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Linköping University | Department of Management and Engineering
Master Thesis in Business Administration, 30 credits | International Business and Economics Program
Spring 2020 | ISRN-nummer: LIU-IEI-FIL-A--20/03379--SE
The Impact of Influencer
Marketing on Second hand
Market
A study on how to increase the participation in the
second hand market for apparel
Dena Farhadi
Beata Stefanska
Supervisor: Hugo Guyader
Linköpings universitet
SE-581 83 Linköping, Sverige
013-28 10 00, www.liu.se
Abstract
Title: The Impact of Influencer Marketing on the Second hand market- A study on
how to increase the participation in the second hand market for apparel
Authors: Dena Farhadi & Beata Stefanska
Supervisor: Hugo Guyader
Keywords: Second hand, influencer marketing, consumer behavior, sustainability,
fashion industry, environmental awareness
Introduction: The second hand market for apparel is a good alternative for making
sustainable purchases, given that it does not contribute to textile waste to
the same extent as the fast fashion industry. Consumers are aware of the
current environmental issues, however they do not always act according to
their knowledge. Therefore, this study is devoted to examine the possibility
to increase the consumer’s participation in the second hand market for
apparel, as a solution to the problem of textile waste.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how influencer marketing can be
used in order to increase the participation in the second hand market for
apparel. Further, this paper examines the impact of the factors of price,
environmental awareness and quality on sale and purchase of second hand
apparel.
Method: To implement this study both quantitative and qualitative methodologies
have been used. For the quantitative part surveys have been constructed, to
get a broader view of the consumer behavior. Furthermore, interviews with
different consumers were held for the qualitative part, to get a deeper
insight in the consumer behavior. The collected data has later on been a
support for the analysis.
Conclusion: This study shows that influencer marketing can indeed increase the
participation on the second hand market for apparel, by increasing
environmental awareness among the consumers. Moreover, the most
influential factors are quality when purchasing, price when selling and
environmental awareness both when purchasing and selling.
Sammanfattning
Titel: The Impact of Influencer Marketing in the Second hand market- A study on
how to increase the participation in the second hand market for apparel
Författare: Dena Farhadi & Beata Stefanska
Handledare: Hugo Guyader
Keywords: Second hand, influencer marketing, consumer behavior, sustainability,
fashion industry, environmental awareness
Introduktion: Andrahandsmarknaden för kläder är ett bra alternativ om man vill fatta
hållbara köpbeslut, då det inte bidrar till textilavfall i samma utsträckning
som fast fashion industrin. Konsumenter är idag medvetna om befintliga
miljöproblem, men det är inte alltid de handlar i enlighet med sin kunskap.
Därför är denna studie egnad åt att undersöka möjligheten att öka
konsumentens deltagande på andrahandsmarknaden för kläder som en
lösning till textilavfallsproblemet.
Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur influencer marketing kan
användas för att öka konsumentens deltagande på andrahandsmarknaden
för kläder. Vidare, undersöker denna studie tre faktorers påverkan på köp
och sälj av andrahandskläder. Dessa faktorer är pris, miljömedvetenhet och
kvalitet.
Metod: För att genomföra den studie har både kvantitativ och kvalitativ metod
används. Till den kvantitativa delen har enkäter skapats för att få en bredare
bild av konsumentens beteende. Vidare har intervjuer hållits med olika
konsumenter till den kvalitativa delen. Detta har gjorts för att få en djupare
insikt i konsumentens beteende. Den data som har samlats har senare varit
stöd för den analys som har gjorts.
Slutsats: Denna studie visar att influencer marketing kan användas för att öka
kundens deltagande på andrahandsmarknaden för kläder och detta genom
att öka miljömedvetenheten bland kunderna. Dessutom visar studien att
kvalitet är den faktorn som har störst inflytande på köpande, samtidigt som
pris har störst effekt på säljande. Slutligen har miljömedvetenhet ett relativt
stort inflytande på både köp och sälj.
Table of content
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1 Second hand .................................................................................................... 1
1.1.2 Fast fashion ..................................................................................................... 2
1.1.3 Environmental footprint .................................................................................... 3
1.1.4 Influencer marketing......................................................................................... 4
1.2 Problematization ................................................................................................... 6
1.3 Purpose and Research Questions ............................................................................ 7
2. Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 8
2.1 Endorsement marketing ......................................................................................... 8
2.2 Influencing the consumer ....................................................................................... 9
2.3 Social Learning Theory ......................................................................................... 10
2.4 The decision-making process ................................................................................ 11
2.5 Attitude-behavior gap .......................................................................................... 12
The theory of Reasoned Action ................................................................................. 12
2.6 The theoretical model of Influential factors ............................................................ 13
3. Methodology .......................................................................................................... 15
3.1 Research methodology ......................................................................................... 15
3.2 Quantitative methodology - A survey .................................................................... 16
3.2.1 Survey Design ................................................................................................ 17
3.2.2 Distribution ................................................................................................... 18
3.2.3 Data analysis ................................................................................................. 20
3.2.4 Reliability and validity ..................................................................................... 21
3.2.5 Limitations .................................................................................................... 21
3.3 Qualitative methodology - Interviews .................................................................... 21
3.3.1 Sampling ....................................................................................................... 22
3.3.2 Data analysis ................................................................................................. 22
3.3.3 Limitations .................................................................................................... 23
3.4 Ethical considerations .......................................................................................... 23
4. Results .................................................................................................................... 24
4.1 Empirical data - the surveys .................................................................................. 24
4.1.1 Age ............................................................................................................... 24
4.1.2 Occupation .................................................................................................... 24
4.1.3 Reliability ...................................................................................................... 25
4.1.4 Descriptive statistics ....................................................................................... 25
4.1.5 The Model of Influential factors ....................................................................... 27
4.2 Empirical data - interviews ................................................................................... 28
4.2.1 Interviews with consumers .............................................................................. 28
4.2.2 Interview with influencer ................................................................................. 33
5. Discussion ............................................................................................................... 35
5.1 What are the most important factors to increase the participation of the consumer in
the second hand market? .......................................................................................... 35
5.2 How is the relation between the attitude of the consumer, regarding sustainability,
and their purchasing behavior? .................................................................................. 37
5.3 How could influencer marketing increase the participation of the consumer in the
second hand market? ................................................................................................ 39
5.3.1 Activity on social media ................................................................................... 39
5.3.2 Reasons to follow influencers ........................................................................... 40
5.3.3 The decision-making process ........................................................................... 41
5.3.4 Exposure to advertisements ............................................................................. 43
6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 45
6.1 Practical recommendation .................................................................................... 46
6.2 Future research ................................................................................................... 47
References ................................................................................................................... 48
Appendix ..................................................................................................................... 52
Appendix A: Interview questions for consumers .......................................................... 52
Appendix B: Interview questions with the influencer ................................................... 53
1
1. Introduction
Sustainable consumption is something that the consumers have been focusing more on
when making purchasing decisions (Johnstone & Lindh, 2018). In the beginning of the
twenty first century the consumers became more aware about the environmental issues,
which in turn led them to seek products that are more sustainable (Chen, Ghosh, Liu &
Zhao, 2019). Second hand sale and purchase is commonly associated with sustainable
consumption (Johnstone & Lindh, 2018), since it is a non-excessive consumption occurring
in many forms (Khurana & Tadesse, 2019).
The sustainable mindset has been noticed clearly in the mainstream society through online
communication platforms, where consumers and influencers create a culture of online
experts sharing opinions on products. This in turn implies new patterns of consumer
behavior, requiring a better and adapted marketing (Johnstone & Lindh, 2018). Further on,
social media has been playing a significant role in the fashion industry, since it has been
used as a communication platform, where both the consumers and the firms are
responsible content creators (Guercini, Bernal & Prentice, 2018).
1.1 Background
1.1.1 Second hand
The second hand market is usually associated with sustainable consumption, where
promotion of second hand apparel affects consumers purchasing behavior and disposal
habits. It makes the consumers to participate more in the second hand market and makes
them rethink whether their purchasing decisions are sustainable and not challenging for the
environment (Nagurney, Yu & Floden, 2015). In the second hand market, used apparel is
being resold, which extends life of the clothing item (Yang, Song & Tong, 2017) and
moreover, it helps the environment in the sense of used apparel not ending up on the
landfills but being reused (Sorensen & Johnson Jorgensen, 2019).
Further, the second hand market mainly consists of the alternatives to purchase, sell or
donate used clothes, through second hand stores, charity shops, thrift stores, vintage stores,
flea markets, actions and different online markets for second hand clothing. The items are
typically sold or purchased at a low price, compared to apparel sold in a regular clothing
store. The second hand consumption is mainly driven by sustainable motives, or by
personal motives, such as esthetics or excitement of finding something authentic and of
good quality (Sorensen & Johnson Jorgensen, 2019).
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Moreover, with the society being more concerned about the environmental impact of
overconsumption and the disposal of textile waste, the second hand market will grow even
bigger, compared to what it is now (Liang & Xu, 2017). However, the awareness is still quite
low which therefore makes the second hand market a niche market and not a mass market
(Khurana & Tadesse, 2019). A few decades ago the second hand market was only associated
with poverty and low social status, however the trend of fast fashion has made clothes into a
disposable and rapid purchase items. Therefore, second hand clothes are becoming more
appealing for many, because it is seen as a mean of self expression and a way to
differentiate for the consumers (Khurana & Tadesse, 2019), since they can find clothes that
are different from the rest to a low price (Liang & Xu, 2017).
Additionally, reuse of clothes helps to reduce the amount of textile being disposed to the
landfills, and therefore leads to a reduction of environmental pollution. Even though, the
second hand market is a multibillion dollar business with many consumers today, there are
still some concerns regarding the clothes, especially in the western society. The main
concerns are regarding previous owners, hygiene and freshness of the clothes, which makes
the consumers distance themselves from participation in the second hand market (Liang &
Xu, 2017).
1.1.2 Fast fashion
The fashion industry is one of the most important industries in the world, driving a big part
of the global economy today. The textile market represents 2% of the global Gross Domestic
Product, making it one of the largest consumption industries in the world. Simultaneously,
in a global perspective, the industry in 2016 was employing more than 60 million people in
the whole value chain (Kaczorowska-Spychalska, 2018).
Over the last 20 years the fashion industry has evolved and expanded its boundaries due to
digitalization, which has not only affected sale but also contributed to creation of new ways
to market (Guercini, Bernal & Prentice, 2018). The most crucial changes that the industry
has undergone during the past two decades, are moving away from mass production of
standardized styles and patterns, and also increased number of fashion seasons (Bhardwaj
& Fairhurst, 2010).
Until the mid-1980s the industry was mainly based on low cost mass production,
characterized by a standardized production because of the design restrictions in the
factories. At the same time the consumers, during this period of time, were not equally
sensitive regarding fashion styles as they are today (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). However
the female interest in fashion style suddenly increased in the 1980s, resulting in a
decreasing demand for classic and simple apparel. As a response to that, the industry
3
implemented an increased variation in the assortment by offering a variety of colors and
textures to clothes. Therefore, mass production of standardized clothes was no longer the
way to gain profit in the fashion industry (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). Simultaneously,
while the consumers were demanding a wider range of clothes, the retailers began to
expand the product range with new and updated products with a higher responsiveness to
the fashion trends by providing new and demanded products instead of only looking at the
cost efficiency regarding manufacture (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010). In order to increase
the variety, the retailers added more fashion seasons, imposing a big pressure on the
suppliers, forcing them to deliver products in smaller batches to a shorter lead time. Instead
of having two to four seasons each year, retailers added three to five mid-seasons in
between (Bhardwaj & Fairhurst, 2010).
