26.50	0.78
	#n/a	11	12	15	2009	24.45	0.61
5 (10)	diet	10	44	99	2016	22.90	1.34
	food	8	42	64	2015	20.88	0.70
	housing	5	38	54	2018	38.00	2.22
	rural population	7	25	49	2017	9.29	1.22
	urban area	7	24	44	2017	13.71	1.54
	urban population	5	23	43	2017	22.20	1.86
	India	7	25	42	2019	7.57	1.07
	Mexico [North America]	7	28	39	2014	25.00	1.57
	household	5	24	30	2015	8.00	2.02
	rural area	6	18	30	2014	56.00	1.94

lists all related keywords, and their occurrences, links, total links, average yearly publications, average yearly citations, and normalized citations in each cluster. The Links attribute and the Total link strength attribute are the two standard weight attributes. In the case of keyword co-occurrence, Links and Total link strength indicate, respectively, the number of links between a keyword and other keywords and the strength of the links between a keyword and other keywords. The avg. citation is the average number of citations received by the documents in which a keyword appears, including the average number of citations received by the documents published by a source, an author, an organization, or a country. The norm. citations is the normalized number of citations received by a document. These keywords are currently trending in the conversations of the field and are further classified into sub-clusters and sub-sub-clusters, which will be discussed next.

4.3.1. The Constituents of ICB Domain

With 30 keywords meeting the criteria, Cluster 1 is the largest research theme containing elements of ICB [44] (Table 2) regarding ICB from various constituents of the literature. These frequently used keywords represent a research theme which is conceptualized as “the constituents of ICB domain”. The theme contains the following sub-themes: (1) host- and home-countries (United States, China, Sub-Saharan Africa); (2) type of migration (migrant worker, rural–urban migration, international migration, population migration, internal migration, labor migration, and migration); (3) consumption behaviors (consumption behavior, remittances, remittance, expenditure, food supply, household expenditure, service sector, and consumption patterns); (4) economic development (developing world, economics, economic development, and economic growth); (5) inequality (household income, poverty, inequality); (6) sustainability (sustainability, sustainable development), and (7) urbanization. This theme is important to the field and is strongly related to other clusters, since the majority of the keywords within the topic can be found in other themes.

A large portion of researchers from the dataset contributed to the theme, focusing on the different constituents of the ICB research domain. Among them, Fukumura et al. (2020), Hewings and Kim (2015), Sidaway (2007), and Ventura and Ventura (2021) [48,49,50,51] are the authors who created knowledge concentrated on building the domain. This theme emphasizes the role that various factors or constituents play in the ICB phenomenon and its related theories. Seven sub-themes within this theme overlapped with the components of ICB studies in other themes.

Further investigation from a theory application perspective reveals that theories supporting each sub-themes include (1) economic geography, (2) immigration, (3) consumption behavior, (4) economic development, (5) inequality, (6) sustainability, and (7) urbanization. These theories are the research pillars and the analytical framework for the domain of ICBs. These theories also support the following four themes.

4.3.2. Demographic Sub-Groups of Immigrants and Related Consuming Products

Cluster 2, containing 27 keywords, focuses on studies of various demographic sub-groups of immigrants and related specific consumed products. Sub-themes studied in this theme include (1) immigrant sub-groups (female, adult, male, adolescent, young adult, child, Hispanic, and social status); (2) habits and health (habits include smoking, alcohol drinking and the related consequences are social status, health, and risk assessment).

The key contributors in the cluster include [38,52], whose theoretical study of remittance based on the human capital theory concluded that remittances can be viewed either as implicit loans or as the repayment of implicit loans. According to the author, the implicit loan theory often explains remittance behavior, remittance uses, and remittance flows better than the self-interest, altruistic, or co-insurance theories. The second most cited author is [53], who argued that debates have become increasingly interconnected between discourses on human rights and immigrant consumer rights. An important contribution of the study was to add to the emerging literature regarding the changing conceptions of citizenship and rights in neoliberal contexts, as well as to illuminate the social and political consequences of the nexus between education and migration.

