Layers of Marketplace Discrimination Facing Refugees

Refugees’ Marketplace Discrimination

Our new study, published in the Journal of Marketing Management, examines the state of research on refugees’ marketplace discrimination by reviewing 215 publications spanning the business, management, marketing, and social sciences disciplines.

Marketplace discrimination—defined as the differential treatment of consumers based on perceived group-level identity markers—has been documented across dimensions such as race, gender, sexuality, and age. Yet, research has rarely examined how these forms of discrimination intersect, nor the structural forces that perpetuate them. With global displacement reaching over 123 million people as of December 2024, including 36.8 million refugees, 73.5 million internally displaced persons, and 8.4 million asylum seekers, understanding these dynamics has never been more critical.

Three Forms of Refugee Marketplace Discrimination Identified

Using an intersectional analytical framework, the review identifies three major forms of marketplace discrimination affecting refugees:

• Structural discrimination -systemic inequalities and barriers that are embedded in a host society’s laws, policies, and institutional practices concerning refugees.
• Racial discrimination – negative attitudes, stereotypes, beliefs, and biases that shape the interactions among members of host societies and refugees, often leading to the unfair treatment and exclusion of refugees
• Spatial discrimination – the unequal treatment of refugees based on their nationless status or resettlement location (camps, centres, housing, etc.), often leading to segregation and disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and social mobility.

These forms are further compounded by sexism, ageism, and ableism, illustrating how multiple identity markers shape refugees’ experiences simultaneously.

Two Types of Proposed Solutions

Our in-depth examination reveals specific refugee-led and host society-led initiatives and recommendations to curb marketplace discrimination.

• Refugee-led solutions:
  • Coping consumption – the use of consumption objects and activities to manage negative emotions and stress
  • Community formation via marketplace activities
  • Direct involvement in refugee services

• Host society-led solutions:
  • Curbing structural barriers – eliminate structural barriers, especially to refugee service provisioning, through policy changes, changes in institutional procedures and practices, as well as reforming aid and market access
  • Promoting more balanced and representative portrayals of refugees that humanise and contextualise their experiences
  • Creating a more inclusive and integrated approach to housing and settlements.

Our Call for Transdisciplinary Collaboration

Although research has expanded in recent years, existing studies often examine contributing factors in isolation and within disciplinary silos. We therefore call for a transdisciplinary research agenda. By charting conceptual, methodological, and policy pathways forward, the study offers an essential foundation for scholars, practitioners, governments, and humanitarian organizations seeking to improve refugees’ access, participation, and well-being in marketplaces globally.

Key Takeaways

This study provides:

• A holistic overview of the conditions and forces shaping refugees’ discriminatory marketplace experiences
• Identifies major gaps in current research and opportunities for future transdisciplinary study
• Provides implications for business practice, public policy, and service design, promoting more equitable and inclusive experiences
• Proposes a new framework outlining the manifestations of refugee marketplace discrimination and potential solutions, including both refugee-led initiatives and host-society interventions

About the Authors