Further, every collection introduced to the market follows a life cycle consisting of three
stages which are: introduction, acceptance, and regression. In the introduction stage the
product is first accepted by a small number of consumers, to over time get accepted by a
larger group of people in the acceptance stage after which it begins to decline and becomes
obsolete by the end of the life cycle. Usually the life cycle can vary from few weeks to
decades but because of fast fashion, the life cycle of a product is much shorter, it can be a
month or less (Joung, 2014). Furthermore, fast fashion apparel is being sold at a low price
due to the poor quality of the items. Therefore, the consumers tend to replace outworn
clothes for new ones more often, which is easy due to widespread of social media. In general
fast fashion clothes are meant to be worn less than ten times and for that reason fast
fashion is also called “disposable fashion” (Joung, 2014).
1.1.3 Environmental footprint
For many decades the fashion industry has been focusing on improving the environmental
footprint along the upstream supply chain, by working on the social and environmental
issues related to the production. The main focus for many years has been to improve human
rights, management of waste, toxic-free production and use of sustainable materials, while
the downstream supply chain issues, like for instance reuse and end-of-use management of
clothes has not been prioritized (Hvass, 2014). Due to fast fashion, the fashion industry has
constantly been growing because of the more frequent purchases, which in turn has led to
an expanded production. This makes post-consumer textile waste even a bigger issue than
before, since the textile waste is growing with the industry. Even if there are several reuse
and recycling alternatives, such as donations to charities or second hand markets, textile
waste is still a growing problem (Hvass, 2014). Just recently this problem has been
addressed from the recycling and second hand retailer perspective. A piece of clothing could
both have long or short life-cycle, with a high or low environmental impact, depending on
4
the consumers and how they decide to use the product and what to do with it after it has
been used (Hvass, 2014).
Further, according to a study by Bhatt, Silverman & Dickson (2019), due to the high speed
of fast fashion industry, the consumers dispose old clothes in order to make more wardrobe
space, which in turn leads to them being able to purchase new ones. Most of the disposed
clothes end up on landfill sites or incinerators, which has a negative impact on the
environment and the well-being of the society (Bhatt et al., 2019).
Given the connection between fast fashion and the environment, in one way or another, fast
fashion industry does leave an environmental footprint on the earth. Therefore, the concept
of sustainability is relevant to mention in this study. In accordance to United Nations,
sustainability can be defined as, “meeting the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (United Nations, 2020). That is
the required tradeoff, which is the main issue faced by the sustainable consumption today
(Brundtland, 1987).
An increase of public knowledge regarding environmental sustainability awareness is the
first step leading to changes in consumer behavior. Social media has become a place
supporting human interaction and collaboration and therefore it has been used not only as
a tool for effective communication and interaction between users themselves, but also by
companies and brands, given that it facilitates sharing information with a wider crowd
(Hamid, Ijab, Sulaiman, Anwar & Norman, 2017).
1.1.4 Influencer marketing
According to Davidavičienė, Davidavičius & Tamosiuniene (2019) with the integrated
marketing communication a brand can create its own communication channel that reaches
to the desirable audience. Social media has become an important media in the online
marketing communication due to its fast growth and possibility to reach the target audience
through various social media platforms (Davidavičienė et al., 2019). Through social media
the users can share and create content where they simultaneously seek for new skills and
abilities to self-express, which leads to a creation of communities and relationships. This
makes the social media channels no longer an optional channel but a mandatory one,
through which the information can be spread effectively in order to minimize the risk of
misunderstandings, errors and conflicts between groups and individuals (Davidavičienė et
al., 2019).
Further, influencer marketing is a trend that evolved from social media marketing, which
implies a brand, product or service being promoted by an influencer (Brown & Fiorella,
2013). An influencer is a person with a social media platform, who has the capability to
5
influence consumer behavior and the perception of a brand, product, or service. The
influencers are opinion leading profiles that are used by the companies and brands in their
marketing efforts (Brown & Fiorella, 2013) in order to increase the brand awareness among
the consumers and also to influence consumers purchasing decisions (Lou & Yuan, 2019).
Further, an influencer can be considered as a third party in between the companies and the
consumers, that helps to drive the consumer behavior in a direction that benefits
companies (Lou & Yuan, 2019). However it is of importance that the influencers work as an
independent party (Paco & Oliveira, 2017) specialized in a certain area, i.e fashion or
fitness, with business collaborations that matches their image (Lou & Yuan, 2019). With
this type of marketing the consumers tend to have a more positive response to the
promotion, as it is done by a person who is viewed as trustworthy and personable for the
consumers (Woods, 2016).
Currently, social media has a large impact on the consumers and their perception of
information and news (Lou & Yuan, 2019). According to a study by Lou & Yuan (2019),
during the recent years more consumers are relying on social media for news, where they
simultaneously encounter a larger number of commercials on a daily basis. Furthermore,
social media is becoming more habitual among users, resulting in the consumers using it to
seek information as they treat it as a source of information (Lou & Yuan, 2019). In a survey,
conducted among Twitter users, the results show that 40% of the users have purchased
something because of the influence from an influencer tweet (Lou & Yuan, 2019).
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that is very successful in today's business
environment. In 2018 a study showed that 39% of marketers planned to increase budget for
influencer marketing, while at the same time 19% of marketers intended to spend more
than $100,000 on a campaign (Lou & Yuan, 2019). Furthermore the same study shows that
94% of marketers found influencer marketing effective, while it also gives a return on
investment (ROI) that is 11 times higher than the traditional advertisement (Lou & Yuan,
2019).
Therefor, this study aims to examine the consumer behavior, considering sustainability and
more specifically second hand market participation. Further, the aim is to understand how
and if influencer marketing could lead the consumer more towards the second hand
market.
6
1.2 Problematization
Sustainable consumption has been recognized in the mainstream society because of the
increasing awareness among the consumers regarding the impact that their purchase
decisions have on the environment (Johnstone & Lindh, 2018). It has resulted in the second
hand market getting more recognition in the fashion industry (Liang & Xu, 2017), because
of the of fast fashion that offers clothes of low quality to a low price. This trend makes the
consumers to purchase more clothing items, which leaves an environmental footprint in
each step of the clothing life cycle (Claudio, 2007). Disposable fashion, which fast fashion is
also known as, means that clothes are not meant to be worn more than ten times due to its
low quality. The consumer is supposed to constantly replace used apparel with new ones
(Joung, 2014). A constant replacement of clothes leads to an increased amount of textile
waste, ending up on the landfills. Furthermore, the downstream supply chain has not been
prioritized as much as the upstream supply chain, as the textile waste is growing with the
industry and the problem has been addressed by the second hand market (Hvass, 2014).
However, the second hand market gives the possibility to extend the life cycle of the clothes,
where used clothes are being sold at a low price or given away through donations.
Participation in the second hand market is typically associated with a sustainable
consumption where it affects the purchase behavior and disposal habits, hence it leads the
consumers to be more aware of the environmental impact caused by their behavior
(Nagurney et al., 2015). Further, the second hand market not only contributes to a
reduction of the textile waste disposed to the landfills, but it also reduces the environmental
pollution. With the increase of environmental awareness, the second hand market is
expected to grow even more. Although, there are still some concerns noticed especially in
the western society regarding the hygiene and freshness of the clothes, which makes the
consumers to distantiate themselves from participating in the second hand market (Liang &
Xu, 2017).
Environmental awareness gets more recognition from social media platforms (Johnstone &
Lindh, 2018), as the consumers rely more on social media when it comes to information
and news (Lou & Yuan, 2019). The different platforms are treated as news channels by
many consumers where they, together with influencers on the platforms, share opinions
and create information. At the same time, social media has become a new marketplace for
companies and influencers where the consumer encounters large number of promotions
everyday (Lou & Yuan, 2019). For that reason a lot of companies have moved from
traditional marketing to influencer marketing due to its efficiency to reach out to many, as
it has a much higher ROI (Lou & Yuan, 2019).
7
The main problem that this study focuses on, is textile waste in the downstream supply
chain in the fashion industry, which has a negative effect on the environment. Therefore,
this study will examine the possibilitie of increasing and broadening participation on the
second hand market for apparel through influencer marketing, as a possible solution for the
issue of textile waste
1.3 Purpose and Research Questions
This study aims to examine how influencer marketing can be used in order to affect the
consumer behavior in terms of increasing the participation in the second hand market for
apparel. Moreover this study will examine the impact that the factor of price, environmental
awareness and quality have on sale and purchase of second hand apparel.
Research Questions:
● What are the most important factors, according to the consumer, when
participating in the second hand market?
● How is the relation between the attitude of the consumer, regarding sustainability,
and their purchasing behavior?
● How could influencer marketing increase the participation of the consumer in the
second hand market?
8
2. Theoretical Framework
This chapter will present the theories that are considered relevant for this study.
Furthermore, the theories combined will help to examine and analyse the data collected
for this study. The aim is to examine the perception of the consumer regarding
endorsement marketing, more specifically influencer marketing, and how one could
influence the consumer by examining different learning methods and influences.
Moreover, by looking at the decision-making process of the consumers the aim is to
understand where in the process the consumer is mainly reachable. Lastly, by including a
theory of the attitude-behavior gap together with the theory of Reasoned Actions and a
model of influential factors, the aim is to understand the correlation between the attitude
of the consumer and its behavior.
2.1 Endorsement marketing
With influencer marketing being a current marketing trend (Brown & Fiorella, 2013), it is of
importance to examine the background and effectiveness of this marketing strategy. It has
been stated how a good marketing communication provides a better support for
competitive differential advantages (Erdogan, 1999). Furthermore, it has also been stated
how many companies use endorsers in their marketing communications and how they put
effort in matching their brand with the endorsers. However, there are different types of
endorsers; created characters and celebrities (Erdogan, 1999), of which the phenomena of
celebrity endorsement is considered relevant for this study. Celebrity endorsement can be
further explained as a type of marketing where a celebrity or a well-known person, uses
their recognition to advertise a consumer good by participating in the advertisement for the
given good (Bergkvist & Zhou, 2016).
Throughout time, celebrity endorsement has been proven to be an efficient marketing
strategy (Erdogan, 1999; Bergkvist & Zhou, 2016), leading to more companies turning to
social media influencers as endorsers for their brand (Schouten, Janssen & Verspaget,
2020). Comparing these two types of endorsers, it has been stated how an influencer has an
online-based career and how the career in fact is the reason for them to be known to the
public (Schouten et al., 2020). Further, there are two processes that have been argued to
form the basis for how brand endorsement has an impact on the effectiveness of the
advertisement, which are identification with the endorser and perceived endorser
credibility (Schouten et al., 2020). Also, it has been stated how a consumer who shares
interests, values or characteristics with an endorser, is more likely to try to emulate the
9
beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of the endorser. Moreover, regarding influencers one could
argue how they are more presented as ordinary individuals, unlike celebrity endorsers,
which perhaps makes them more relatable to the common consumer (Schouten et al.,
2020). Lastly, referring to the process of credibility, it has been argued how if a brand, or a
product, is endorsed by a credible person, consumers are more likely to evaluate the brand,
or the product positively (Schouten et al., 2020). In addition to that, a credible person is
motivated as a person considered to be trustworthy and who possesses some kind of
expertise (Schouten et al., 2020).
