Date of Award

Fall 11-28-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Research Psychology (MS)

Department

Psychology

Supervisor

Jenny Lee Vaydich, PhD

Second Reader

Jessica Fossum

Abstract

In a world where fashion is a one-and-done look for an Instagram photo, represents 4% of global waste, and is growing at a rate of 11 times faster than traditional retail, there is a growing interest to reduce the carbon footprint of fashion by offering outlets for consumers to circulate their wardrobe through consignment opposed to throwing it away (Bird, 2018). Research has been done to evaluate the importance of information on e-commerce websites, with little focus on secondhand e-commerce. Previous research on secondhand shopping focuses mostly on shopping motivations, but once a customer has decided to shop secondhand what exactly influences the purchase? What is the customer using to evaluate secondhand products, specifically in an online environment where physical assessment is limited? The way customers evaluate secondhand purchases may not be the same as a new purchase.

Utilizing a sample of 196 luxury secondhand shoppers, Multiple Regression was used to evaluate the influence of brand trust and product descriptions on consumer purchase intention in Secondhand eCommerce. Both brand trust and product descriptions were found to influence purchase intent. Further, brand trust showed more significance than product descriptions. With high levels of uncertainty in a vastly growing market, it is beneficial for retailers to understand and evaluate what consumers value in secondhand luxury e-commerce purchases.

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