Is it really mine? Contamination concerns for second-hand goods

Purpose This study has two main objectives. First, it identifies a new psychological barrier: the perceived association between second-hand items and their former owners, which raises contamination concerns and hinders their adoption. Second, it proposes practical strategies to reduce this perceived association, promoting greater acceptance of second-hand goods. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes six hypotheses, which are tested through three online experiments involving 517 participants recruited via Prolific. Findings This study reveals that consumer hesitation towards second-hand items stems from perceived contamination linked to the previous owner, especially for close-to-body products. Study 1 shows that cleanliness perception mediates this owner-item association. Study 2 replicates this, demonstrating that hedonic framing improves cleanliness perception. Study 3 confirms these effects, showing that hedonic framing reduces the owner-item association, making t-shirts (close-to-body) seem cleaner and more desirable than utilitarian items like laptop bags (away-from-body). Overall, hedonic framing effectively minimises contamination concerns by reducing previous owner-item association, making second-hand goods appear cleaner, fresher and more appealing to consumers. Practical implications This study’s findings could encourage second-hand item adoption, boosting the circular economy, reducing waste, lowering demand for new products and mitigating environmental issues like resource depletion and pollution. Originality/value This research reveals how perceived connections between previous owners and pre-owned items influence cleanliness perceptions, significantly affecting buyers’ preferences for second-hand goods.