Int J Consumer Studies

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Received: 18 December 2018 | Revised: 19 August 2019 | Accepted: 15 September 2019

DOI: 10.1111/ijcs.12539

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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Shopping with the resale value in mind: A study on second‐


hand luxury consumers

Linda Lisa Maria Turunen | Essi Pöyry

Centre for Consumer Society


Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Abstract
Finland The market for second‐hand luxury products is growing and the variety of available
Correspondence sales channels has increased; consumers can buy second‐hand luxury goods not only
Linda Lisa Maria Turunen, Centre for from brick‐and‐mortar stores but also from a myriad of both global and local online
Consumer Society Research, P.O. Box 24,
00014 University of Helsinki, Finland channels. Arguably, the increase in available sales channels has changed consum‐
Email: linda.turunen@helsinki.fi ers’ purchasing behaviour as the roles between sellers and buyers are alternating
Funding information as one can act as a buyer one day and a seller the next. However, prior research on
Liikesivistysrahasto, Grant/Award Number: luxury consumption has mainly focused on brand‐new luxury goods, largely neglect‐
14‐7587
ing the consumption of previously‐used luxury products and has not accounted for
the multi‐channel shopping environment. The purpose of this paper is to understand
how consumers mentally approach the purchase of second‐hand luxury products and
what kinds of decision‐making styles they use. The empirical interview data of 22
consumers was analysed by the means of shopping style dimensions that account
for both consumer characteristics and external shopping conditions. The interview‐
ees were members of a Facebook buy and sell ‐group focused on luxury products
and had recently bought a second‐hand luxury product. All the existing dimensions
were evident in the data but an additional dimension was also identified: resale value
consciousness. The new dimension emphasizes an investment‐led and price‐quality
conscious shopping style but was also found to relate to impulse buying and brand
consciousness. The emergence of the dimension is argued to be due to the increase
in viable online sales channels for second‐hand luxury products.

KEYWORDS
luxury, purchasing behaviour, sales channel, second‐hand, shopping styles

1 | I NTRO D U C TI O N significantly less often. The market for second‐hand luxury products is
growing rapidly: In 2018, its value was estimated to reach €22 billion
Research on luxury consumption has approached the topic from vari‐ globally (Bain & Company, 2018); furthermore, in 2018, one of the
ous perspectives such as consumer behaviours and motivations (e.g., fastest growing second‐hand product categories was luxury products
Han, Nunes, & Drèze, 2010; Husic & Cicic, 2009; Vigneron & Johnson, (Gorra, 2018). Furthermore, as the fashion and apparel industry is
1999) as well as perceptions of luxury value and value creation (e.g., under an increasing scrutiny regarding its environmental and societal
Hung et al., 2011; Shukla & Purani, 2012; Tynan, McKechnie, & impact (e.g., European Parliament, 2019; Perry, 2018), knowledge of
Chhuon, 2010; Wiedmann, Hennigs, & Siebels, 2009). Most of these more sustainable ways of consuming these products is needed.
studies focus on brand‐new luxury products while the purchasing Previous research in the second‐hand luxury domain highlights the
and consumption of second‐hand luxury products have been studied fascination of the product or the attention one receives through the

Int J Consum Stud. 2019;43:549–556. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ijcs


