Second-hand clothing consumption: a cross-cultural comparison between American and Chinese young consumers

There has been an enormous increase in the economic power and global scope of the second-hand clothing trade since the early 1990s. Young consumers are a major driver behind the growth of the second-hand clothing industry in the US. While the stigma of buying second-hand clothing is fading in the western countries, little is known about second-hand clothing consumption in the Asian countries. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate young consumers' behaviours towards second-hand clothing from a cross-cultural perspective in the US and Chinese contexts. Results of this study indicated significant differences in young consumers' second-hand clothing consumption behaviour between the two countries in the following aspects: past purchase experience, perceived values and concerns, perceived subjective norm and future purchase intention.