2.2 Influencing the consumer
The phenomena of fixed-action patterns has been explained as a pattern of behaviors that
occur in the same way and order every time, and is a study based on animal behavior
(Cialdini, 2006). It has been explained how the fixed-action patterns can be seen as tapes
and that there are different factors, also described as clicks, which activate the tapes of fixed
behaviors. Further on, it is pointed out how this type of automatic action can be seen in
human behavior as well. For example, a study by social psychologist Ellen Langer has
shown how using the word ”because” while asking for a favor increases the chance of the
other part complying to the request. The explanation for this is the fact that, when asked for
a favor the human being is more likely to respond positively when given a reason (Cialdini,
2006). Furthermore, Cialdini (2006) points out six principles of influence: reciprocation,
commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity (Cialdini, 2006). It
is explained how these principles of influence activate the automatic behaviors and how
these principles can be used in the marketing strategies of companies. Through applying,
either one or several, of the influences, companies can induce certain kinds of behaviors
that can be a benefit for their business.
Although, all principles are considered useful in a commercial context, for this study only
two principles are considered relevant: the principle of liking and the principle of social
proof. These two principles are considered relevant for this study, given that they are both
connected to endorsement marketing. The principle of social proof implies how we tend to
perceive a kind of behavior as right if we see that other people are acting in a similar way.
An example of where this principle is used is in TV-shows where canned laughter is used.
The following principle is the principle of liking that points out how the human being tends
to accept a request when it comes from a person we like (Cialdini, 2006).
On the other hand, the phenomena of influencer marketing is also a considered useful in
commercial contexts, more precisely in a marketing context (Reinikainen, Munnukka,
Maity & Luoma-aho, 2019). Further on, influencer marketing can be further explained in
detail by the megaphone effect, which states how regular consumers are allowed to grab the
10
megaphone due to how social media is available to a broader audience. A regular consumer
who grabs the megaphone is an individual, no expertise required, who collects its own
audience through their actions and further shares thoughts and opinions with this audience
(McQuarrie, Miller & Phillips, 2013).
Moreover, it has been stated how the relationship between the influencers and the
consumers is different from the relationship between consumers and other marketers
(Reinikainen et al., 2019). Further, Reinikainen et al. (2019) point out how brands can
benefit from influencer marketing, since the influencers not only reach out to a large
audience, but they also have a greater impact on e.g. brand perception and purchase
intention because of their closer relationship to the consumers. The relationship between
the influencers and the consumers can also be described as interactive, since the online
platforms allow the user to interact with the influencer through e.g. commenting
(Reinikainen et al., 2019).
Lastly, research has shown how consumers tend to mimic the behavior of other consumers
(Ruvio, Gavish & Shoham, 2013). Although mimicry is stated to be an automatic behavior,
it is intentional in the context of consumers mimicking the behavior of other consumers.
This particular type of mimicking implies a process of decision-making that requires the
awareness of the consumer (Ruvio et al., 2013). That is, the mimicry of other consumers is a
planned behavior pattern, where the mimicker is striving to achieve a missing attribute,
that the mimicked consumer possesses (Ruvio et al., 2013).
2.3 Social Learning Theory
It has been stated how psychological influences have an impact on the decision-making
process of the consumer (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). The psychological factors are the
basis for the decision-making process and they emphasize the mental factors that have an
impact on the behavior of a person, and the factors that drive a person to make a decision.
Furthermore, aspects such as knowledge and experience have an impact on the learning of
the person (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). The Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura
explains how a person must learn repertories of behavior and further on how one could
obtain a pattern of response, either by direct experience or by observation (Bandura, 1977).
Also, Bandura (1977) points out different ways of learning. One of the ways of learning is
through the consequences of an action, where the theory explains how a person would
select the more successful forms of behavior. That is, throughout this learning process, a
person develops assumptions of the correct way to respond in different situations, which in
turn is used when facing similar situations in the future (Bandura, 1977). However, learning
only through response consequences is not considered optimal, or even possible, Bandura
(1977) continues. Further, the author explains how a person learns most of its own behavior
11
by observing how other people act and creating an idea of how to behave in future occasions
(Bandura, 1977).
2.4 The decision-making process
Psychological theories play an essential role in business research, since it helps to
understand the behavior of the consumer (Dowling, Guhl, Klapper, Spann, Stich &
Yegoryan, 2019). Dowling et al., (2019) explain in their study on behavioral biases in
marketing, how the decision-making process of the consumer can be divided into four
phases: recognizing a need, pre-purchase phase, the actual purchase (or in some cases the
consumer decides not to go through with the purchase) and lastly the post-purchase phase.
Also, these four phases include various activities that the consumer goes through during
this phase, also known as key activities (Dowling et al., 2019).
The first phase of the consumer decision-making process is the phase of need recognition,
where the consumer, as one could understand from the name, recognizes the need for a
product that could help satisfy the need (Dowling et al., 2019). Further on, Schiffman &
Wisenblit (2019) have pointed out two ways that a need can arise; physiological arousal and
cognitive arousal. The physiological arousal originates from the biogenic needs, such as
hunger and the need to keep a decent body temperature. However, it is the cognitive
arousal that could be considered essential in a marketing perspective, since it includes
thoughts leading to a cognitive awareness of a need (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). The
cognitive arousal is explained to have an essential role for companies, as it enables them to
awaken a need in the mind of the consumer through for instance a marketing
advertisement (Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). The purpose of an advertisement would then
be to stimulate some kind of awareness regarding a desire or an imbalance in the mind of
the consumer, which in turn would lead to the consumer wanting to act on the desire
(Schiffman & Wisenblit, 2019). The following phase is the pre-purchase phase, where the
consumer searches for information that could help satisfy the need aroused in the previous
phase. Moreover, this phase of the consumer decision-making process includes activities
such as evaluation of alternatives (Dowling et al., 2019). During this phase the consumer
evaluates the value of the alternatives versus the effort needed to go through with the
purchase and if the value exceeds the effort the consumer would decide to buy the product
(Dowling et al., 2019).
The third phase of the consumer decision-making process is the actual purchase, or in some
cases this phase means no purchase if the consumer does not consider that the value of the
product exceeds the effort (Dowling et al., 2019). When making the decision, the consumer
does not only decides whether to buy the product or not, but also the quantity, the retailer
and what brand to buy (Dowling et al., 2019). The last phase of the consumer decision-
12
making process is the post-purchase phase, which implies the consumer using the product
and later evaluating whether the experience matched the expectation (Dowling et al., 2019).
Furthermore, the consumer could later share their experience of the product with other
consumers, for instance through the concept of word-of-mouth (Dowling et al., 2019).
2.5 Attitude-behavior gap
The awareness of the environmental situation in the world has increased, which is
something that has had a positive impact on how consumers view ethical consumerism,
including consumers of apparel. The ethically minded consumer could for example be
defined as a consumer who cares for the environmental and the social aspect (Wiederhold &
Martinez, 2018). Nevertheless, an increase in the awareness has not resulted in changed
consumer behavior, that is the consumers keep the behavior of repeatedly buying non-
sustainable products, leading to a gap between their attitude towards the issue and their
actual behavior (Wiederhold & Martinez, 2018). Further on, it is explained how several
factors could have an impact on the ethical decision-making of the consumer and these
factors could further be divided into external and internal factors. The external factors are
pointed out to be price, institutional factors and social and cultural factors. Meanwhile, the
internal factors are explained to be motivation, environmental knowledge, locus of control,
attitudes and values (Wiederhold & Martinez, 2018)
The theory of Reasoned Action
The theory of Reasoned Action by Fishbein & Ajzen (1975) implies that the behavior is
determined by the intentional behavior, meanwhile the intentional behavior is determined
by both the attitude and subjective norms. The attitude infers the individual feelings
towards the determined behavior and it can be either negative, positive or neutral.
Furthermore, the attitude is influenced by two factors which are behavioral beliefs,
implying the behavioral consequences as a motivation to the behavior. The second factor is
evaluation which implies the evaluation of the potential action outcome caused by the
behavior. Subjective norms according to Fishbein & Ajzen (1975) implies to the perception
of relevant individuals and groups of people that can influence one's performance of
behavior, which is also known as perceived social pressure. Subjective norms is also
determined by two other factors, of which the first one is normative beliefs, which refers to
whether the relevant individuals and groups approve the behavior. The second factor is
motivation to comply, which implies whether the individual wants to comply with the social
norms or not (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975).
13
Figure 1 The theory of Reasoned Action. Reproduction of model by Fishbein & Ajzen (1975).
2.6 The theoretical model of Influential factors
According to a previous study conducted by Bray, Johns & Kilburn (2011), the factors that
the consumer considers to be most influential, when it comes to ethical consumption, are
price, quality and environmental awareness (Bray et al., 2011).
Price is the factor the consumers seem to value the most, indicating how the financial value
is more important, compared to the ethical value. The consumers, according to the study,
seem to be very price sensitive, although they are willing to pay slightly higher price for a
product that is more ethical. However, if the price is too high, it can result in people
avoiding purchasing ethical products (Bray et al., 2011). Additionally, Wiederhold &
Martinez (2018) also state how price is one of the most important attributes when making
purchasing decisions. Further on, the individual tends to primarily consider the biggest
benefits for themselves, therefore they are most often searching for a low price when
making purchases (Wiederhold & Martinez, 2018).
When it comes to quality, it is another factor that influences the decision-making process,
because the consumers are more attracted to a product which they perceive to be of higher
quality (Bray et al., 2011). Lastly, regarding the environmental awareness, a consumer who
is more aware and informed about the environment, tends to make more ethical and
sustainable purchasing decisions (Bray et al., 2011).
In conclusion, the model of influential factors would consist of the factors price, quality and
environmental awareness. Furthermore, these factors shall be related to both sales and
14
purchase of second hand apparel, in order to investigate their impact on the specific
behavior. Lastly, in order to investigate the impact that influencer marketing could have on
the behavior, it will be related to environmental awareness.
Figure 2 The model of influential factor
15
3. Methodology
This chapter will present the research methods that have been chosen in order to collect
the data, through which the research questions can be answered. Therefore, this chapter
will cover both a quantitative and qualitative research method, where the design, the
distribution and sampling, and the analysis of the data for each research method will be
presented. Finally, this chapter will conclude with the presentation of the ethical
consideration that this study has taken into account.
3.1 Research methodology
Considering the different focuses of the research questions, this thesis should include both
a quantitative and qualitative methodology. A quantitative methodology allows to measure
smaller differences between the respondents, leading to an understanding of different
consumers on a micro-level (Bryman, 2018). Further, a survey enables to collect
information about a population in a more efficient way (Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Mitch,
2009). Moreover, regarding the first research question, the aim is to measure the
correlation between factors and impact, making it relevant to choose a quantitative
methodology for this particular research question. To measure the correlation between
factors and impact, it is necessary to determine indicators to help measure the chosen
factors (Bryman, 2018). Looking on the first research question, the aim is to examine what
factors have the most impact on the participation of the consumers in the second hand
market, requiring a quantitative research methodology. Therefore, by constructing a survey,
the first research question will be answered. Lastly, this study is focused on the behavior of
consumers at a certain point of time, that is their present behavior, making this a cross-
sectional study (Zikmund et al., 2009).