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usage and consumption of the product (e.g., Cervellon, Carey, & Harms, shopping, a utilitarian orientation refers to an efficient and task‐ or
2012; Cervellon & Vigreux, 2018; Turunen & Leipämaa‐Leskinen, 2015; goal‐oriented kind of shopping (Jones, Reynolds, & Arnold, 2006).
Turunen, Leipämaa‐Leskinen, & Sihvonen, 2018) but shopping and pur‐ To complement these strongly established shopping orientations,
chasing behaviours in that category have rarely been studied. This is Shim (1996) proposed social or conspicuous orientation to refer to
problematic because consumers are known to operate in a different man‐ the symbolic side of shopping.
ner and they are motivated by different drivers when making purchasing Shopping has also been examined from the perspective of ex‐
decisions related to new versus second‐hand products (Cervellon et al., ternal influencers, market behaviour and actual shopping situations.
2012; Guiot & Roux, 2010; Xu, Chen, Burman, & Zhao, 2014). Moreover, For example, consumer decision‐making is known to be affected by
as the variety of second‐hand, vintage and thrift stores, both offline, on‐ several external in‐store cues, such as social, design and other ambi‐
line, local and global, is increasing, there is a growing need to understand ent factors (e.g., Baker, Parasuraman, Grewal, & Voss, 2002; Häubl
how consumers approach second‐hand luxury shopping and what kinds & Trifts, 2000). While shopping cannot be studied in isolation and
of decision‐making styles they use. This knowledge is also relevant for is influenced by both the characteristics of the consumer as well as
the products sold in the primary markets. The more attractive and effi‐ external conditions, Sproles and Kendall (1986) identified distinct
cient the second‐hand market becomes, the more it affects those who “shopping styles” that cover both perspectives. They proposed
buy brand‐new products (Chu & Liao, 2010; Liao & Chu, 2013). eight dimensions, called the consumer styles inventory: high quality
To fill this gap in the literature, the paper studies the purchase of consciousness, brand consciousness, fashion consciousness, recre‐
second‐hand luxury products by identifying and structuring consum‐ ational shopping consciousness, price‐per‐quality consciousness,
ers’ shopping styles. The research question is studied through inter‐ impulsiveness, confusion from over‐choice, and brand‐loyal orienta‐
views with consumers who had recently bought a second‐hand luxury tion. The shopping styles are described in Table 1.
product and the data is analysed through the lens of shopping style The original scale by Sproles and Kendall (1986) has been vali‐
categorization originally suggested by Sproles and Kendall (1986). dated and used in a variety of research settings, such as in differ‐
ent cultural contexts (Bakewell & Mitchell, 2004), across different
generations (Bakewell & Mitchell, 2003) and in variety of product
2 | TH EO R E TI C A L BAC KG RO U N D categories such as food (Laaksonen, 1993) and fashion and apparel
(Cowart & Goldsmith, 2007; Park & Sullivan, 2009). In the field of
Both as an act of making purchase decisions and as a way of spend‐ luxury consumption, the shopping styles have been examined by
ing time, shopping has been widely researched through different Eastman, Iyer, and Thomas (2013), who studied the impact of status
theoretical constructs in marketing literature. The perspectives consumption on shopping styles. They found that five of the eight
include shopping attitudes (e.g., Shim & Eastlick, 1998), shopping shopping style dimensions, namely brand consciousness, fashion
motivations (e.g., Arnould & Reynolds, 2003), and shopping orienta‐ consciousness, recreational, impulsiveness, and brand loyalty guided
tions (e.g., Babin, Darden, & Griffin, 1994), and they mostly concern the behaviour of those who were motivated to consume for status.
individual consumers’ characteristics, drivers and mindsets regard‐ Most of the studies have concentrated on shopping styles in a
ing shopping. For example, Babin et al. (1994) and Hirschman and brick‐and‐mortar context. During recent decades, however, selling
Holbrook (1982) have identified two basic categories of shopping and buying second‐hand products from online channels has in‐
orientation: hedonic and utilitarian orientation. While a hedonic creased in popularity. The channels differ mainly by how directly
orientation relates to the entertainment and experiential value of the seller and the buyer interact with each other. Platforms such as

