“From Prada to Nada”: Consumers and their luxury products: A contrast between second-hand and first-hand luxury products

Abstract

Rooted in a multi-method approach, both qualitative and quantitative, two successive studies were carried out to determine the relationships that consumers establish with their luxury products. Two fields of application were considered: second-hand luxury products and first-hand luxury products. Study 1 was based on the projective “Album On Line” technique, and used a sample of 32 customers. It examines the affective and cognitive representations of the way in which second-hand and first-hand luxury products are purchased. It shows that the purchasing of second-hand luxury products is linked to social climbing, eco-conscious concerns, brand heritage and windfall. It reveals that the purchase of first-hand luxury products is motivated by power, social ranking and quality. Study 2 used a causal approach on a sample of 280 customers of second-hand and first-hand luxury products. It examines how motivations to consume, consumption behaviours and consumer-brand relationships, change when one contrasts second-hand with first-hand luxury products.