On the other hand, a qualitative research method is a research strategy, primary focusing
on words, which mainly emphasizes an inductive view on the relationship between theory
and practice. This indicates that in an inductive approach, where the result of a study often
leads to creation of a theory, meaning that this approach is built on generalization of the
collected data (Bryman, 2018). In addition to the previously mentioned, the qualitative
research method implies that interpretation of the data, where the importance lies in the
understanding of the social reality, which at the same time shows that social characteristics
are a result of a interplay between the individuals (Bryman, 2018).
The qualitative research method has been chosen in order to collect data that is more
suitable for the second and third research question, where the aim is to understand
thoughts and motives behind a certain behavior and how it could be influenced.
16
Furthermore, Seidman (2013) explains the purpose of interviewing as understanding
another person, more specifically their lived experience and what they do with this
particular experience. This indeed motivates the decision to use interviews as a research
method, for parts of this study, as the aim is to understand the behavior of the consumer as
a pattern. From that, the aim is to further examine the possibilities to increase a certain
behavior.
This study is mainly based on a inductive approach where a range of grounded theories are
used in order to analyse the data that has been gathered in this study and creation of new
theories. An inductive approach is usually related to a qualitative research method
(Bryman, 2016), where this study is partly based on a qualitative research method which
consists of semi structured interviews. On the other hand, the deductive approach, which is
usually followed by a quantitative research methodology can be partially applied for this
study (Bryman, 2016), since part of it is based on a quantitative research methodology
where surveys have been conducted. This approach starts with the theory in order to build
hypothesis (Bryman, 2016), however since this study does not include hypotheses to test,
instead a model of influential factors has been created in order to see the correlation
between the chosen factors and the behavior. Later the data has been collected in order to
test the model (hypothesis), which afterwards based on the findings the theory is being
revised (Bryman, 2016). Lastly, because of the lack of hypotheses in this study, it can not be
fully considered deductive.
3.2 Quantitative methodology - A survey
From the literature research that has been done there are several factors that Wiederhold &
Martinez (2018) and Liang & Xu (2017) describe have an impact on the decision-making of
the consumer. Wiederhold & Martinez (2018) explain how price is one of the most
important attributes that affect the purchasing decision. At the same time, Liang & Xu
(2017) explain how besides the price, also the quality of clothes and environmental
awareness have an impact on the decision-making of the consumer, which in turn is
connected to the participation in the second hand market. Therefore, for this thesis the
chosen indicators are price, environmental awareness and quality.
For this research method two surveys have been constructed to test the indicators, in order
to interact with as many consumers as possible. The surveys have been handed out both to
consumers who already participate in the second hand market, as well as consumers who
do not. Through these two surveys, all indicators have been tested with several questions to
collect information regarding the factors.
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3.2.1 Survey Design
The survey handed out to current participants in the second hand market, is from now on
referred to as Survey A. The survey initiates with four background questions stating the age
and main occupation of the respondent. The following two questions determine what social
media platform the respondent uses most on a daily basis and whether they are likely to
participate in the second hand market or not. Lastly, the remaining questions of the survey
are organized according to the factors price, environmental awareness and quality.
The survey handed out to a more general group of consumers, from now on referred to as
Survey B, includes the same questions as Survey A regarding measuring the factors.
Although, there are three questions added to the initial questions determining if the
consumer purchases or sells apparel in the second hand market and further if they are
members of any second hand groups on social media. Regarding the remaining questions in
the survey, they are organized according to the factors price, environmental awareness and
quality, like in Survey A.
Price
To measure the impact of price as a factor, two questions have been constructed, where
each question is connected to an activity in the participation in the second hand market.
The questions measure the importance of price when deciding to participate in the given
market, which in turn generates a perception of the impact of this particular factor on the
decision-making. However, the alternative of donation has not been included in this part of
the survey, assuming that the price is not of significant importance when one chooses to
donate. Lastly, the respondents have answered to these questions on a scale from one to five
(one being not important at all and five being very important), making the questions
structured (Zikmund et al., 2009).
Environmental awareness
For the factor of environmental awareness three questions have been constructed. The
purpose of the questions has been to examine how aware the consumers consider
themselves of the environmental situation and how they value sustainable purchases,
comparing the attitude and how the consumers believe they are likely to behave. The last
question also examines how the consumers view the impact of influencers on their
awareness of the environmental situation. Equal to the previous questions, the respondent
has been able to answer on a scale from one to five.
Quality perception
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The survey ends with three questions connected to the factor of quality perception. Through
the questions, the aim has been to measure how the consumers view the quality of second
hand apparel and to investigate whether there is a difference in the importance of quality
when purchasing compared to selling or donating. Lastly, through all questions connected
to the factors the respondents have answered on a scale from one to five (one being the less
and five being the most), making all the questions structured (Zikmund et al., 2009).
3.2.2 Distribution
The surveys have been distributed through Facebook groups targeting primarily Swedish
consumers. As mentioned previously, surveys allow to collect information about a
population in a more effective way (Zikmund et al., 2009), and by sharing them online the
aim has been to increase the efficiency in terms of lowering the cost of time. Furthermore,
considering COVID-19 pandemic that erupted in the beginning of March, the health aspect
has also been taken in mind, given that sharing the surveys online does not require any
physical contact.
Survey A has been distributed on Facebook groups for buying and selling second hand
items, mainly in groups active in Östergötland and Skåne. This way it has been possible to
reach out to the right segment of consumers, while maintaining the efficiency of sharing the
survey online. The alternative to this would have been sharing the survey physically in
second hand stores, which considering COVID-19 pandemic is not the optimal way. When it
comes to Survey B the survey has been shared on Facebook groups and the private pages of
the authors on Facebook, in order to reach out to a more general group of consumers.
Table 1 below shows the results from the T-test that was conducted in SPSS in order to see
whether there are any significant differences in the data due to the two different ways that
the surveys have been distributed.
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Table 1 Independent- Samples T-test
According to the table there is no significant difference between survey A and survey B,
except in the question about the impact of the influencer on the environmental awareness.
That is confirmed by the difference in the mean and the p- value obtained in the Levene’s
Test for Equality of Variances (Pallant, 2005), which is below 5 % indicating that the
variability in scores is not the same for both surveys. This difference has been accepted
because it does not have an impact on the discussion of the results, since it is not
statistically significant in the Model of Influential factors, which has been conducted in the
upcoming chapter. Hence a decision has been made to merge the data and treat it as one
sample.
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3.2.3 Data analysis
The collected data has been coded in an Excel-file and further measured and analyzed
through SPSS and SmartPLS.
By using SPSS, which is a statistical program, in order to examine whether there is a
difference between the responses obtained in Survey A and B, an Independent- Samples T-
test has been conducted. Independent- Samples T-test compares the means of two different
groups, and tests whether there is a statistically significant difference in the means between
the groups. The significance is tested with Levene's Test of Equality of Variance were the
significance level (p-value) is 0.05. The test shows whether the variance of mean score is the
same (Pallant, 2005). Further on, this test shows whether the data obtained from survey A
and B could be merged together and treated as one sample.
Another test that has been conducted for this study in order to analyse the data is
Descriptive Statistics. It has been used to describe the characteristics of the sample by
presenting the mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis. Standard deviation shows
how well the mean represents the sample. A low value shows that the data scores are
relatively close to the mean, while a high value on the other hand shows that the data scores
are spread over a wider range from the mean (Field, 2009). On the other hand, skewness
describes the distribution of the data. That is if the value is close to zero or if it is zero, the
data is normally distributed. However, if the value is negative the data is skewed left, while
a positive value indicates that the data is skewed right (Pallant, 2005). Simultaneously,
kurtosis shows the peakedness of the data is normally distributed if the value is zero, or
close to zero. A negative value shows the data is light-tailed while a positive value shows
that data is heavy-tailed (Pallant, 2005). Although, the data is being considered accepted as
normally distributed if the absolute value is less than 2 (George & Mallery, 2010).
The last test has been run through SmartPLS, which is a software through which the data
has been analyzed graphically and where the factors were computed into a model of
influential factors. The model of influential factors shows the cause-effect relationship
between the factors measured in the survey and the consumer behavior (Smartpls, 2020).
The final model of influential factors shows which of the main factors measured in the
survey (price, quality and environmental awareness) has the biggest impact on the
consumer behavior, in the sense of participation in the second hand market. Hence, after
the model of influential factors has been conducted, in order to see whether the correlation
is significant, a bootstrapping analysis has been conducted. Bootstrapping analysis is a
procedure testing statistical significance in the path coefficients (Smartpls, 2020). The
significance level that has been tested is 0.05, which implies that we can accept 5% chance
21
that the result happens by chance. If the result falls within these 5 %, that is the p-value
does not exceed 0.05, the result is statistically significant (Field, 2009).
3.2.4 Reliability and validity
Reliability and validity are important to take into account when choosing a scale that
measures the output in the best way. Reliability and validity have in particular an impact on
the quality of the data that has been obtained in the research (Pallant, 2005), where it
ensures that the measurement error is as low as possible. (Field, 2009)
Validity shows whether the scale measures what it has been constructed to measure (Field,
2009). The surveys constructed for this study, are supposed to measure likelihood,
perception, awareness and importance on a scale from one to five. On the other hand,
reliability indicates how free a scale is from random errors and it shows whether there is
consistency in the scale. For instance, in a questionnaire, the respondent should get the
same score if they would participate in it at two different points in time. In order to
measure reliability, in this study, a test of Composite Reliability has been conducted, which
measures internal consistency of the scale and shows whether the sample is free from
biases. In order for the data to be reliable the value should exceed 0.6 (Ringle, Da Silva &
Bido, 2015).
3.2.5 Limitations
Given that this study is limited to Sweden and Swedish consumers, the surveys are only
shared in Swedish groups on social media. Further, the surveys are in Swedish, requiring
knowledge of the language to participate. However, this might eliminate Swedish
consumers, who for some reason do not speak or comprehend the Swedish language.
Moreover, although digital surveys might be a more effective way to reach out to
respondents, it only gives access to consumers who use social media. This in turn provides a
restricted view of the issue.
3.3 Qualitative methodology - Interviews
The qualitative research method chosen for this study is a semi structured interview, which
signifies the interviewer following a predetermined questionnaire, while the order of the
questions may vary depending on the development of the interview. Moreover, the
questions are commonly formulated and are followed by supplementary questions in
connection with what the responses being considered important for the study (Bryman,
2018). The purpose of an interview is to get an in depth understanding of the individual,
their story, experiences and thoughts which makes them act in a certain way. It gives access
22
to the context of a certain behavior which later makes it possible to study the meaning of
the behavior (Seidman, 2006).
3.3.1 Sampling
Two interviews have been constructed, targeting two different types of respondents;
consumers of second hand apparel and an influencer. For the first interview the target
group has been consumers who already participate in the second hand market either
through purchase, sales or/and donation. For this study, the interviews have been held with
seven female consumers that are mainly in the age group between 20 and 25 years with
different occupations in order to get varying results. Further on, the requests have been
made online to consumers who participate in that particular market, due to limitations
caused by COVID-19.
