Examining the Post-purchase Behaviour of Second-hand Clothing : Extending Expectation Confirmation Theory

Abstract: Amongst production industries, the fashion industry is one of those with the most negative impact on the environment. Globalization has driven consumption of contemporary fashion products, such as clothes, to the highest quantities ever recorded in history. Where, to globally maintain a lifestyle based on the Swedish population alone, at least four earths would have been needed. Post-purchase behaviour is an influencer on future consumer decision-making and therefore a potential driver of collaborative consumption, yet little research has focused on this field in the second-hand clothing setting. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the post-purchase behaviour of the Swedish second-hand clothing consumer. The research extends expectation confirmation theory into the new scope of double hybrid business models, where consumers make second-hand clothing purchases within a mesh of both online and offline services, from a mixture of C2C and B2C transactions. The study utilizes a qualitative method, and the result is collected from eight in-depth one-on-one interviews with Swedish consumers. The findings show that expectations, when purchasing second-hand clothes, may differ between online and offline platforms. Subsequently the concepts of post-purchase behaviour are also experienced differently depending on the purchase having been made in a physical store or from an online seller. Practical implications are connected to the risk minimizing strategies that consumers adopt when trying to avoid disappointing and regretful purchases. The study provides new information about the differences in expectations and post-purchase behaviour between online and in store purchases of second-hand clothing and examines the Swedish consumer from a collaborative fashion consumption perspective.