A “Democratization” of Markets? Online Consumer Reviews in the Restaurant Industry

Kevin Mellet; Thomas Beauvisage; Jean-Samuel Beuscart; Marie Trespeuch

doi:10.3384/vs.2001-5992.14215

Authors

Kevin Mellet Orange Labs—Sense / Centre de Sociologie de l’Innovation, Mines ParisTech, France
Thomas Beauvisage Social Sciences Department, Orange Labs (Sense), France
Jean-Samuel Beuscart Social Sciences Department, Orange Labs (Sense) / Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, France
Marie Trespeuch Social Sciences Department, Orange Labs (Sense) / IDHE, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, France

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3384/vs.2001-5992.14215

Keywords:

Market, valuation devices, reviews, online consumer reviews, democratization, restaurant industry

Abstract

This article examines the promise of market democratization conveyed by consumer rating and review websites in the restaurant industry. Based on interviews with website administrators and data from the main French platforms, we show that review websites contribute to the democratization of restaurant criticism, which first started in the 1970s, both by including a greater variety of restaurants in the reviews, and by broadening participation, opening restaurant reviewing to all. However, this twofold democratic ambition conflicts with the need to produce fair and helpful recommendations, leading review websites to seek compromises between these two dimensions.

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