Before the interview each respondent has received an interview guide, sent by email,
covering the structure of the interview together with the questions that are intended to be
asked. For the second interview the target group are individuals working as influencers,
that is they promote second-hand purchases on social media. The interview is held with one
influencer who runs an Instagram account dedicated completely to promote second hand
purchases of apparel and interior decoration. The account has been active since November
2019 and has over 1000 followers and 51 posts.
All interviews are held in the form of telephone interviews or through chatting platforms,
such as Facebook Messenger. Because of COVID-19 pandemic the alternative of having
face-to-face interviews is eliminated and interviews where physical presence is not required
are chosen, due to sanitary concerns.
The aim with these interviews is to understand and analyze the consumer behavior.
Therefore, the interviews are designed in a way, so the consumer does not need to feel
intimidated to answer honestly.
3.3.2 Data analysis
The collected data from the interviews has been analyzed aside the theories presented in the
theoretical framework. The transcribed data from the interviews has been presented in
Table 8, where the similarities and deviations will be lifted. Furthermore, the data has been
compared to the given theoretical framework, where it lastly has been interpreted. The aim
is to investigate whether the data matches the theoretical framework.
23
3.3.3 Limitations
The main limitation for this research is COVID-19, which erupted during early March, when
the data collection was about to begin. This made it difficult to get in touch with the
consumers for the interviews, and because of the sanitary concerns certain changes had to
be implemented. The interviews, in order to maintain safety and not put anyone in danger,
were conducted in forms of telephone interview or through chatting platforms, instead of
face-to-face interviews as intended in the first place. Moreover, due to the telephone
interview a lot of information has possibly been left out, considering how body language
and face expressions could not be examined in this study.
Beyond that, another limitation of this research method is how it is not studying the actual
behavior of the consumer, but instead examining how the consumers perceive and
understand their own behavior. Therefore, the perception the consumers have of their own
behavior could vary from the reality. Lastly, what can also be considered as a limitation is
that all the respondents are females in the age between 20 and 25. It might not give a fair
image of the reality because of a lack of diversity in the sample.
3.4 Ethical considerations
The ethical considerations taken into account in this study is giving respondents
anonymity. It is known that the respondents are choosing to share their habits, which can
feel very personal. While it is wanted of them to share their thoughts and reflections of their
behavior, at the same time it is also wanted that they feel comfortable and not threatened.
Therefore, the respondents will remain anonymous in this study. Moreover, the interviews
have been recorded in order to not leave out on any information. Before each interview
permission was received from the participants to record the interview and at the same time
they were informed about the purpose of the recording. Lastly, regarding the survey, the
concept of anonymity has been adapted as well. Further on, it has also been taken into
consideration how when using survey as a method, especially when the survey is shared
online, there is a risk that the respondent does not provide completely honest answers.
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4. Results
In this chapter of the study the results from the data collection will be presented.
Furthermore, the presentation of the data is divided according to the collection method.
That is, first the statistical data from the surveys will be presented in tables, followed by
tables summarizing the data from the interviews.
4.1 Empirical data - the surveys
4.1.1 Age
Table 1
N 195
Mean 38.90
Missing value 24
The data collected from survey A consist of 99 respondents (50.8 %) while survey B consists
of 96 respondents (49.2 %). Altogether there are 195 participants, where the mean age
among the respondents for both surveys is 38.9 years. As shown in the Table 1, the missing
value in this question is 24, which is caused by an technical error that occurred during the
online distribution of survey B.
4.1.2 Occupation
Table 2
Occupation Frequency Percent
Students 60 31.1
Workers 94 48.7
Work Seekers 17 8.8
Seniors 17 8.8
Others 4 2.6
Missing value 2 1
25
Looking at the main occupation among the respondents, as it is shown in Table 2 above,
48.7% of the respondents are workers. The second biggest group in both surveys is
students, as they represent 31.1 % of the sample. Seniors and work seekers are two equally
big groups, where they both represents 8.8 % of the sample and the missing value is 2.
4.1.3 Reliability
Table 3 Composite Reliability
Composite Reliability
Environmental awareness ---> Purchase
0.824
Environmental awareness--->Selling
Influencer Marketing ---> Environmental awareness
Price when buying ---> Purchase
Price when selling ---> Selling
Quality when buying ---> Purchase 0.558
Quality when selling ---> Selling 0.595
Composite reliability shows internal consistency in the scale items, and for the scale to be
reliable the value should be approximately 0.60 and above (Ringle et al., 2015). All three
values shown in the table are either close to 0.60 or higher, hence the three values are the
only ones considered reliable. The remaining values are not considered reliable.
4.1.4 Descriptive statistics
Table 4 below describes the data, after the data from survey A and B has been merged
together into one sample. The data has been analysed through SPSS. It should also be
mentioned how the additional questions in Survey B are excluded in the analysis, given that
the data from both surveys is treated as one sample.
26
Table 4 Descriptive statistics
N Sample
Mean
Standard
Deviation Skewness
Kurtosis
Importance of price when making purchase
decisions regarding second hand items
195 3.93 1.046 -0.877 0.368
Importance of price when selling second hand 195 3.31 1.283 -0.223 -0.997
Environmental awareness 195 3.52 1.237 -0.566 -0.586
Importance of making sustainable purchase
decisions
195 3.41 1.096 -0.337 -0.481
Likelihood of selling used clothes 195 3.17 1.400 -0.178 -1.255
Likelihood of donating used clothes 195 4.49 .755 -1.224 0.379
Likelihood of purchasing used clothes 195 3.35 1.344 -0.231 -1.176
The impact of the influencer on the
environmental awareness
195 2.16 1.302 0.782 -0.641
Assessment of general quality of the second
hand apparel
195 3.37 0.935 -0.050 -0.280
I Importance of quality when purchasing second
hand apparel
195 4.35 0.741 -0.982 0.979
Importance of quality when selling or donating
second hand apparel
195 4.16 0.944 -1.264 1.511
The highest mean shown in the table is 4.49, which shows the mean of the likelihood of
donating used clothes, which in turn indicates the respondents are very likely to donate
their used clothes. The second highest mean is 4.35, which belongs to the importance of
quality when purchasing second hand clothes. It shows how the quality of second hand
clothes is very important to the respondents, therefore it has received a relatively high
rating. Further, when looking at the lowest mean in the sample, the impact of the influencer
on environmental awareness has a mean of 2.16, which is far lower compared to the rest. It
shows how influencers have a low impact on environmental awareness according to the
respondents. On the other hand, the likelihood of selling used clothes has the highest
standard deviation in the sample, which means that the values are being spread over a wide
range (Field, 2009). While the importance of quality when purchasing second hand apparel
has the lowest standard deviation, meaning that the values tend to be close to the mean
(Field, 2009).
Skewness and Kurtosis shows the distribution of the data where for a normal distributed
data the value for both Skewness and Kurtosis should be zero or close to zero (Pallant,
27
2005). In this study, as it is seen in table 5, none of the values fulfill that requirement,
which can depend on the size of the sample. However the accepted absolute value for a
normal distributed data is the value of two(George & Mallery, 2010). As the table shows
none of the values in either Skewness and Kurtosis exceed the value two , the data is
considered to be normally distributed and is therefore suited for further statistical analysis.
4.1.5 The Model of Influential factors
This table was obtained through running the data through SmartPLS, where the factors
have been connected to the behaviors.
Table 6 The table of Influential factors
Original
sample
Sample
Mean
Standard
Deviation
T Statistics P Values
Environmental awareness ---> Purchase 0.156 0.158 0.073 2.126 0.034
Environmental awareness--->Selling 0.253 0.253 0.082 3.080 0.002
Influencer Marketing ---> Environmental
awareness
-0.036 -0.036 0.103 0.352 0.724
Price when purchasing ---> Purchase 0.099 0.097 0.067 1.483 0.138
Price when selling ---> Selling 0.264 0.259 0.073 3.638 0.000
Quality when purchasing ---> Purchase 0.392 0.398 0.059 6.632 0.000
Quality when selling ---> Selling 0.113 0.130 0.070 1.614 0.107
The original sample shows the impact of each factor on the behavior. Further it can be seen
how the quality when buying has the impact of 0.392 on buying, which is the highest impact
in the table. The weakest correlation is between influencer marketing and environmental
awareness, where the impact is -0.036, meaning that there is no impact. On the other hand,
t-statistics together with the p-value shows whether the results have happened by chance or
not (Field, 2009). For the result to be statistically significant, the p-value should be below 5
% (0.05) while the t-statistics should be relatively high (Field, 2009). The results that are
statistically significant are; Environmental awareness ---> Buying, Environmental
awareness--->Selling, Price when selling ---> Selling and Quality when buying ---> Buying.
28
*** p < 0.001 ; ** p < 0.01 ; * p < 0.05
Figure 3 The model of Influential factors
4.2 Empirical data - interviews
In this part of the chapter the data from the interviews will be presented, divided into two
parts. The first part will contain two tables presenting the data from the interviews held
with consumers of second hand apparel, followed by a presentation of the data from the
interview with an influencer.
4.2.1 Interviews with consumers
In the qualitative part of this research seven interviews have been held, all with female
consumers of second hand apparel. Given that the aim was to target consumers of different
backgrounds, the fact that all interview participants are women is a coincidence. However
this could have an impact on the analysis in this study. Further on, the respondents will be
referred to as Respondent A, B, C, D, E, F and G. To keep the respondents as anonymous as
possible, a short presentation of each person will follow, where they are presented by age
and main occupation.
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Table 7 Presentation of respondents
Respondent Age Main occupation
A 22 Student
B 20 Student
C 25 Student
D 41 Owner of a second hand store
E 23 Student
F 22 Personal assistant
G 23 Social worker
As it can be seen in Table 7, the respondents are mainly between 20 and 25 years old.
Furthermore four out of seven have studying as their main occupation. However, there are
also three workers, of which one of the respondents has a job related to the second hand
market.
Table 8 Interviews with consumers
Questions Results from interviews
The consumer in general
Purchase vs. disposal When it comes to whether the consumer purchases more or disposes, the
results are quite balanced. Respondent A, B and G donate more than they
purchase second hand apparel, while Respondent C, D and E purchase more
than they donate. However Respondent E mentions that she purchases more
than donates in terms of occasions, which does not necessarily mean that
there shall be a difference in terms of quantity. Lastly, Respondent F
participates equally in the activities of purchasing and donating.
Environmental awareness -
Fashion industry
Regarding the effects of the fashion industry on the environment, all
respondents are aware of the negative relation between the two parts.
Respondent B, C and F are aware of how the mass consumption has a
negative impact on the environment and more specifically Respondent C
points out how mass production in turn contributes to mass consumption.
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On the other hand Respondent B, points out how the promotion of buying
new products contributes to mass consumption.
Further on Respondent A and D are aware of how more people, and
companies, are aware of the environmental situation. Respondent A points
out how more companies aim to be more environmental friendly. Also,
Respondent D mentions how it is no longer an embarrassment to purchase
second hand products. Lastly, Respondent E is aware of the environmental
benefits of second hand shopping, however she does not have that in mind
when participating in the market.