4.3.3. Country, Region, City-Focused Studies

Cluster 3 comprises 19 keywords, concentrating on sub-themes of (1) specific countries, regions, and cities, such as Canada, Ontario, Toronto [Canada], Eurasia, North America, Germany, and the United Kingdom; (2) the consuming experiences, i.e., housing, migrants’ experience, decision making, investment, price dynamics, retailing, shopping activity, homeownership, and market conditions; and (3) immigrant groups, including immigrant population and ethnicity. The frequently explored regions and countries include North America, Europe, and Australasia, from a host-country perspective [27,29,42,53,54,55,56]. The most researched immigrant ethnicities according to their home-country acceptives are China, India, Mexico, Sub-Saharan countries, Korea, and Vietnam [13,57,58]. The ethnicities studied include Chinese, Korean, Indian, African, Hispanic, and Southeast Asian [59,60].

The key providers and their contributions include Conlon and Hiemstra’s (2014) finding that costs of needs and daily routines shape the behaviors of detained immigrants in United States [55]. Contributing to the culture integration framework, Jamal (2003) demonstrated the development of a multicultural marketplace in which both ethnic and mainstream retailers coexist to serve consumers from different backgrounds in North America [61]. By sampling the tastes, themes, and sounds of different cultures, different ethnic groups participate in cultural exchanges. Retailers from different ethnic backgrounds play an important role in facilitating cultural coexistence, tolerance, and freedom of lifestyle between consumers in such a context [55,56,61,62,63,64,65].

4.3.4. Culture- and Acculturation-Related Studies

Anchored by acculturation theories, cluster 4 consists of 19 keywords, focusing on the impacts of acculturation on ICB. Three sub-themes exist: (1) immigrant groups (immigrant, adolescents, immigration, adolescents, migrants, identity, ethnic identity, income, impact, and employment); (2) type of expenditure and impact (consumption, food consumption, alcohol, health impact, and education); (3) acculturation (culture, acculturation).

The areas explored include culture- and acculturation-related food consumption, immigration, employment, health impact, alcohol, education, impact, ethnic identity, and household income. Key providers and their contributions are Cheer et al. (2002) [16], who, from a from culture, poverty, and housing policy perspective, found that immigrants sticking with their home countries and lacking acculturation may cause poverty and crowed housing, which in turn, cause health issues. Scholars [9] stated that social networks, including virtual communities, are an fundamental part of the acculturation development, which impacts immigrants’ product selections in the context of the interface between cultures. The latest study from Lee et al. (2023) [18] indicated that unidimensional determinants only justify the adoption of host country culture and do not account for the maintenance of possible protective mechanisms from the home-country culture. They recommend an adequate study of bicultural individuals. These scholars all agreed that acculturation is a complicated and multidimensional process that is subjective and different across ethnicities, religions, income levels, sub-groups of immigrant populations, and individuals [9,16,18].

4.3.5. Urbanization and New Migrant Consumption Behavior

Cluster 5, including 10 keywords, is the smallest research theme, focusing on immigrants’ diet, food, housing, and households in urban and rural areas. Three sub-themes exist: (1) consuming style (diet, food, housing, and household); (2) area and population (urban area, urban population, rural population, and rural area); (3) specific country and region (India, and Mexico [North America]).

The urbanization theories support this theme. Key contributors in this themes are Markusen (2006) [66], from an urban development and the politic perspective, Zheng et al. (2009), from a migrant settlement in urban villages aspect, Padoch et al. (2008) [67], from an urban forest and rural cities viewpoint [66,67,68]. The main debate of this theme is that an ongoing wave of urbanization is causing apprehension that will affect social, economic, and environmental changes, including eating habits and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases. However, we do not fully understand how urbanization influences these changes, i.e., food consumption [20,21,69,70]. The current topics include the impacts of lifestyle changes, the density of urban areas, housing space changes, consumer behavior, house prices, and carbon emission [12,71].

