Animal companions, consumption experiences, and the marketing of pets: Transcending boundaries in the animal-human distinction

This introduction lays the groundwork for a special issue of the Journal of Business Research devoted to “Animal Companions, Consumption Experiences, and the Marketing of Pets.” After some preliminary comments on the relevant background, the editors develop a conceptual scheme - based on a typology of consumer value - for organizing the contributions appearing in the special issue. They explain the assignment of various contributions to various value-related categories in order to account for the structure and meanings of the perspectives that emerge.