Retail or consumer responsibility?—Reflections on food waste and food prices among deal?prone consumers and market actors

Supermarkets have been criticized by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for pricing tactics that trigger overpurchase, which may subsequently lead to food waste. Some retailers responded abolishing price promotions. However, is it the macro-level of market structure, or micro-level consumer, blame waste? With an outset in consumer responsibilization theory and through 24 in-depth qualitative interviews, we explore how consumers institutional actors perceive responsibility waste interface between consumers, this perception has evolved. We identify two narratives—one portrays as a self-governed actor other interdependent on institutionally shaped context. uniquely show over time, process hybrid expansion led extension consumer's into retailer's domain action, vice versa. Findings highlight not either retailers' side can expand both. This provides nuance new contribution theory. For businesses, our results imply promotions does align with ascription responsibility. In turn, actions involve collaborations actors, including speak much more expansion.