4.3.6. Research Theme Evolution

An illustration of the thematic development landscape can be found in Figure 6. It was in 2012 that Cluster 3 was established for the first time. As of 2020, Cluster 2 was the latest to be formed. There was an establishment of Cluster 1 in the year 2014. In 2013, Cluster 4 was established. It is estimated that Cluster 5 was formed around the year 2017. This evolution indicated that ICB research is detected to have started as a country, region, and city-focused immigrant research area; next, the effects of culture and acculturation-processes were studied; then, the constituents of the ICB domain were established; afterward, urbanization-related ICB topics became popular; finally, scholars focused on demographic subgroups of immigrants and the products they consume.

5. Directions for Future Research

Based on our literature review, we have identified five broad research themes that provide insights into various theoretical aspects of ICBs. We believe that, despite the extensive literature on these themes, the field has not been completely explored, and there are still unexplored research areas that need to be examined in the future. Our article concludes with a discussion of the scope of future ICB research for each of the five themes. All these themes encompass a wide range of sociocultural, economic, political, environmental, religious, medical, and technological concepts. At present, the key theories adopted in the field are consumer behavior, planned behavior, culture, acculturation, urbanization, immigration, and sustainability. Therefore, cooperation across disciplines appears to be the key to the future.

5.1. Future Directions—Thrust Areas in ICB Research

In order to forecast the research agenda, the paper conducted an author keyword burst analysis to detect the most recent conversations in the field. Figure 7 shows a word-burst graph regarding ICB research over the last ten years.

Table 3. Detail of word-burst analysis.

Conversation	Frequency	Year Starting	Mid-Year	Year Ending
COVID-19	3	2022	2022	2022
Expenditure	3	2020	2022	2022
Consumption	15	2008	2018	2022
Lifestyle	5	2019	2020	2020
Inequality	5	2018	2020	2020
Food Consumption	4	2017	2019	2020
Smoking	3	2016	2019	2020
Migrants	31	2014	2018	2020
Remittances	11	2013	2014	2019
Urbanization	5	2012	2017	2018
Sub-Saharan Africa	4	2013	2016	2018
China	11	2013	2015	2018
Poverty	3	2013	2013	2018
Ethnic Minorities	8	2009	2016	2016

shows details of the word-burst analysis and the most current trending topics, including remittances (11), China (11), ethnic minorities (8), lifestyle (5), inequality (5), urbanization (5), food consumption (4), Sub-Saharan Africa (4), COVID-19 (3), expenditure (3), smoking (3), and poverty (3) under the research topics of the research topic of migrants (31) and consumption (15). The figure and table also show that only three research trends: expenditure, COVID-19, and consumption, are current in 2022, and these will continue to reflect the research directions.

As noted by Becker (1965), consumption occurs when expenditure and time are inputs to a home production function. Therefore, this research treated consumption and expenditure as two future continuous research directions. In the context of immigrant expenditure, scholars [72,73] believe that the expenditures of immigrants play a crucial role in stimulating regional economic growth and promoting business development within their host countries. It is well-accepted that immigrants’ expenditures contribute to the local economy by consuming goods and services, thereby creating new market opportunities and driving the demand for various industries [73]. Furthermore, immigrant spending supports local businesses and generates tax revenue for the host country, which can be reinvested in public services and infrastructure to further enhance economic development [74,75,76]. Research has largely focused on the effects of remittances received from immigrants in regards to home-country economic development, including brand expenditure [10,11,77]. The economic effects of immigrant expenditure on a host country have existed as a research gap that requires urgent exploration, especially for countries with high percentages of immigrants, such as Australia and New Zealand, whose immigrant populations constitute approximately 30% of the population.

