Shopping motivations and purchase intention in second-hand fashion C2C e-commerce – A qualitative study of Finnish consumers
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
Authors
Date
2024
Department
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Mcode
Degree programme
Marketing
Language
en
Pages
86 + 10
Series
Abstract
The second-hand market has seen a change in the type and amount of second-hand fashion outlets, as well as a rise in the popularity of consumer-to-consumer e-commerce. In Finland, second-hand fashion forms the largest product group sold on C2C platforms. In addition, there has been a change in how consumers view second-hand fashion, as second-hand fashion has become increasingly associated with responsible consumption. Prior literature on second-hand consumption has studied the consumer point of view by focusing on concepts such as shopping motivation and purchase intention, but research that explores online sales outlets is still scarce. To address this gap, the purpose of the thesis was to increase understanding on the factors that drive Finnish consumers to shop for second-hand fashion and make purchases in C2C e-commerce platforms dedicated to the product category. This study aimed to provide answers to three research questions: ‘What motivates Finnish consumers to shop for second-hand fashion in C2C e-commerce?’, ‘What drives Finnish consumers’ purchase intention in second-hand fashion C2C e-commerce’, and ‘Are different shopping motivations related to the purchase intention of second-hand fashion in C2C e-commerce?’. The qualitative study was guided by a theoretical framework formed based on second-hand shopping motivations identified in previous literature and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The study was conducted by interviewing seven Finnish women who had experience of second-hand fashion shopping on C2C e-commerce. The findings of the thesis indicate that young Finnish women are driven to shop for second-hand fashion in C2C e-commerce for both hedonic and utilitarian reasons, with the primary motivations being environmental and economic. Compared to physical second-hand fashion stores, C2C e-commerce is often seen as a more convenient mode of shopping. In addition, as a recreational activity online second-hand shopping is comparable to the entertainment gained from scrolling on social media. Purchase intentions are driven by positive attitudes and the ease of the behaviour. Moreover, young women perceive the purchasing of second-hand fashion online to be socially acceptable and as a behaviour that aligns with the values of their close ones. Lastly, the manifold motivations for shopping, particularly environmental and economic, were identified to overlap with the drivers of purchase intention. This study contributes to the existing literature on consumer behaviour in the second-hand market by supporting the role of previously identified motivations in the contexts of second-hand fashion and online platforms. Furthermore, the study provides insights into the antecedents of purchase intentions in C2C e-commerce and to the overlapping themes between shopping motivation and purchase intention.Description
Thesis advisor
Tikkanen, HenrikkiKeywords
second-hand fashion, C2C, P2P, e-commerce, shopping motivation, purchase intention, Theory of Planned Behaviour