Green glamour

: the influence of environmental concerns on second-hand luxury consumption

Abstract

In the recent years, two parallel trends have been emerging: the purchase of second-hand luxury items and an increase in consumers’ environmental awareness. This dissertation aims to bridge them by studying the influence of environmental concerns on consumers’ preferences for luxury products, with a focus on second-hand items. Through quantitative research, the research examines the impact of consumers’ environmental awareness on purchase intention, perceived quality value, perceived social value, perceived sustainable value, perceived ethical value, and guilt associated with first and second-hand luxury items. It emerged that vintage luxury items are perceived as more sustainable and ethical than the new collection by those consumers who possess high levels of environmental concerns. Similarly, it was discovered that there is a consistent tendency to associate less guilt with second-hand luxury products and that perceptions of sustainability and ethicality further decrease this feeling of guilt. Finally, luxury items were perceived as more socially valuable by those consumers who are less environmentally concerned, going against previous research. Overall, the current paper contributes to the literature on luxury consumption and sustainability by providing insights into the relationship between environmental concerns and second-hand luxury products. The study also identifies limitations and proposes avenues for future research to enhance understanding in this field and providing marketers and managers with insightful observations in this domain.

Date of Award	26 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Niza Braga (Supervisor)