Price When it comes to the prices in the second hand market, Respondent A, B, C,
D and G consider the prices to be reasonable. Respondent E also considers
the prices to be reasonable, however not vintage stores selling second hand
apparel from different brands to a relatively high price. Lastly, Respondent F
explains how the prices mainly are reasonable. However depending on
where they come from and the brand, the prices tend to be higher even if it
is second hand.
Participation
Frequency of participation Looking at the participation of the respondents, more specifically the
frequency of the participation it can be stated that a majority participate on
a monthly basis, or more frequently. Respondent A, C, E and G participate on
a monthly basis, while Respondent D participates on a daily basis and
Respondent F has answered “very often” on the question. On the other
hand, Respondent B does not participate very often, mainly referring to the
act of purchasing. The reason for the lower frequency is explained to be an
unmatch between the preferences of the participant and the supply of
second hand stores (and apparel) in the city of residence (Linköping). Hence,
Participant B only purchases second hand apparel when visiting other
locations with a supply matching her preferences.
Reasons to participate When examining the reasons for participating in the second hand market,
generally the respondents showed similar results. The main reasons among
the respondents are the financial aspect and the environmental aspect.
Respondent A, C, D, E and F point out how the financial aspect is one of the
main reasons they participate, either because of limited budgets due to
being students (Respondent A and C) or because of the ability to save money
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for other occasions. Further on, Respondent A, B, C, D, F and G mention the
environmental aspect as one of the main reasons to participate, as
purchasing second hand apparel is seen as a more sustainable option and
therefore also more preferable. However, Respondent B and G also mention
the ability to find more unique apparel as a reason to participate in the
second hand market. Further on, Respondent G also mentions the aspect of
health pointing out that second hand apparel does not contain the same
amount of chemicals as new items. Lastly, Respondent F also emphasizes the
pleasure of going to physical second hand stores as one of the reasons to
participate.
Online vs. offline Lastly when examining whether the participants participate online or offline,
a clear majority prefered to participate offline, both regarding purchases and
disposal. Firstly, we look at the act of purchasing where Respondent A, D, E,
F and G prefer to make their purchases offline due to the ability to feel and
try the apparel, however Respondent F looks online for inspiration from time
to time. Respondent B also purchases mainly offline, however it is because
of lack of information about online options. On the opposite, we have
Respondent C who prefers making the purchases online, while emphasizing
the current situation regarding COVID-19. On the other hand, when looking
at the act of disposal Respondent A, B, C, D and G participate, through
donations or sales, offline. Furthermore, Respondent C and G point out how
it is because donations are made directly to physical stores. Further on,
Respondent E points out how when selling her used clothes it is done
through online applications, while donations are made offline to friends and
family.
Influencer marketing
Following influencers on social
media
Respondent A, B, F, and G do follow one or several influencers on a daily
basis, on social media. Respondent C, D and E do not follow any influencers
on a daily basis.
Impact of influencers on
consumer behavior
Looking at the impact of influencers on the behavior of the consumer, the
answer varies for each respondent (Respondent A, B, F and G, who do follow
influencers on a daily basis). Respondent A, explains how influencers in
general do not have an impact on her behavior, however if there is a
Swedish influencer pointing out important matters it might have an impact.
Further on, Respondent B presents social media as the main platform where
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she is exposed to the newest trends in fashion. Also, she believes the
influencers on her social media channel have an impact on her behavior. On
the other hand, Respondent F mainly follows influencers who promote
second hand purchases, which she believes motivates her to continue
making sustainable decisions as a consumer. Lastly, given that Respondent G
does not follow any fashion influencers, she does not believe they have an
impact on her purchasing behavior regarding purchasing apparel.
Reasons for following
influencers
Also when looking at the reasons to follow the influencers, the answers vary
among the respondents who do follow influencers on a daily basis.
Respondent A emphasizes the importance of the feeling that the pictures
mediate. Furthermore, the influencer should present some kind of message
through its content. Looking at Respondent B, she points out how on one
hand the people around her have an impact on what influencer she follows.
On the other hand her own preferences also decide what influencers she
decides to follow. Further on, Respondent F explains how she likes to follow
others who share her view of making sustainable purchases. Lastly,
Respondent G mainly follows lifestyle influencers. Further on she follows
these influencers because of their special lifestyle or the positivity that they
spread.
Advertisements When looking at the experience of advertisement regarding second hand
shopping, or in general, Respondent A points out not having the experience
of any advertisements while Respondent D and G point how they have not
experienced any advertisement regarding the second hand market.
Furthermore, Respondent D explains the need for more promotion in this
particular market. On the other hand, Respondent C, E and F have
experienced advertisement from second hand companies on social media.
Respondent F, adds how she actively follows second hand companies on
social media to increase the amount of advertisements from this particular
market. On the other hand, Respondent E explains how it is clear that the
consumer is more exposed to advertisement from other markets. Lastly,
Respondent B points out experiencing advertisement for second hand
shopping through an influencer.
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4.2.2 Interview with influencer
For the qualitative part of this study yet another interview was held, however this time with
an influencer in the field of second hand purchase. The influencer, a young woman, started
her account in November 2019 with the aim to act as a counterweight to mass consumption.
More precisely, the motivation to start a separate account to inspire and influence others to
purchase more second hand items was born during a time of the year when consumers
make more purchases than usually. However, the influencer explains how the interest for
the second hand market has always been there. Moreover, it is emphasized how she desires
to promote a different type of consumer behavior through this account, compared to the
“traditional” influencer promoting newly produced items.
Further on, the influencer explains how she has always been interested in the second hand
purchases, however it increased considerably when her family expanded. The decision to
only purchase second hand items was made two years ago, which in turn lead the influencer
to seek for inspiration through other individuals with the same interest. On the other hand,
the influencer explains how social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, were
not available at the time the interest started to grow, making the phenomena of word of
mouth the most relevant way to gather information.
Relationships
The influencer has a good and personal relationship with her followers, however she points
out that the account is not that big. That is, maintaining a good relationship to the followers
is not as hard, she continues. When communicating with her followers, the influencer often
receives feedback on her posts and questions about where to find similar items. Lastly it is
mentioned how the influencer mainly receives positive feedback from her followers.
Communications
The communication to the followers is mainly handled directly, through direct messages on
Instagram. The influencer describes how her followers usually ask her for advice, give her
positive feedback and share their opinions on what they want to see more of, which is why
the function of direct message on Instagram is the more suitable option.
Content strategy
The focus is on keeping the feed easy, fun and inspiring. Further on, the time of the post is
explained to be important, as well as hashtags to reach out to more people. Moreover, the
pictures are an essential part of the post, which is why it is important that the pictures are
appealing. Finally, the influencer explains how she has some knowledge on what the
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followers want to see, based on previous experience and uses this knowledge to create
content matching the demand of the followers.
The future
Although collaborating with companies is not part of the plan, given that it is not a part of
the aim, the idea of collaborating with second hand companies is not completely excluded.
If there is an interest she is open to the idea, nevertheless the influencer has requirements
that need to match with the image and activity of the company. Further on, the influencer
points out how there could be a future for influencer marketing in the second hand market,
however the development might take more time given that it is harder to benefit financially.
Also, it is pointed out how the crisis lying ahead of the society, followed by COVID-19, could
result in more consumers turning to the second hand market, in the aspect of consumer
seeking for more sustainable options. Lastly, it is pointed out how the environmental
interest needs to exceed the economical interest, for this type of influencer marketing to
succeed in this feed.
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5. Discussion
In the fifth chapter of this study the data presented in the previous chapter will be
analysed with the support of the theoretical framework presented in the second chapter.
Furthermore, the analysis will follow according to the order of the research questions.
5.1 What are the most important factors to increase the participation of the
consumer in the second hand market?
When examining the table of influential factor it can be seen that there is a correlation
between a majority of the factors, however the correlation is stronger in some cases. More
specifically there are four points where the correlation is relatively stronger compared to
the rest. The strongest correlation is between the factor of quality and the act of purchasing,
which indicates how the consumer in general values the quality of the clothes the most
when making purchasing decisions. Further on, there is also a quite strong correlation
between the factor of price and the act of selling, showing how the consumer judges price as
an important factor when deciding whether or not to participate in the second hand market
by selling used apparel. Additionally, the factor of environmental awareness also has a
relatively strong correlation to the act of selling, indicating how generally consumers sell
their used clothes because of its benefits for the environment. Lastly, there is also a stronger
correlation between the factor of environmental awareness and the act of purchasing,
showing similar results as previously; the consumer purchases second hand apparel
because of its environmental benefits.
Bray et al. (2011) and Wiederhold & Martinez (2018) state that price is the most important
factor when making purchasing decisions, however the statistical results in this study do
not confirm these statements. As mentioned earlier, the correlation between the factor of
quality and the act of purchasing is the strongest. This implies that the factor valued the
most by the consumer, is the quality of the apparel when participating through the act of
purchasing. On the other hand, the correlation between the factor of price and sales is still
one of the strongest, indicating how price is indeed one of the most important factors
although it is not the strongest.
The statement of quality being the most influential factor can be further confirmed, given
that it has been stated that the consumer assesses the importance of quality when
purchasing very high compared to the other factors. Hence, this statement can be further
36
motivated by examining the p-value in this case, which shows that this correlation indeed is
significant. However, there is a relatively marked difference when comparing to the
correlation between the factor of quality and the act of selling. Perhaps the consumers pays
more attention to the quality when purchasing because they procure something that they
are intending to use themselves. When it comes to sales or donations of used clothes it is
about the consumers wanting to dispose something that they no longer use, even if the
quality is important in that sense, it is not as important as it is when it comes to purchase.
Sale and donation could perhaps be more considered as a sustainable option to throwing
away used apparel.
Analysing the results further, it can be stated how the environmental awareness has an
impact on the act of selling, as well as the act of purchasing. This could imply how the
environmental awareness of the consumer is one of the most important factors to motivate
the general participation in the second hand market. However, the correlation between the
factor of price and the act of selling, as well as the factor of quality when purchasing, is yet
stronger, compared to the aforementioned. Based on the comparison of the correlations, it
can be stated that despite the consumer being aware of the environmental situation, the
factors of price and quality have a bigger impact on the decision to participate or not. This
statement could be further motivated when looking at the p-values, indicating the
significance of the correlations. Further on, when taking the significance into account, the
argument of price and quality having a stronger correlation with participation in the second
hand market can be further motivated. Nevertheless, the correlation between price and
selling used apparel, or quality when purchasing, only refers to participation through one
single act, that does not include the importance of price or quality regarding participating
through other actions. From this perspective, it can be argued whether the factor of
environmental awareness has a generally stronger impact on the participation rather than
price or quality, given that it has an impact on two different ways to participate. According
to Wiederhold & Martinez’s (2018) study about the factors that influences decision-making
process, the consumers primarily want to benefit themselves, which makes it
understandable why they value price when selling and quality when purchasing, more than
environmental awareness. Both price when selling and quality when purchasing benefits
mostly the consumers themselves, as they want to sell something to a price that is beneficial
for them and simultaneously, purchase a used item of good quality. It can also be of
importance to mention the reliability of the different measurements. It has been stated that
environmental awareness when selling and purchasing, and quality when selling and
purchasing are the only correlations with reliable measures. Meanwhile, when it comes to
price when selling there is no reliability in the measure. Therefore, the aspect of reliability
should be taken into consideration when coming to a conclusion because of the relevance
that this correlation has in the analysis.