ICB research has a much wider concept, with much more complex analytical frameworks than expenditure studies on culture, acculture, consumption, and urbanization to international migration, population, and geoeconomics [10]. Therefore, this paper recommends the analytical/conceptual framework study for ICBs. Even though the result of this study implied an analytical framework from the perspectives of (1) economic geography, (2) immigration, (3) consumption behavior, (4) economic development, (5) inequality, (6) sustainability, and (7) urbanization based on the theories in the extant literature. The authors believe that more holistic frameworks are urgently required for the field, considering that immigrants make up above 30% of the total population in some advanced countries, as well as number of enterprises and employment [4,6,78].

As a result of this research, it is recommended that more in-depth research be conducted on the extent and consequences of diet, food, and housing condition changes associated with consumption patterns due to urbanization, partially suggested by [20]. This may result in better projections of food demand and may assist in improving policies related to health, food and nutrition security, agriculture, and trade. Research [21] shows the need to consider the mechanism of urbanization and the prospect of long-term trends and the potential problems of urban development.

Future research on the consequences of diet, food, and housing condition changes in regards to immigrants is crucial in order to better understand how these factors impact the well-being and overall health outcomes of immigrant populations. By examining the relationship between dietary changes and morbidity and mortality rates, researchers can provide valuable insights into potential health risks faced by immigrants when transitioning from a traditional diet to Westernized or Northern European foods.

So far, the economic effects of ICB on the host country have only been studied from a house price perspective [71], which leaves gaps for research regarding ICB’s economic effects in other areas. These areas include economic growth, health, employment, entrepreneurship, and poverty. It is important for future research to consider how immigration affects the housing market. Immigrants may have difficulty finding affordable and culturally appropriate housing that meets their dietary needs. They have to choose alternatives in a manner of compensatory and compromissory consumption behaviors [79]. Examining how these changes impact the health and well-being of immigrants can inform policies and support services for immigrants, as well as to help develop targeted interventions and programs to improve their overall quality of life.

Since there is a lack of green consumption information in the dataset, this paper recommends that green consumption should be included in the research agenda. Green consumption is defined [80] as the “purchase and use of products with lower environmental impacts, such as biodegradable products, recycled or reduced packaging, and low energy usage”. The research should examine the effectiveness of a variety of approaches to green consumption education, including public awareness campaigns, school curricula, and community outreach programs.

5.2. Future Directions—Contexts

We suggest that future researchers consider a variety of contextual settings when deploying their theoretical lenses in order to understand migrant consumption behaviors. Our understanding of these contexts is at the level of the ethnic group, as well as at the level of the host country and home country. The context of ICB can be described by socioeconomic, cultural, legal, and environmental factors. A way to consider context would be to examine ICBs according to their country of origin (e.g., developed, emerging, or religious countries). In order to determine ICBs, it is important to assess the contextual settings such as the institutional and regulatory contexts and other country-specific characteristics that facilitate or inhibit the behavior. There is the potential for conducting more studies focusing on the process and pattern of ICB from developing countries, as our analysis has revealed that the majority of previous studies were conducted in the context of developed countries, with immigrants from developing countries as the research target. Developing countries face specific challenges due to sociocultural differences, domestic competitors, and underdeveloped institutional frameworks.

Future studies may also consider co-ethnic communities as a contextual setting. It is our belief that ICB is also influenced by the communities with which they are associated. Several studies have examined microfinance, education, and health from the perspective of different communities. It is possible to conduct comparative studies on ICB within a given community from either developed or developing countries. Research on ICBs in different communities would provide valuable insights. An analysis of such comparative studies may have the potential to reveal differences in the pace of ICBs within a particular community, as well as opportunities and barriers that may exist. In addition, it may be important to study ICB in specific communities and countries, or using a homogenous group of both.

