WENDY KNOWLER | Shopkeepers join in on the looting with price gouging The pillage of supermarkets and smaller grocers has resulted in chronic food shortages and costs shooting up 18 July 2021 - 19:02 It’s taken me 23 years of consumer journalism to look up the definition of “consumer”, a word I have typed a gazillion times and, for the past decade, mostly with the words “Protection Act” behind it. Google gave me: “A person who purchases goods and services for personal use,” followed by some context: “Understanding what motivates consumers is more crucial than ever.”.. This article is free to read if you register or sign in.