The Role of Influencers in Online Second-Hand Clothing Shopping: The Case of Dolap Application in Türkiye

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to explore the effects of influencers on consumers in the Dolap application in Türkiye, an online second-hand clothing shopping platform. In this context, a semi-structured interview form was used with 20 people who use the Dolap application. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and over the phone. It has been revealed that the influence of influencers on the purchase of second-hand clothing by consumers using the application is low, but the brands used by the influencer when making a purchase decision can affect the purchase decision. The most important basic criterion for purchasing clothing is economic benefit. The most common problem is payments. Buyers are happy to buy cheaper products in the market and sellers are happy to earn income and profit. In this study, the shipping process and the mismatch between the product's image and the product itself emerged as the main sources of concern. According to the results, influencers can have an impact on consumers in terms of purchasing branded products at affordable prices, following fashion, and partially creating environmental awareness. It can be stated that the second-hand clothing market, even in the online environment, paves the way for consumers to develop a purchasing behaviour pattern specific to their own identities and lifestyles, is preferred for reasons such as obtaining economic value (financial savings) due to the opportunity to find quality and branded products at a more affordable price, providing functional benefits arising from the use of the product.