In the future, it will be possible to conduct ICB research in which scholars can evaluate both compensatory and compromissory consumption [79] of immigrants in newly settled countries in regards to products and services that are unavailable in their home country. Koles et al. (2018) [79] define compensatory consumption behavior as the act of focusing on, deciding about, acquiring, and using products in response to perceived needs and desires that cannot be fulfilled directly. These needs are compensated and compromised through consuming alternative goods. The current literature demonstrates that immigrants are often forced to choose alternative products and services due to a lack of resources or an inability to access them [16,81]. The study of compensatory and compromissory consumption behavior will provide new insights into the determinants and decision-making processes of these two types of consumption.

While there is no universally correct method for segmenting immigrants, segmentation research should utilize variables that are relevant to the study purpose. In addition, consideration should be given to the practical implications (e.g., the size of the community). It is possible to abandon segmentation if the segments provide little theoretical or practical consideration and to use a one-size-fits-all approach instead.

Future research on sustainable/green consumption behaviors in immigrants should focus on understanding the motivations and barriers that influence individual choices. This includes exploring the impact of social norms, cultural influences, economic factors, and individual beliefs on sustainable consumption behaviors. Additionally, researchers should investigate the role of technology and digital platforms in shaping sustainable consumption behavior. Furthermore, it is crucial to examine the consumption behavior of specific demographic groups, such as immigrants, as there may be unique factors influencing their sustainable consumption choices, such as their cultural background, access to resources, and integration into the local community. Understanding the consumption behavior of immigrants is essential for developing targeted interventions and policies that promote sustainable consumption among this population. Additionally, examining the attitude–behavior gap in sustainable consumption among immigrants is crucial. This will help identify strategies to bridge the gap and encourage immigrants to translate their environmental knowledge and consciousness into sustainable behavior. In the case of immigrants, factors such as cultural background, access to resources, and integration into the local community may influence their sustainable consumption behavior. Overall, future research should aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that shape sustainable consumption behaviors, with a specific focus on immigrants.

In future research, it would be valuable to explore the consumption behaviors of specific demographic groups, such as immigrants. Understanding the consumption behaviors of immigrants can shed light on how cultural values, migration experiences, and acculturation processes influence their consumer choices, preferences, and brand loyalty. Additionally, future research could examine the role of ethnic identity in shaping the consumption behaviors of immigrants and ethnic minorities. For example, further investigation could be conducted to understand how the acculturation modes of immigrants influence their product consumption behaviors and ethnocentrism. Moreover, it would be useful to examine the impact of socioeconomic factors on the consumption behaviors of immigrants. By studying these factors, researchers can provide valuable insights for marketers and businesses looking to effectively target and engage immigrant populations. In conclusion, future research on the consumption behaviors of immigrants should focus on understanding the influence of cultural values, migration experiences, acculturation modes, ethnic identity, and socioeconomic factors.

One important perspective regarding green consumption involves education. This research could also explore the long-term impact of green consumption education on the individuals’ behavior and attitudes towards environmental sustainability. Additionally, it would be valuable to investigate the effect of social norms and peer influence in shaping consumers’ green consumption choices, as well as the potential barriers and motivations that may affect individuals’ willingness to adopt green consumption behaviors. Furthermore, future research should examine the specific impact of green consumption education on immigrant populations. Researching the specific impact of green consumption education on immigrant populations is crucial for understanding and addressing their unique needs and the barriers to adopting environmentally sustainable behaviors. By understanding the specific challenges and factors that influence the green consumption behavior of immigrants, policymakers and educators can develop targeted strategies and interventions to promote sustainable practices within this population.

5.3. Future Research Directions

In the current literature, only one review study on ICB was identified (see Introduction section). Review studies in this field are urgently needed. It is possible to develop new review methodologies by combining review methods, like domain-based reviews based on extensive published studies using statistical tools, which integrated bibliometric and content analysis [32,35]. Through integrative reviews, it is possible to identify the research themes and sub-themes within the field. It is also possible to extend them to theme-based reviews. This study identified a number of research themes that can be utilized in future research. In order to synthesize the theories that have been adopted in the study of ICB, reviews aimed at theory development are required. In the current study, a variety of theories are employed (see the Findings and Discussion section), and it is imperative that theory-building review articles follow scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) in developing theoretical models and/or testable hypotheses or propositions [32,33,34]. It is also essential to conduct research method-based reviews in order to reveal the use of underpinning methodologies in the field. The purpose of these reviews is not only to synthesize the research methods that are currently being adopted, but also to extend the methods available in the field.