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Further, the presentation of the data has also shown the weakest correlations. The weakest
correlation can be seen between the factor of environmental awareness and influencer
marketing, which indicates how the consumer in general is not at all affected by influencer
marketing when it comes to awareness of the environmental situation. However, when
analysing further it can also be seen that this correlation is not significant whatsoever,
which in turn indicates that there is no pattern among the answers. Further on, the
correlation between the factor of price and the act of purchasing is also relatively weak,
indicating that the consumer does not pay very much attention to the price when
purchasing second hand apparel. Including previous results, it can be argued how the
consumer values the quality and the environmental benefits more compared to price, when
purchasing second hand apparel. Nevertheless, also in this case the correlation is not
significant, which means that the importance of price cannot be rejected when analysing the
importance of the factors.
5.2 How is the relation between the attitude of the consumer, regarding
sustainability, and their purchasing behavior?
To analyse the relation between the attitude of the consumer and their actual purchasing
behavior, one could combine the data from the quantitative part of this study with the
qualitative part. According the the statistical results from the surveys, it has been stated
how the factor of environmental awareness has a significant correlation to the consumers
participation in the second hand market. However, it has also been stated how the
correlation between the factor of quality and purchasing, as well as the correlation between
the factor of price and selling, is stronger. On the other hand when analysing the data from
the interviews, it can be seen how a majority of the respondents participate in the second
hand market because of its environmental benefits (Respondent A, B, C, D, F and G).
Among these respondents, five of them participate quite frequently (on a monthly basis or
more often) either through purchasing or donations. This could indicate further how the
factor of environmental awareness has an significant impact on the consumer’s
participation in the second hand market. moreover, it could also be of importance to
mention how a majority of the respondents (Respondent A, C, D, E and F) also value price
when deciding to participate in the second hand market, implying further how the factor of
price should not be rejected. Further on, Bray et al. (2011) state how if the price is too high
the consumer is more likely to neglect the sustainable alternative, despite environmental
awareness. This could somehow be argued, based on how a majority of the respondents
actually mentioned the financial aspect as one of the main reasons to participate in the
second hand market. However, it should also be considered how Respondent A, C, E and F
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are students, which could have an impact on how they value the factor of price, assuming
they have a limited economy.
The participation in the second hand market could also be motivated by Bandura’s Social
Learning Theory, in particular by learning through the consequences of an action (Bandura,
1977). According to the interviews, all of the respondents have a certain level of knowledge
and awareness regarding the environmental issues caused by the fashion industry.
Therefore because of that knowledge and awareness they choose to participate in the
second hand market. Simultaneously, two respondents (Respondent B, C) mentioned that
purchase of fast fashion contributes to a mass consumption and it is something that they do
not want to be a part of, however only one of the two respondents chooses to participate
more in the second hand market.
Bandura's (1977) theory of learning through consequences of an action overlaps with the
theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) in the aspect that attitude towards a
certain behavior is affected by its consequences and also through the evaluation of
outcomes, which are the results of the behavior. As it has been mentioned previously, all of
the respondents are aware of the environmental issues and therefore participate in the
second hand market, although it is also relevant to look at the frequency of participation.
Four of the respondents ( Respondent A, C, E, G) participate on monthly basis, Respondent
D participates on daily basis, Respondent F participates very often, while on the other hand
Respondent B participates very rarely. In other words, six out of seven respondents
participate quite frequently. When looking at the other part of the theory of Reasoned
Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), there are the subjective norms that are influenced by
people in the consumer´s surrounding, and the willingness to comply the norms. Therefore,
when looking on how many of the respondents follow any influencers four out of seven
(Respondent A, B, F ,G) answered that they do follow influencers on their social media and
only two of those respondents (Respondent B, F) feel clearly that they are being influenced
by the influencers, showing that these two respondents besides being influenced by the
influencers are also complying to norms, given that influencers are the ones who set norms
on social media. With all that being said, according to the theory of Reasoned Action
(Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) Respondent F is the one whose intentional behavior matches the
actual behavior. This respondent is aware of the environmental issues and what
consequences and outcomes there are if she would not participate in the second hand
market. At the same time this respondent follows influencers who promote second hand,
because she is aware of their influence on her behavior. While Respondent B is the one
whose intentional behavior matches the actual behavior the least. She is, just like
Respondent F, aware of the environmental issues, but still chooses to not participate on the
second hand market to often because of the lack of physical stores with a supply matching
her preferences.
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As mentioned previously, Wiederhold and Martinez (2018) point out how the consumers
tend to make purchasing decisions, that mainly benefit themselves in the first place. This
can indeed be noticed when analysing the statistical results, considering how the consumer
values quality when purchasing and price when selling. However, when looking at the
results from the interviews, the consumers show how the environmental aspect is one of the
main reasons why they choose to participate. This in turn indicates how the consumers in
general act according to their knowledge and attitude towards the environmental benefits of
second hand purchases. On the other hand, as explained earlier, the statistical results show
how quality and price have a greater impact on the consumers participation, which in a way
indicates them acting in a way that benefits themselves (Wiederhold & Martinez, 2018).
Nevertheless, many respondents also indicated price as one of the main reasons to
participate in the second hand market. Although, the majority of the respondents are full-
time students, one could not reject the theory of the consumer mainly considering its own
benefits when making purchasing decisions.
5.3 How could influencer marketing increase the participation of the consumer in
the second hand market?
5.3.1 Activity on social media
When looking at the activity of the respondents on social media, and in particular their
relation to influencers and influencer marketing, it can be seen that only four out of seven
respondents follow one or several influencers on a daily basis. Moreover, among the
participants who do follow influencers on social media, there are different motivations for
why they choose to follow these particular influencers and how they are affected by
following them. However, there is one common denominator when examining why the
respondents choose to follow a certain influencer; it is someone the consumer likes, as they
share interests or ideas. Respondent A and F point out how the message mediated by the
influencer is of importance, implying the importance of sharing the same ideas to some
extent. Furthermore, this can also be seen in how Respondent F mainly follows influencers
who inspire and motivate her to continue a more sustainable lifestyle. As Schouten et al.
(2020) state how a consumer who shares interests, values or characteristics with an
endorser, is more likely to try to emulate the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of the
endorser, one could argue how the statement is applicable in this case. All respondents have
pointed out common interests or values connected to the influencers they follow, which
partly confirms the statement made by Schouten et al. (2020). The common interests and
values has resulted in the consumers deciding to follow certain influencers, however based
on this information one could not state that they have adopted their beliefs, attitudes or
behaviors.
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On the other hand, Respondent B explains how on one hand her own preferences lead her
to follow a certain influencer, as well as the people in her surrounding. Further on, given
that Respondent B is influenced by the people in her surrounding in the decision of
following a certain influencer, one could argue how this behavior in fact is based on
confirmation seeking. This in turn could be a type of mimicking behavior, implying
Respondent B striving to achieving missing attributes found in the people in her
surrounding (Ruvio et al., 2013). Lastly, Respondent G points out how she does not follow
any fashion influencers, however when motivating why she follows a certain lifestyle
influencer the attributes uniqueness and positivity are of importance.
5.3.2 Reasons to follow influencers
When analysing the behavior of the consumers regarding influencers, through theoretical
eyes, it can be argued whether the consumer can be affected to participate in the second
hand market, or not. Looking closer at Respondent A, B and F, Cialdini's principle of liking
is applicable to how they choose the influencers that they follow and how they are affected
by their content (Cialdini, 2006). As the principle of liking implies how an individual is
more likely to accept a request from people that they like, Respondent A points out how she
is more likely to be affected by a Swedish influencer bringing up important subjects, rather
than an influencer posting more general content. Moreover, Respondent F shows how the
principle of liking works more actively, by directly choosing to follow influencers with a
similar interest in lifestyle. This way, Respondent F chooses to be affected by someone she
likes and shares interest with, in a more direct way. Based on this information, it can be
argued once again how a consumer is more affected by an endorser with common interests,
values or characteristics (Schouten et al., 2020). Furthermore, when analysing the behavior
of Respondent F, one could also state how the mimicry of other consumers is actually an
intentional behavior. As Ruvio et al. (2013) explain, mimicry is an automatic behavior,
however when it comes to mimicking the behavior of other consumers, it is intentional.
Respondent F, clearly points out how following influencers motivates her to continue a
sustainable lifestyle, implying a planned behavior pattern, where she aims to achieve a
missing attribute found in the influencers who she follows (Ruvio et al., 2013). This type of
behavior, mimicry of other consumers, can also be seen in the behavior of Respondent A to
some extent, however she does not show it as clearly as Respondent F. For instance,
Respondent A points out how she does not experience herself being influenced, however
she believes it is possible depending on the content and the influencer. This way, she
indicates how it is possible for her to mimic the behavior of another consumer, given that it
is the right person. On the other hand, this once again indicates how an individual is more
likely to accept a request when it comes from a person that they like (Cialdini, 2006), or
41
share interests with (Schouten et al., 2020). Furthermore, given that all three
aforementioned respondents claim they are somehow affected by influencers, it can be
argued how the Social Learning Theory is applicable in this case (Bandura, 1977). As the
theory explains how a person mainly learns its behavior through observing other
individuals (Bandura, 1977), all three respondents (Respondent A, B and F) show how
observing the actions of an influencer is likely to affect their future behaviors. On the other
hand, referring once again to Cialdini’s principles of influence, one could argue further how
influencers could have an impact on the behavior of the consumer. Given that an individual
is more likely to accept a request when given a reason (Cialdini, 2006), an influencer would
more likely affect the purchasing behavior of the consumer when presenting the
environmental benefits of an action. However, it is still of importance that the influencer is
someone that the consumers like and share interests and values with (Schouten et al.,
2020).
Further on, when looking more precisely at Respondent B her choice of influencers is also
affected by the people in her surrounding, indicating how Cialdini’s principle of social proof
in some way has an impact on the decision-making of the consumer (Cialdini, 2006).
However, Respondent B only points out how the people in her surrounding have an effect
on who she chooses to follow. That, in turn, decides who influences her behavior as a
consumer. Looking at the impact of influencers on the consumer from this perspective, it
could also be argued how the principle of social proof decides what the consumer believes is
right, which in turn has an impact on who the consumer associates with and likes.
Furthermore, as Respondent B also explains, social media is where she is mainly exposed to
new trends, or news in general, implying how she first observes other consumers which the
respondent points out has an impact on her future behavior as a consumer. This also
indicates how the Social Learning Theory could be applied to motivate the impact of
influencers on the behavior of the consumer (Bandura, 1977). Lastly, beside the people in
her surrounding, Respondent B also points out how her own preferences mainly decide
what influencer she chooses to follow. Moreover, she explains how the influencers could be
someone she likes for what they do, indicating once again a mimicking behavior. As stated
previously, Respondent B admits how she gets affected by influencers, as a consumer, and
given the fact that the influencer is someone she likes, it could be argued how the
respondent strives to achieve missing attributes found in the influencers (Ruvio et al.,
2013).
5.3.3 The decision-making process
Further on, when examining the possibility to affect the participation of the consumer in
the second hand market, one should include the decision-making process in the analysis.
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Based on the previous analysis of the results, the influencer could both have a mainly
impact in the phase of need recognition, as well as the pre-purchase phase (Dowling et al.,
2019). If looking at Respondent F, it is clearly stated how the influencers are supposed to
increase the motivation to continue a certain lifestyle as a consumer. That is they are to help
inspire for sustainable alternatives during the pre-purchase phase (Dowling et al., 2019).
