The circular economy paradox: Strategy, consumer value, and market trade-offs

Call for Papers

The circular economy paradox: Strategy, consumer value, and market trade-offs

Journal: Journal of Trade Science
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Submission Opens: 1 June 2026
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026

Introduction
The circular economy has emerged as a prominent sustainability paradigm, encouraging practices such as reuse, repair, sharing, resale, and extended product lifecycles. Increasingly, firms adopt circular economy initiatives as part of their business strategies to pursue differentiation, legitimacy, and long-term value creation. This Special Issue adopts an integrative perspective that brings together business strategy and consumer research to examine the paradoxical nature of circular economy initiatives, focusing on how strategic design and market interpretation interact to shape value creation and competitive outcomes.

Guest Editors
Dr. Dung Minh Nguyen
Professor Clare D'Souza
Professor Emmanuel Yiridoe

List of Topic Areas
Submissions invited on (but not limited to):

• Adopting circular economy as a strategic choice shaping firm competitiveness

• Designing and governing circular business models as strategic systems

• Consumer value perceptions of circular offerings and their strategic implications

• Perceived value trade-offs, perceived sacrifice, and market acceptance of circular offerings

• Brand legitimacy, credibility, and trust as strategic resources in the circular economy

• Strategic communication, signaling, and consumer responses to circular claims

• Managing consumer identity, status signaling, and meaning-making in circular consumption

• Addressing consumer resistance, skepticism, and implications for strategic scaling

• Strategic market segmentation and targeting under circular economy strategies

• Adapting cultural, institutional, and industry contexts shaping circular strategy

• The role of digital technologies (AI, IoT, blockchain) in enabling circular strategies

• Smart technologies, data transparency, and trust formation at the strategy-consumer interface

Guest Editors Contact Details

Submission Process & Deadlines
Submissions via ScholarOne Manuscripts from 1 June 2026 to 31 September 2026. Select "The circular economy paradox: Strategy, consumer value, and market trade-offs" from the special issue dropdown.
Acceptance deadline: 31 May 2027.
Original work only; no prior/concurrent submissions.

Submission Guidelines
Submission Portal: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jts
Author Guidelines: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/jts#jlp_author_guidelines

About the Journal
Journal of Trade Science, by Emerald Group Publishing, publishes cutting-edge research on trade, business strategy, consumer behavior, and market dynamics across global contexts.

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