6. Contributions and Implications

To the author’s best knowledge, this is the first integrative review study that combines a quantitative analysis of publication meta-data and a content analysis of top-impact articles in the ICB field. The paper pushes forward the ICB investigation from an individual empirical studies approach to synthesis-based research. Through the use of statistical tools and content-analysis, this domain-based review was able to provide a complete overview of the knowledge structure by building up research themes and synthesizing prior studies to reinforce the foundation of knowledge. The review also identified future research directions based on thrust keywords and context analysis. These findings contribute to the literature on ICB, as well as to policymaking and industry practice in general.

6.1. Theoretical Contributions for ICB Research

The purpose of this article is to investigate the concept of “immigrant consumption behavior” beyond the intrinsic motivation of cultural identity to include a wider consideration of its social, economic, and cultural surroundings. The existing literature does not adequately address the relationship between ICB and economic adaptation and development among immigrants. By proposing a thematic mapping of ICB evolution and development, this paper contributes to the understanding of immigrant economic development. Interrelationships between ICB and immigrant economic adaptation are highlighted in the mapping.

The research on ICB has made substantial contributions to the current understanding of the cultural influences on consumer preferences, purchasing decisions, and overall consumption patterns. This research has effectively highlighted the diversity and complexity of immigrant populations, challenging the notion of a homogeneous “immigrant consumer” group. By examining how immigration status, cultural background, and food rituals shape consumption behavior, researchers have shed light on the nuanced factors that influence immigrants’ choices in the marketplace. These findings have important implications for businesses and marketers who seek to effectively target and serve immigrant populations. Moreover, an understanding of ICB can also inform public health efforts and policies aimed at promoting healthy eating habits within immigrant communities. Additionally, this research has provided a deeper understanding of the social and cultural factors that affect immigrant integration and the acculturation processes. The contributions of the research regarding ICB go beyond understanding the cultural influences on consumer preferences.

6.2. Implications for Policy Making, Business Practice, and Immigrant Economic Development

The research on ICB has provided valuable insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants in their economic adaptation process [82]. Understanding these insights, with key influential factors that contribute to the economic adaptation of immigrants, is crucial from a policy-making perspective, as immigrants are increasingly promoted as a viable strategy for economic development in major host countries. These insights have implications for developing interventions and programs that can support immigrant populations in making healthier food choices and adapting to new cultural environments.

Therefore, the study has important implications for policymaking. Understanding how immigrants’ consumption behaviors change can help policymakers develop targeted interventions and programs to support the integration and well-being of immigrant populations. For instance, if research finds that immigrant parents have different food norms and behaviors depending on their immigration status, policymakers can develop initiatives to promote access to culturally appropriate and healthy food options for immigrant families. Additionally, if studies indicate that immigrants are incorporating unhealthy and fast foods into their traditional diets, policymakers can implement policies to promote the availability and affordability of nutritious foods and educate immigrants about the importance of balanced and healthy eating. Furthermore, research on ICB can inform the development of health and wellness programs tailored to specific immigrant communities. This can help address the challenges immigrants may face, such as limited access to familiar foods or ingredients, unfamiliarity with new types of foods and practices in culture, and digestion challenges related to the consumption of unfamiliar products. Overall, the research on ICBs provides valuable insights that can guide policymaking and ultimately contribute to the well-being and integration of immigrant populations.

