Sustainability and Social Responsibility

What Drives Consumer to Purchase Second-Hand Clothing? An Investigation of External and Internal Factors

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Abstract

In 2021, the second-hand market was valued at 96 billion U.S. dollars, and this value is estimated to reach 218 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. The purpose of this research is to investigate how external environmental factors, consisting of product quality, information quality, and service quality, influence consumers' internal emotional state and how consumers' perceptions of hedonic and utilitarian values affect their purchase intentions and word-of-mouth. Primary data were gathered from 448 consumers aged 18 and over who have previously shopped for second-hand products via an online survey. The findings of this study suggest that product quality, information quality, and service quality positively influence U.S. second-hand consumers' perceptions of hedonic and utilitarian value. Moreover, these perceived values positively affect consumers’ purchase intentions and word-of-mouth. 

Keywords: perceived value, purchase intention, word of mouth, second hand clothing

How to Cite:

Berezyuk, O., Lou, X. & Chi, T., (2024) “What Drives Consumer to Purchase Second-Hand Clothing? An Investigation of External and Internal Factors”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17421