TA B L E 1 Description of consumer
Shopping style dimension Description of consumer preferences
shopping styles (Adapted from Eastman et
High‐quality consciousness Consumer searches for best quality; Is a al., 2013; Sproles & Kendall, 1986)
“perfectionist”
Brand consciousness Consumer prefers well‐known brands
Fashion consciousness Consumer prefers novel or fashionable products
Recreational shopping consciousness Consumer enjoys shopping as a leisure activity; Is a
hedonistic shopper
Price‐per‐quality consciousness Consumer searches for good price‐quality ratio and
bargains
Impulsiveness Consumer buys without consideration or planning
Confusion from over‐choice Consumer perceives there are too many brands,
products or stores from which to choose;
Experiences information overload
Brand‐loyal orientation Consumer habitually chooses the same brands and/
or stores
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Facebook and eBay allow direct interaction (Sihvonen & Turunen, 40 years old. They were interested in fashion and possessed luxury
2016) while services such as Vestiaire Collective, High Society and items but represented different demographic backgrounds with di‐
Rewind Vintage (c.f. Harper’s Bazaar, 2018) act as a retailer between verse economic resources. The purposive sampling (Etikan, Musa,
the seller and the buyer and do not allow the seller and the buyer to & Alkassim, 2016) was chosen to enhance understanding about
interact. Cowart and Goldsmith (2007) studied the effect of shop‐ second‐hand shopping styles; all the interviewees had experience
ping styles on the choice of the sales channel and found that rec‐ in purchasing both brand‐new and previously‐used luxury products.
reational and impulsive shoppers were more inclined to buy clothes Moreover, the chosen informants had purchased a second‐hand
online and price‐per‐quality conscious shoppers were more inclined luxury accessory (most often a handbag) during the past six months.
to buy clothes offline. Research has also found that the nature of The interviewees were contacted through a Facebook buy and sell
an online sales channel can have a distinct impact on consumer group that is an active platform for buying and selling second‐hand
behaviour. For example, Chen, Su, and Widjaja (2016) found that luxury fashion products. Twelve interviews were conducted face‐to‐
in Facebook buy and sell groups information quality of a product face and ten interviews over phone or Skype. The interviews lasted
advertisement and the number of “likes” the advertisement had re‐ from 45 min to 1.5 hr and they were transcribed verbatim.
ceived had an effect on how impulsively consumers were urged to The themes discussed during the interviews related to the phases
buy the product. of the consumption cycle of luxury products, namely pre‐purchase
Finally, prior research related to second‐hand consumption has and planning, an actual purchase, consuming and possessing as well
studied motivational principles (Bardhi & Arnould, 2005; Guiot & as disposing of the purchase. The interviews concentrated on such
Roux, 2010), consumer profiles (Cervellon et al., 2012) and meanings luxury accessories as handbags, wallets, scarves, belts; brands in‐
attached to second‐hand products (Turunen & Leipämaa‐Leskinen, cluding Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, Céline, Prada, Mulberry and
2015). In terms of shopping, some general orientations or drivers See by Chloé were mentioned in the interviews.
have been identified: Bardhi (2003) point out that second‐hand con‐ The empirical data was analysed by the means of qualitative
sumption can be influenced by both hedonic (e.g., treasure hunting) content analysis (Belk, Fischer, & Kozinets, 2013) and particularly
and utilitarian (e.g., thrifting) orientations. Within the field of luxury by applying deductive logic (Ormston, Spencer, Barnard, & Snape,
consumption, the research emphasis has been more on the hedonic 2014). The deductive content analysis emerged from the theoretical
and conspicuous orientation (Podoshen & Andrzejewski, 2012; framework (the eight dimensions of consumer styles inventory by
Shukla, 2008) rather than on the utilitarian orientation (Vickers & Sproles & Kendall, 1986) that guided the logic of the analysis. The
Renand, 2003; Vigneron & Johnson, 1999; Wiedmann et al., 2009). framework gave the structure that loosely guided the analysis: the
Consumption of second‐hand luxury has its own characteristics as it empirical data was analysed through the lens of the known shopping
lies in the intersection of thrift‐ and luxury consumption (Cervellon styles to evaluate how they fit with the data at hand. The qualita‐
et al., 2012), which provides an interesting research context. tive approach to quantified dimensions enabled the opportunity to
Compared to the more general shopping orientations (e.g., hedonic, build further understanding about the specific context with its own
conspicuous and utilitarian), the shopping style dimensions (Sproles characteristics. Understanding the second‐hand market and its un‐
& Kendall, 1986) bring the studied phenomena to a more concrete derlying functions is believed to contribute to the literature across
and detailed level by accounting not only for the mindsets, practices product categories.
and behaviours of consumers but also the external conditions and
effects (Laaksonen et al., 2013). Thus, the research question is stud‐
ied using this lens but by accounting for possible new or non‐relevant 4 | FI N D I N G S