Lastly, by applying the Social Learning Theory by Bandura (1973), it can be argued how
observing influencers could have an impact on behavior of the consumer in the upcoming
phases of the decision-making process. Furthermore, given that the influencer is someone
who shares interests and values with the consumers, it is more likely for the consumer to
adopt the behavior of the influencer (Schouten et al., 2020).
On the other hand, when examining Respondent A and B, it could be stated how they are
more exposed to influencer marketing during the phase of need recognition. This argument
could be motivated by how Respondent B explains she is mainly exposed to news and new
trends through social media. Furthermore, Respondent A also points out how the right
influencer could lead her to think of an issue through a new perspective. Although this does
not exclude the possibility for the respondent to also use social media in other phases of the
decision-making process, it indicates how the exposure to new trends could lead to a need
arousal (Schiffman and Wisenblit, 2019). As it is explained how thoughts could lead to
cognitive awareness of a need and how this could be used in a commercial context, for
instance through marketing advertisement (Schiffman and Wisenblit, 2019), it can be
further argued how influencers contribute to creating a need for the consumer. Given that
influencers are a third party in between the companies and the consumers, with the aim to
increase the consumer’s awareness of companies and what they offer (Lou and Yuan, 2019),
one could strengthen the argument of influencers contribution to the consumer’s need
arousal. By creating content where the issue of sustainable purchases is brought up, the
influencer could arouse the need or the desire to be more sustainable in the mind of the
consumers. However, this would require that the influencer is considered credible for the
advertisement to be effective (Schouten et al., 2020), which in turn requires an influencer
who acts according to their content for them to have a positive impact on the consumer. In
this case, the influencer would have to live by the example of being a sustainable consumer
to actually have an impact on other consumers. Furthermore, it could also be of importance
that the character of the influencer matches the characteristics of the audience, that is the
consumers, given that the consumers are more likely to adopt the behavior (or accept a
request) of someone they like (Schouten et al., 2020; Cialdini, 2006).
43
5.3.4 Exposure to advertisements
When looking at the amount of advertisement the respondents encounter on social media,
related to the second hand market, three out of seven respondents ( Respondent A,D and G)
claim they have not encountered advertisement connected to the second hand market. The
reasons for that could be that they do not follow influencers who in particular promote
second hand purchases, or that the second hand market is still being marketed too little.
However, the remaining four respondents claim they have experienced advertisement,
connected to the second hand market. Although, the respondents mainly encounter
advertisements from second hand companies, Respondent B explains she has seen
advertisement for second hand purchases from an influencer. At the same time, when
looking at whether the participation is online or offline, a majority of the respondents prefer
participating offline. This could perhaps indicate how the offline stores are the stakeholders
to focus on when considering strategies to increase consumer participation. However, this
could also motivate how influencer marketing could be used to provide knowledge of online
participation in the second hand market, during the phase of need recognition in the
decision-making process (Dowling et al., 2019).
It has been stated that the respondents in this study, who do follow one or several
influencers on a daily basis, decide who to follow based on who they like and share interests
with. However, only Respondent F has clearly pointed out how she actively only chooses to
follow influencers who motivate her to continue a more sustainable lifestyle.
Simultaneously, Respondent F explains how she actively chooses to follow second hand
companies on social media, to increase the amount of advertisements connected to second
hand purchases. Based on an analysis of Respondent F, one could argue how the consumer
needs to actively make decisions to increase advertisements from the second hand market.
Further on, one could also look at the case of exposure to advertisements through an
influencers perspective. As the influencer participating in this study has explained, her
interest for acting as a counterweight to mass consumption drove her to start her account,
indicating the megaphone effect (McQuarrie et al., 2013). The influencer explains how she
wants to inspire others to become more sustainable as consumers, which she has done
through creating an account, the megaphone, and speaking out to a crowd, being her
followers (McQuarrie et al., 2013). However, for this theory to be applicable it requires
individuals, or more precisely consumers of second hand apparel, who have an interest to
share their opinions, and in turn influence other consumers. Furthermore, it would require
that the consumer reaches out to other consumers who consider the influencer as relatable
and that the influencer acts according to what they post, for the marketing strategy to be
efficient (Schouten et al., 2020)
44
On the other hand, although the influencer expresses a good relationship to her followers
and an active communication, she does not believe influencer marketing will develop very
fast in the second hand market. While Reinikainen et al. (2020) explain how influencers
have a greater impact on for instance brand perception because of their closer relationship
to the consumers, the influencer means the lack of financial benefit could possibly slow
down the development of this particular type of influencer marketing. That is, perhaps the
aforementioned factors of credibility and being relatable (Schouten et al., 2020), do not
affect the efficiency of the advertisement in the context of promoting the second hand
market. Based on this analysis, it could be argued how the consumer’s interest for more
sustainable purchasing habits has an important matter in its participation in the second
hand market.
45
6. Conclusion
The aim of this study has been to examine and understand whether there is a possibility to
increase the participation of the consumer in the second hand market for apparel through
influencer marketing. To do so, the first part of this study has been to understand what
factors are the most important, according to the consumer, when deciding to participate in
this particular market. Through a quantitative study it has been stated how the quality of
apparel is the most important factor when purchasing second hand apparel, followed by
price when selling. Further on, it has also been stated how the factor of environmental
awareness has a relatively high impact on both purchasing and selling, which has been
shown in the qualitative part of this study as well. On the other hand, the qualitative results
also have shown the importance of price, despite the weak correlation between the factor of
price and purchasing shown in the statistical results. Furthermore, the statistical result is
not significant, indicating how the importance of price cannot be rejected.
Further on, based on the qualitative results it can be stated how although a majority of the
respondents in this study follow influencers on a daily basis, only one respondent shows a
more active behavior in terms of deciding how to get influenced. Further on, among the
participants who follow influencers, everyone shows interest in what the influencer does, or
in the influencer as a person. However, the initiative to follow influencers and companies
increasing the motivation and knowledge regarding being a more sustainable consumer is
very low. On the other hand, there are still respondents who also consider themselves being
influenced, to different extents, indicating a possibility to increase their participation in the
second hand market. Despite the qualitative results, showing how the environmental aspect
plays an important role in the participation of the consumer, the quantitative results show
how quality and price are valued higher. Given these results, it can be argued how the
environmental awareness has to increase among the consumers, for the participation to
increase as well.
Through applying endorsement marketing in certain phases of the decision-making process
(the phase of need recognition and pre-purchase phase), one could increase the awareness
and knowledge of the consumer regarding sustainable purchases. Based on the qualitative
results in combination with the principle of liking (Cialdini, 2006), the Social Learning
Theory (Bandura, 1977) and the theory of mimicry (Ruvio et al., 2013), it can be further
argued how one could increase the knowledge of a consumer regarding the environmental
benefits of the second hand market for apparel. This could in turn, increase the
participation of the consumer in the second hand market for apparel, given that the
46
consumer is more likely to adopt the behavior of another person if they share interests and
values (Schouten et al., 2020).
Furthermore, it could also be argued how influencer marketing would have a bigger impact
on the behavior of the consumer if used in the phase of need recognition in the decision-
making process. Given that during this phase the consumer recognizes a need (Dowling et
al., 2019), influencer marketing could be used to create the need for more sustainable
purchasing habits. On the other hand, influencer marketing could also be used to provide
more sustainable alternatives, during the pre-purchase phase, making it easier for the
consumer to see the possibilities to make sustainable purchases. Nevertheless, although it
has been shown how several consumers consider themselves being influenced, once again,
not many have shown an active decision to follow influencers who actually drive her to
continue sustainable purchasing habits.
In conclusion, it can be stated how, based on this study, the most important factors
according to consumers are quality (when purchasing), price (when selling) and
environmental awareness (purchase and sales). It has also been stated, through analysis of
the qualitative data, how in general the consumers act according to their knowledge about
the environmental benefits of second hand purchases. Further on, given the relatively
strong correlation between the factor of environmental awareness and participation in
general, one could argue how influencer marketing indeed could increase the participation.
With the support of the theoretical framework, it has further been argued how one could
increase the knowledge of the consumer, which in turn would increase the participation.
However, given that only one respondent in the qualitative study showed being positively
affected by second hand influencers and the statistical results showing the importance of
the factors price and quality, one could not assure an increase in the participation by
applying influencer marketing.
6.1 Practical recommendation
The practical recommendations based on this study are devoted to managers of second
hand companies, as well as potential future influencers. The findings of this study could be
used to attract more consumers, which would not only benefits the business in particular,
but also benefits the environment. By using influencer marketing as a marketing strategy,
one could reach a larger audience of consumers to awaken the need for more sustainable
purchasing habits. Furthermore, through the usage of social media platforms the
companies could help improve the sharing of information regarding the fashion industry
and its effects on the environment. However it is of importance to carefully plan and choose
47
what influencers to collaborate with, to obtain the wanted effects of endorsement
marketing.
Given that the results from this study show how the consumers prefer offline participation,
the suggestion for managers of current second hand companies to increase the quality of
their physical stores. Nevertheless, it shall not be left out that marketing of the changes is
needed for an effect, where online platforms are a beneficial alternative.
6.2 Future research
This study has been focusing on consumer behavior in the second hand market limited to
the Swedish market. For future research it might be interesting to broaden the population
and to examine the behavior of a bigger group of consumers. Perhaps it would be
interesting to examine the consumer behavior regarding the given market in the nordic
countries, or even in a bigger scale as in the continent of Europe. Furthermore, it might
widen the results to expand the group of consumers being examined, when putting through
a qualitative study. Lastly, it could also be of interest to focus on online or offline markets in
future research, given that they provide different attributes to the consumer.
48
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Appendix
Appendix A: Interview questions for consumers
- Age
- Gender
- Occupation
- How often do you participate in the secondhand market for apparel? Motivate your
answer (if not so often, why? if often, why?)
- Why do you participate in the secondhand market for apparel?
- Do you consider the price of second hand apparel to be reasonable?
- Do you purchase secondhand clothing more often or do you donate used clothes
more often? If you donate more than you purchase, please explain why
- Explain what you believe is the correlation between the fashion industry and the
environmental situation? Do you act according to what you believe? If not, why?
- When participating in the secondhand market, do you usually do it online or
offline? Why?
- Do you follow any influencers on a daily basis? Do you feel that they influence your
behavior? If yes, motivate in what way
- What makes you follow influencers that you chose to follow?
- Have you ever come across any social media post or ad that encourages to
participate in second hand market? If not in the second hand market, have you
experienced it with any other market?
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Appendix B: Interview questions with the influencer
- Describe your account. How come you started your account? What was the thought
behind it?
- How did your interest for second hand purchases begin? When did you start?
Where did you start? (apparel, furnishing, leisure goods etc.)
- How would you describe your relationship with your followers? How do you
communicate with your followers?
- How do you think when you create your content? Do you have a strategy to increase
your influence?
- Have you ever received feedback from your followers, regarding your posts and
their content? Has it been positive feedback or negative feedback? Have you taken
in the feedback?
- Do you collaborate with companies? If yes, what companies do you collaborate
with? How do you choose what companies to collaborate with? Do you have a
strategy for that?
