Second-hand luxury

: the New Minimalism?

Abstract

Continuing growth in the luxury fashion industry reveals the significant contribution to envi ronmental issues, overconsumption, and waste of resources. The slowly growing expansion of collaborative consumption provides luxury brands with opportunities to engage in sustainable consumption and to understand consumer valuations toward second-hand fashion. An experimental study was conducted to examine the impact of type of second-hand luxury fashion (conventional vs. sustainable) on consumer valuations, namely on design, quality, and trust perceptions, on collaborative consumption preferences, and willingness to buy second hand fashion. The double moderation role of consumer motivation (utilitarian vs. hedonic) and voluntary simplicity was also tested. Further, a mediation analysis of positive emotions between the type of second-hand luxury fashion and consumer valuations was examined.Findings indicate consumers exhibit a more robust valuation toward conventional than sustain able second-hand luxury. Quality perceptions are mainly hedonically driven, while collabora tive consumption preferences tend to rely on utilitarian motivation. The moderating effect of voluntary simplicity on the relationship between types of second-hand luxury fashion and con sumer valuations is particularly relevant. Individual differences in minimalistic lifestyles affect consumers’ preferencesto a point where sustainable second-hand fashion is not a differentiating factor. This phenomenon is further observed via the indirect effect of positive emotions on the aforementioned relationship. The current dissertation provides valuable insights concerning the paradox between second hand luxury fashion and sustainability. It provides both, theoretical and practical implications for marketers, managers, and brands about the important role of individual differences such as voluntary simplicity on consumers decisions when evaluating second-hand luxury fashion.

Date of Award	27 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Vera Herédia Colaço (Supervisor)