styles in the context of purchasing second‐hand luxury products.
Various shopping styles as proposed by Sproles and Kendall (1986)
that characterise the shopping behaviour of the consumers buying
3 | M E TH O D O LO G Y second‐hand luxury products can be pointed out; some were more
apparent than others. High‐quality consciousness, brand conscious‐
To study the purchasing of second‐hand luxury products and to iden‐ ness, fashion consciousness, recreational shopping consciousness,
tify the shopping styles related to it, interview data was collected. impulsiveness and price‐per‐quality consciousness were clearly
The empirical data consists of semi‐structured interviews related identified. Confusion of over‐choice was not apparent but, instead, a
to purchasing of second‐hand luxury products. Interview themes related dimension was manifested: confusion from lack of choice. To
included (a) informants’ consumption and possession of luxury prod‐ complement the scale, an additional shopping style dimension was
ucts; the meaning attached to luxury products; (b) the purchasing identified: resale value consciousness. Next, the contents of the di‐
process, both purchasing brand‐new and second‐hand products; (c) mensions are discussed in more detail.
the shopping and purchasing experience of one's latest second‐hand The dimension of high‐quality consciousness was represented in
luxury product; (d) benefits and barriers of purchasing second‐hand the data in an interesting manner; second‐hand meant better qual‐
luxury. Twenty‐two interviews were necessary to reach saturation ity, as it showed the test of time. Informants highlighted that the
point. The informants were Finnish women, aged between 25 and used and patinated condition of second‐hand products was even
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preferred in some specific luxury brands. “I have searched for the In the context of second‐hand luxury products, impulsiveness
perfectly patinated Louis Vuitton Speedy for six months; I just want was also represented even though the products were relatively ex‐
the leather parts to be smoothly tarnished” (W11). It was believed pensive. The sign of impulsiveness was quick decision‐making, as
that some brands—particularly heritage‐owned brands with iconic the product in the second‐hand market is always one‐of‐the‐kind:
products—improve with age. The test of time shows how the prod‐ “I reserved it although I was not sure if it was exactly what I was
uct ages and it was believed to attest to the brand's high quality. looking for. I was just too scared that someone else was going to buy
Most of the informants cherished the used condition and the beauty it” (W13). To enable quick decision‐making, the informants justified
of aged leather; however, for a small minority perfectionism meant their purchases with the potential to sell the product forward. The
the purchase of a brand‐new product with hang‐tags on but from a impulsiveness seems to be characteristic particularly to peer‐to‐peer
secondary channel; they were bargain hunting. channels in an online context, such as Facebook buy and sell ‐groups,
Especially some devoted informants manifested the brand con‐ as the selling does not generate any additional costs for the seller. In
sciousness shopping style and considered second‐hand luxury hand‐ addition, informants described how in these groups the peer pres‐
bags economically valuable and wise purchase decisions: “I noticed sure—generated by other people interested in the same product—in‐
Celine raised the prices of the Trio bag so I decided to quickly search fluenced impulsive purchase decisions.
for it second‐hand. I found one perfect beauty with the price‐tag on In addition, many of the informants saw themselves as only one
and never used” (W3). Brand‐conscious consumers are brand‐lov‐ of the owners during the product's lifecycle. They did not necessarily
ers who see second‐hand as just one channel among others to gain regard themselves as end‐customers but instead believed they might
access to the pieces they want. In the second‐hand luxury field, the pass the product further for a new user by later taking the role of a
brand‐conscious shopping style was also recognizable in the infor‐ seller. Thus, there can be pointed out an emerging new dimension
mants’ high knowledge of and attraction towards limited editions, resale value consciousness in which the shopping style was guided
seasonal products and guest designs, which were craved due to their by the future aims to sell the product: “I bought that (Chanel) when
limited availability and rarity. I realized the prices are rising among iconic pieces. I will sell it soon,
Although second‐hand luxury products are previously used, they and I know I will get fifty percent more than what I paid myself”
are not necessarily outdated, as the most iconic products may gain (W14). This new dimension partly overlaps with the characteristics
vintage value over time. The fashion consciousness dimension was of existing shopping style dimensions; high quality consciousness
identifiable despite the context of old artefacts: “Particularly vintage as well as price consciousness bring rationality behind the purchase
stores are real treasuries: a place to re‐invent fashion and create new and brand consciousness guides the choices, often towards rare or
combinations with different kinds of accessories” (W1). On the other iconic pieces with steady resale value. Nevertheless, the factor that