This research contains strong direct and indirect policymaking implications. The study explicitly provides extant research themes that can be directly reflected in immigrant administration policies. These policies include, but are not limited to, housing, poverty, politics, economy, regional development, consumption (e.g., energy, household consumption goods), services (health, food supply), and culture [16,49,53,63,71,83]. The results imply that ICBs should be integrated into immigration policies (current and future), which should consider characteristics of the host country, home country, religion, culture, etc. from perspectives of community/culture integration/cohesion, international relationships (e.g., trade, politics, academics, health care), price control, and education [84,85,86,87]. A full list of implied influencing factors impacting ICBs can be referred to in the tables, figures, and discussion in the Findings and Discussion section.

These policymaking perceptions are also related to industry development and business management in specific immigrant-receiving countries. This research sheds light on the implications of immigrants’ preparation of consuming products and their conservation practices, as well as the consuming style [17,25,49], which potentially contributes to business administration, marketing, housing and health management in regards to ethnic groups.

From an enterprise development perspective, this integrative review provides strong implications for marketing managers, retailers, and promoters interested in ICBs. The study identified specific influences, particularly culture, urbanization, and education influence, that have pivotal impacts on ICBs [21,54,88]. As a result, practitioners aiming to encourage impetus purchases should present consumers with comprehensive information about the offerings when developing advertising/marketing and promotion campaigns. Secondly, normative influences have also been found to have a significant impact on ICBs, especially in terms of immigrants’’ attitudes toward brands [89]; attitudes towards alternative consumption [90]; cultural omnivores [12]; education consumption [91]; and house purchase and medical insurance [86].

Lastly, from marketer’s perspective, the aim is to create favorable products and brands for their products and brands. Since the likelihood of closing a deal is marginally lower when a purchase decision is influenced by cultural factors, marketers need to make greater efforts in order to close the deal successfully when negotiating with immigrants than when dealing with native customers, which can sometimes be a costly endeavor as well. In situations where immigrant consumers are treated fairly and form and share an attachment with retailers or brands in some way, similarity-biased influences can assist them in closing such high customer involvement deals. Staff members on the front line and sales personnel who have direct contact with consumers are particularly susceptible to this type of behavior. It is also likely that the personal characteristics of sales personnel who interact and deal with immigrants have an effect on the purchase behavior of consumers. Thus, practitioners can utilize trained personnel at customer touchpoints to trigger similarity-biased influences in a positive manner.

7. Limitations and Conclusions

This study has a few limitations that should be acknowledged. Researchers used restrictive criteria for excluding and including scholarly literature, which may have resulted in the omission of some important studies. Some relevant studies may not be indexed in Scopus or WoS, resulting in the study being insufficiently comprehensive. As a result, the findings cannot be applied to the entire body of studies concerning immigrant consumption habits. Furthermore, this study examined only English-authored papers. This resulted in the exclusion of investigations conducted in other languages from our analysis. Thus, these are the study’s potential limitations.

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of scientific research on immigrant consumer behavior through the use of an integrative review methodology, providing an overview of the existing literature. In order to accomplish this, a systematic study of the existing literature on ICBs was conducted, followed by a thematic analysis of the field using context analysis. It was found that ICBs is a multi- and inter-disciplinary research area that has experienced three phases of growth between 1989 and 2023: initiation (1989–2006), development (2007–2012), and consolidation (2013–now). The thematic analysis revealed five current trends: (1) the constituents of immigrant consumption behavior domain, (2) demographic subgroups of immigrants and related consuming products, (3) studies focused on countries, regions, and cities, (4) the effects of culture and acculturation processes, and (5) urbanization. A number of sub-themes are associated with each theme. The paper proposes a variety of critical research directions from thrust areas, contexts, and reviews based on the current thematic evolution and keyword-burst analysis. (1) This paper provides an overview of the literature in the ICB area, (2) identifies research priorities, emerging trends, and gaps, (3) proposes new research avenues for investigation, and (4) describes expected contributions. As ICB studies are multidisciplinary in nature, they provide new knowledge for a variety of disciplines. In addition, ICB imposes a number of implications for policymakers and practitioners. We propose insightful directions for future research in accordance with the overall goal of this study.