Consumers’ Perception Towards Pre-loved Activewear and Factors Influencing It

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumer perception of young consumers living in Sweden, towards second-hand activewear and to identify characteristics that may have an influencing effect on the perception. The study was based on the following two research questions: (1) How do Swedish consumers perceive buying activewear second-hand? (2) How second-hand barriers/characteristics play a role in consumers’ purchasing decisions and do it affect their perception towards pre-used activewear? The study was based on qualitative research and the empirical material was collected through eight semi-structured interviews conducted via face-to-face interviews and via online Zoom meetings. The participants were selected based on their age and due to their great interest in second-hand consumption in general. All of the study's participants live in Sweden. The study's findings showed that there has been an increased acceptance of the idea of second-hand activewear consumption in recent years. In terms of the purpose and research questions, it was concluded that the price, hygiene aspects, sorting and organizing products, and quality plays an important role in influencing consumer perception.