Reimagining secondhand consumption: Can reseller identity (de)Motivate sustainable consumption?

Abstract

Peer-to-peer sharing of unutilized assets, such as clothing, could greatly reduce new production and its subsequent environmental harm. However, this mode of the sharing economy may be difficult for consumers to adopt. A relatively novel form of organizing in the sharing economy embraces apparel firms as secondhand resellers of their own products, facilitating collaborative consumption. Across four studies, this research provides novel insights into whether and why a reseller's identity and their stated goals may (de)motivate consumers from engaging in secondhand consumption. Study 1 (N = 314) demonstrates that when a manufacturing brand resells its used garments, it is perceived as more authentic, and its product as more appealing, subsequently leading to higher purchase likelihood in comparison to when the same used product is sold by another consumer. Study 2 (N = 608) conceptually replicates Study 1 findings, additionally revealing that brand reselling may reduce product contamination perceptions. Next, Studies 3a (N = 336) and 3b (N = 349) explore whether and how brand appeals (de)motivate consumers from secondhand consumption. We find that consumers with weak pro-environmental identity may become demotivated to purchase secondhand garments from a brand when the brand communicates a pro-environmental reselling goal. Additionally, brands communicating pro-environmental goals may be considered as less caring about product affordability, which is associated with reduced purchase likelihood. We conclude that accepting apparel brands as new actors in the sharing economy may both reduce existing barriers to secondhand consumption and promote non-tangible brand benefits, while shedding light on the nuance and complexity of this novel form of collaborative consumption.