Customer engagement in second-hand fashion marketplaces after the pandemic

Abstract: Background : Further to the environmental and ethical issues within the sector of fashion, consumers are now shifting toward more responsible and different business models as second hand selling. According to Boston Consulting Group , the second-hand clothes market is a growing sector which currently weighs around thirty and forty billion dollars, so 2% of the total sales of the fashion and luxury industry (Deslandes, 2020). Nonetheless, the recent covid crisis has acted as a booster in the movement, raising considerably the consumer’s awareness. Besides, with the generalization of remote working and the will to reduce contamination risks, fashion consumers tend to stay more at home and spend additional time online. Consequently, their reflections and purchasing behavior are forecasted to be modified as well. Purpose : The objective of this research is to give recommendations to the marketplaces of the sector to stimulate customer engagement after the crisis. The authors will analyze relevant patterns in the potential customer’s attitude and behavior modification. Besides, they will identify innovative opportunities for marketers to reinvent their advertising and communication plans. Method : The study will be established through a qualitative research using twelve semi-structured interviews. The authors will exchange with respondents representing the stakeholders who can be reached by the marketing campaigns of the online stores in France. Conclusion : Different particularities have been found according to the customer type. Therefore, the recommendations differ for each of them. The authors found out that current customers are highly informed about the benefits of purchasing second-hand clothes. Their main reasons invoked for using this service is the price and the uniqueness of the products. Therefore, it is recommended to the second-hand clothes marketplaces to focus on communication and in particular on newsletters, in order to sustain the customer loyalty of the already existing customer base. Consumers never buying second-hand clothes have shown an important openness for receiving information about the industry. Intensive advertising strategies seem effective but still not generating purchasesbecause of the contamination fear, the lack of awareness of the platform’s benefits and a trust more shared with brand’s structures than independent stores. Concerning the customers purchasing second-hand garments 2only in physical stores, seeing the facilities of the shops is the gateway to their trust. Nonetheless, they would be ready to shift to online stores if connections to the real world could be given, as pop-up stores or interactive deliveries for example.