hand, some informants pointed out that the second‐hand stores are differentiates the new dimension from the existing ones is the per‐
places to find the old and authentic versions for currently trending ception of the purchase as an investment and the explicit intent to
and fashionable items. Shopping second‐hand required more effort, sell the product in a later point of time (regardless whether or not the
but “authentic pieces” (W2) were the treasures some of the infor‐ re‐sale actually happens).
mants searched for. In addition, the brand‐loyal orientation included two types of
Relatedly, second‐hand shopping in brick‐and mortar stores was perspectives. First, the informants described how they had hunted
seen as an exciting exploration as one cannot know beforehand what for a specific product: “It took a couple of years to find the perfect
will be found when entering a second‐hand or vintage store. This no‐ Chanel flap bag 2.55. I have several small evening bags but this one I
tion unveiled the recreational shopping consciousness, which was absolutely wanted as second‐hand, so it has its unique story” (W16).
connected to active engagement in the shopping activity—search‐ The view according to which the previous use adds emotional value
ing and treasure hunting, experiencing a unique atmosphere, “the (e.g., unique story, spirit of the past) to the product is unique to
spirit of the past” (W11)—rather than necessarily buying anything. shopping second‐hand products, but according to the interviews,
Strolling around vintage stores was regarded as entertainment and this perspective was highly related to brands that ‘allowed’ the at‐
an inspirational search while online platforms were mainly used for tachment of these value attributes. Besides the view that highlights
task‐oriented purchasing rather than for recreation. finding specific brands and products, the shopping style was also
On the other hand, bargain hunting, distinct from hedonisti‐ related to habitual visits to one's favourite second‐hand stores; the
cally‐oriented treasure hunting, is more product‐ and price‐related loyalty towards one's favourite brick‐and‐mortar store combined
behaviour that can be categorized under the price‐per‐quality con‐ with the trust of authentic pieces and enjoyable shopping experi‐
sciousness shopping style. In the interviews, several reasons were ences. Loyalty towards online platforms was significantly lower and
given that justified the second‐hand luxury products from a rational new alternatives easily replaced previously favoured platforms.
point of view. In particular, the low prices were appealing: “It feels In the second‐hand context, confusion from over‐choice was not
like I save money when shopping for luxury goods second‐hand. a dominant dimension as none of the informants mentioned that they
Buying used enables me to spend more somewhere else” (W10). had experienced difficulty in choosing among several alternatives.
Thus, the cheaper second‐hand products were justified for their Instead, a related dimension was manifested: confusion from lack of
better value for the money. choice. Informants discussed the problem of finding the wrong model,
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size, price or colour, which was the key inconvenience when shopping favourite vintage stores or visiting the nearby flea market. I never
second‐hand. It seemed that confusion from lack of choice is emotion‐ know what I will find!” (W1). In the context of online auctions (e.g.,
ally close to confusion from over‐choice, which results from too many eBay, Bukowski's) or online second‐hand retailers and platforms
brands, products and stores from which to choose. In the second‐hand (e.g., Vestiaire Collective, Facebook buy and sell ‐groups), the be‐
context, however, the similar feeling resulted from the vast variety of haviour was described more as goal‐oriented and efficiency‐driven:
products that were available but that did not meet the purchase cri‐ “I have put notifications on for VC, so when a specific Givenchy bag
teria. Confusion from lack of choice was more prevalent among the arrives in the colour I want, I will get an email” (W20). On the other
occasional rather than the more experienced second‐hand shoppers hand, the interviews also illustrated how shopping second‐hand
who had developed mental guidelines on how to sort and choose sec‐ luxury products in the online context, particularly in platforms that
ond‐hand luxury products: “The best way to find good treasures is to allowed direct interaction with the seller and the buyer, generated a
find a person who is your size and style. (…) Then the selection is done more impulsive shopping style, particularly in cases when the infor‐
for you beforehand” (W21). Table 2 exemplifies with additional quotes mants acknowledged a good resale opportunity.
the identified shopping style dimensions.
It is noteworthy that besides the diverse shopping styles, the en‐
5 | CO N C LU S I O N S
vironment where the shopping takes place (brick‐and‐mortar vs. on‐
line) had a clear impact on the behaviour. In brick‐and‐mortar stores,
5.1 | Theoretical implications
such as small vintage and second‐hand stores as well as pop‐up flea
markets, the shopping orientation shifted more towards the recre‐ To complement previous research regarding consumers’ shop‐
ational and explorative: “On Saturdays I love spending time in my ping styles, this study expands the discussion into a new context:

TA B L E 2 Shopping style dimensions in the context of second‐hand luxury products

Shopping style dimension Quotes exemplifying the dimension

High‐quality consciousness “Previously used handbags show the actual level of quality and craftsmanship of the whole
brand. I think it is the real test of time.” (W5)
“Besides the wear and tear that makes the product unique, the used condition also shows how
the product ages. To my mind, it unveils the quality of the materials.” (W16)
Brand consciousness “You can see the real value of the brand from the price of its second‐hand products.” (W5)
Fashion consciousness “Exploring second‐hand and vintage stores opens a door to the past and the future.” (W1)
“Iconic brands appeal to me the most as they basically never go out of fashion.” (W14)
Recreational shopping consciousness “I enjoy treasure hunting. There is more excitement when all products are one‐of‐the‐kind.” (W2)
“Finding the perfect match is kind of the ´beef´ of the process. That is why I shop second‐hand.”
(W22)
Price‐per‐quality consciousness “Good price‐quality relationship motivates my decision‐making; the product should be in good
condition and priced accordingly.” (W9)
“Buying previously used is a better value for the money. I don't need to pay for the brand; it is
just the product's utility and functionality.” (W17)
Impulsiveness “The biggest pain point is that there is only one piece available.” (W8)
“If the bag purchase is a mistake, I can always sell it later.” (W12)
Brand‐loyal orientation (brand/retailer) “The only right way to buy Louis Vuitton is previously used. That brand I would not buy as
brand‐new.” (W11)
“When I buy online, I use VC (Vestiaire Collective, an online platform). They have authentication
services, a good platform and international offerings.” (W20)
Modified dimension: Confusion from lack of “The most frustrating aspect of second‐hand shopping is finding the perfect treasure but in the
choice wrong size.” (W7)
“You need a different attitude when shopping second‐hand. You need to know more precisely
what you are looking for because there is no‐one curating the offerings for you. You can find
anything or nothing.” (W21)
Emerging new dimension: Resale value “I am a happy owner now but I believe I will sell this later when I get bored or find something
consciousness even better. I hope I will get my money back and even with some interest on my ‘investment’.”
(W5)
“As prices are constantly rising among luxury brands, it feels as if I am making money by consum‐
ing, purchasing, owning and later selling second‐hand luxury brands. It is important to choose
wisely.” (W3)
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second‐hand luxury products. Prior research on shopping styles has purchases even in pricy product categories if they can trust that
been explored in the context of brand‐new products, across various there is an easy resale channel available in the case of regret and
product categories in brick‐and‐mortar stores (Bakewell & Mitchell, that there is an opportunity to make profit on the resale.
2004), as well as online (Brashear, Kashyap, Musante, & Donthu, Resale value consciousness as a shopping style contributes to con‐
2009; Cowart & Goldsmith, 2007). With the findings from the sec‐ sumer behaviour literature in several ways. The dimension indicates
ond‐hand context, the paper contributes to the existing knowledge consumers’ multiple roles: they are not just buyers but may easily and
about shopping styles of luxury and status products (Eastman et al., intentionally also become sellers. This is expected to have a significant
2013). effect on consumer identities (Thompson, 2014); consumers are active
The most prominent finding that differentiates the shopping agents in the market who view shopping not only from the perspec‐
styles of second‐hand luxury buyers from those who buy brand‐new tive of desiring, owning or using goods but also from the perspectives
luxury products is the increased price‐per‐quality consciousness and of profiting from their resale or financing future purchases. From the
general quality consciousness. Eastman et al. (2013) found that nei‐ consumption cycle perspective (Arnould & Thompson, 2005), it is ar‐
ther high quality consciousness nor price‐per‐quality consciousness gued that resale value consciousness has a profound effect on all the
play a significant role for status‐driven luxury consumers as these phases of the cycle: acquisition, consumption, possession and disposal
consumers are focusing on products that convey prestige rather are all affected when consumers ponder the potential resale value of
than functional utility (Eastman et al., 2013; Phau & Cheong, 2009). products they do not want or need any more.
However, this paper found that those who buy second‐hand luxury Finally, although a new shopping style was identified, some
