Antecedents of Blockchain-Enabled E-commerce Platforms (BEEP) adoption by customers – A study of second-hand small and medium apparel retailers

Abstract

Increasingly, the apparel industry generates enormous waste and pollution causing extreme water scarcity in emerging economies, where circular economy (CE) adoption can help to alleviate these pressing issues of this century. Environmentally conscious consumers gradually switch to purchasing secondhand clothes, prompting apparel companies to reposition their brands on sustainability dimensions. Nevertheless, buying secondhand apparel comes with a risk of counterfeiting and authenticity of the products. Blockchain can be an effective technology for tracking and tracing the products to their origin if effectively implemented in the apparel industry. In this study, we identify and analyze the antecedents to Blockchain-Enabled E-commerce Platform (BEEP) adoption in secondhand apparel retailing. We conducted a survey of Indian female consumers using the theoretical constructs of consumer’s buying motives and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The results show that buying motives (namely economic motives, hedonic motives and critical motives) and UTAUT constructs (viz. performance expectancy, facilitating conditions and attitude) explain BEEP acceptance for secondhand apparel shopping. Risk of contamination increases BEEP adoption intention and also mediates the relationship between fashion motives and intention. Blockchain technology promotes behavioral intention towards online second-hand fashion clothing shopping, and by so doing reduces waste and promotes CE.