Reducing Waste, Building Brand: A Quantitative Study of the Impact of Second-Hand Clothing on Brand Attitude in Online Retail

Sammanfattning: Consumers' growing awareness of the environmental impact of their consumption behaviors has resulted in an increased demand for sustainable and eco-friendly brands. Swedish online retailers have responded by offering second-hand clothing on their websites. While previous research has demonstrated the influence of brand extensions, product line extensions, and new green products on brand attitudes, no previous research has investigated the impact of offering second-hand products on brand-related effects. Thus, the purpose of this thesis was to examine if offering second-hand clothing alternatives in online retail stores ultimately impacts consumers' attitudes toward the brand. More specifically, this thesis applied signaling theory to evaluate this effect. An experimental scenario-based role-playing design was used in which participants were randomly allocated to one of our four choice situations in an online retailing context. Two factors were manipulated: the second-hand clothing alternative and the price. The study showed that second-hand clothing alternatives offered in online retail stores positively affect consumers' attitudes toward brands and that signaling mechanisms mediate the positive effect of offering second-hand clothing alternatives on brand attitude. This thesis thus contributes to the literature on sustainable consumption, second-hand, and the broader application of signaling theory by exploring the connection between second-hand clothing and brand-related effects. It provides a compelling argument for offering second-hand clothing alternatives, not only to reduce waste and benefit the environment but also to build stronger brands.