products emphasise the price‐quality ratio particularly among those shopping styles discussed were manifested differently or to a differ‐
who search for unused products from the second‐hand channels. ent extent depending on the sales channel; when shopping in offline
Consumers who specifically valued and cherished previously used second‐hand stores, consumers emphasised the entertainment and
and the aged condition of luxury products formed a different group. experiential side of shopping. This finding is well‐aligned with the
Among these consumers, high quality consciousness was evident existing luxury shopping literature (Eastman et al., 2013; O’Cass &
but was manifested in a distinctly different way than previously Frost, 2002), as well as with findings suggested by Cervellon et al.
found in the context of brand‐new luxury products. (2012) who discussed the treasure hunting of luxury second‐hand
As another key contribution, this paper suggests an additional products. On the other hand, second‐hand shopping in the online
shopping style dimension called “resale value consciousness” to sup‐ context had characteristics of goal‐oriented bargain hunting, impul‐
plement the original scale of Sproles and Kendall (1986). Previous siveness and resale value consciousness. Online platforms enable
research has found that resale value awareness regarding a specific comparison, are more efficient and expand boundaries by bringing
product increases a consumer's purchase intentions towards it (Chu the available inventory from a regional to global scale (Sihvonen &
& Liao, 2010; Liao & Chu, 2013); however, resale value conscious‐ Turunen, 2016). Relatedly, confusion from over‐choice as described
ness has not previously been identified as a broader shopping style by Sproles and Kendall (1986) was manifested as confusion from lack
or strategy. One possible reasoning for emergence of the identified of choice among a vast variety of alternatives and is expected to be‐
new dimension is the rise of both global and local online sales plat‐ come even more prominent as more second‐hand shopping channels
forms: the better the resale opportunities in terms of available sales become available.
channels and clientele are, the more consumers can consider the re‐
sale aspect in their shopping.
5.2 | Managerial implications
The new dimension was characteristic to the studied context
(second‐hand but value‐retaining branded products) but it had inter‐ This study benefits brand managers in the luxury category as well
related links to the other dimensions, such as price‐per‐quality con‐ as second‐hand retailers. The market for personal luxury products
sciousness and brand consciousness. The increasing value of specific is expanding fastest among the middle classes; the booming trend
brands and products promoted this shopping style as they could be of second‐hand luxury products makes the luxury artefacts avail‐
regarded as investments. This was the case particularly with iconic able to larger audiences. Traditional luxury brands highlight the
brands as well as rare limited editions from well‐known brands, be‐ importance of consumer experiences but overlook the alternative
cause they were considered the most valuable artefacts craved in (i.e., secondary) channels through which ordinary consumers may
the secondary market. In addition, the perceived resale value also become consumers of luxury products. Thus, it is valuable to un‐
enabled an impulsive and unplanned shopping style. Impulsiveness derstand the contemporary context, the new consumers, and their
in terms of luxury products fits also with Shukla’s (2010, 2008) and potential to become future first‐hand luxury customers. By involv‐
Podoshen and Andrzejewski’s (2012) idea that the motivation to ing and building communities for second‐hand customers, brands
consume prestigious and status‐laden products is irrational and they may increase the perceived value among all customers; emphasis
might be purchased impulsively for social needs. Impulsiveness may on second cycle indicates sustainability, longevity and quality of the
be highly emphasised in the second‐hand luxury context because of branded product.
the uniqueness of the products and the ease of selling them forward The study unveiled a new shopping style dimension among
through online platforms. Consumers feel safe in making impulse second‐hand luxury consumers: resale value consciousness that
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is of high importance for brand managers of luxury products. The ORCID


booming second‐hand luxury market and the emerging dimension
Linda Lisa Maria Turunen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9693-4761
particularly narrate the shifting values and behaviours of luxury
consumers: instead of passing a product along to friends or family
or using the product and discarding it after it is unwanted (broken,
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