The Consumerist

Consumerist

The Consumerist homepage on 31 December 2008; References to Gawker Media properties have since been removed
Type of site	Non-profit consumer news
Available in	U.S. English
Owner	Consumer Media LLC
Created by	Nick Denton, Joel Johnson
Editor	Meg Marco
Website	consumerist.com
Alexa rank	9,031 (June 2016[update])
Registration	Optional
Launched	2005
Current status	Active

Consumerist is a consumer affairs blog owned by Consumer Media LLC, a subsidiary of Consumer Reports with posts provided by a team of full-time reporters and editors. The blog's focus is on consumerism and consumers' experiences and issues with companies and corporations, concentrating mostly on U.S. consumers. Some content is based on reader-submitted tips and complaints, but the majority of the site's articles consist of original content and reporting by the site's staff.

Gawker Media established the blog in December 2005, with Joel Johnson as editor. Johnson had previously edited Gizmodo for Gawker. Consumerist was an idea from Gawker Media owner Nick Denton and managing editor Lockhart Steele; according to Johnson, "they knew they wanted a shopping blog—but not a shopping blog—and that they wanted to address the issues that consumers really find the most frustrating on a daily basis."

The idea of the site was based on a similar Hungarian blog called Tékozló Homár ("Wasteful Lobster" in Hungarian), which was initiated by Nick Denton's Hungarian friend, László Szily. "Tékozló Homár" is part of the Hungarian leading portal Index.

In creating Consumerist, Denton established its slogan and initial focus on readers' complaints, "consumer-oriented news nuggets, funny pictures and shopping tips — all with the same tone that characterizes Gawker properties like Wonkette and Defamer.". Gawker hired Ben Popken to take over as site lead in February, 2006. Johnson left Gawker in July 2006, citing a "disagreement about [his] role within the company."

Gawker put the blog up for sale in November 2008, at the same time it announced the closure of one of its other blogs, Valleywag. Consumerist was purchased by Consumers Union, the publishers of Consumer Reports, in December 2008. The site's only two full-time employees, site lead Ben Popken and senior editor Meghann Marco, were retained through the sale. Following the acquisition, Marco and Popken shared the title of Co-Executive Editor, and contributors Chris Walters and Carey Greenberg-Berger, who had been laid off by Gawker, were reinstated.