Consumer orientations of second-hand clothing shoppers

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study examined whether consumer orientations differ among frequent shoppers of three types of second-hand clothing stores: consignment stores, online stores, and thrift stores. The literature suggests that second-hand clothing shoppers can be described by six consumer orientations: frugality, style consciousness, ecological consciousness, dematerialism, nostalgia proneness, and fashion consciousness. The data collected via online survey consisted of 600 consumers in the US (200 consignment store shoppers, 200 online shoppers, and 200 thrift store shoppers). The results from a profile analysis and ANOVA demonstrate that the three types of second-hand retailers have distinct profiles in consumer orientations and thus cannot be lumped together as one retailer group. Consignment store shoppers had higher scores on nostalgia proneness and fashion consciousness than thrift store shoppers; online shoppers had higher scores on nostalgia proneness and fashion consciousness than thrift store shoppers; and thrift store shoppers had the highest score on dematerialism. Specific implications for each second-hand clothing store are provided.