Received: 18 November 2016 | Revised: 12 September 2017 | Accepted: 1 October 2017

DOI: 10.1111/ijcs.12393

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
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Second-hand clothing consumption: A generational cohort

analysis of the Chinese market

Jianfang Liang1,2 | Yingjiao Xu2

1
Fashion and Art Design College, Xi’an
Polytechnic University, Xi’an, Shaanxi
Province, China
2
Department of Textiles and Apparel,
Technology and Management, College of
Textiles, North Carolina State University,
Raleigh, North Carolina
Correspondence
Yingjiao Xu, Department of Textiles and
Apparel, Technology and Management,
North Carolina State University, Campus
Box 8301, Raleigh, NC 27695.
Email: yxu11@ncsu.edu
Abstract
China’s rapidly growing economy and consumption are creating serious environmental problems in
the country. The throwaway trend credited to fast fashion changes and short-lived styles made
textiles and clothing a new body of solid wastes, resulting in a negative environmental conse-
quence in China. While minimizing consumption of textiles and apparel cannot be the primary
solution to environmental problems, it is important to enhance consumer awareness of the impact
of their daily consumption on the environment and to promote environmentally sustainable appa-
rel consumption and disposal behaviours. From a generational cohort perspective, this study aims
to gain an insight of Chinese consumers’ behaviours towards second-hand clothing, in terms of
their consumption intentions and the influence of consumers’ perceived values, perceived con-
cerns and descriptive norms on their purchase intentions. Data for this study were collected
through a survey of 350 Chinese consumers across the four generational cohorts in China, includ-
ing the Post-60s, Post-70s, Post-80s and Post-90s. It was observed that Chinese consumers, in
general, had a strong resistance towards second-hand clothing consumption, with the Post-70s
having the strongest resistance. Significant differences were identified among the four cohorts.
The younger generations perceived higher values and held higher purchase intentions than their
older counterparts. Different motivations were also identified among the four cohorts in their
second-hand clothing consumption.

KEYWORDS
Chinese consumers, descriptive norm, generational cohorts, perceived concern, perceived value,
second-hand clothing

1 | INTRODUCTION
With rapid changes in fashion and low prices for new garments, the
global consumption of clothing and textiles has greatly increased
during the last few decades (Ekstrom & Salomonson, 2014). The
accelerated pace of clothing consumption has led to a dramatic
increase in the amount of textile wastes (Morgan & Birtwistle,
2009). Fast fashion changes and short-lived styles have created a
throwaway trend and resulted in a negative environmental conse-
quence (Birtwistle & Moore, 2007). Textiles and clothing has
become a new body of solid wastes (Oakdene Hollins Research and
Consulting, 2006). In China, around 26 million tons of old clothing
end up in landfill each year, while the recycling rate is less than 1%,
and the majority has not been remanufactured or disposed with
harmless treatments (Features China, 2013).
With over 65% of the world’s clothing made in China (China Water
Risk, 2011), the textile industry has long been one of China’s largest
polluters (Chu, 2015). Air and water pollutions have been plaguing the
country, from major metropolitan cities such as Beijing and Shanghai to
small towns and villages in rural areas. While the textile industry has a
long way to go in terms of environmentally sustainable development, it
is important to enhance consumer awareness of the impact of their
daily consumption on the environment. Chinese consumption of appa-
rel products has been increasing dramatically along with China’s eco-
nomic development over the past three decades. On average, Chinese
consumers’ apparel consumption was more than doubled over the
period of 2001–2009, with average per capita consumption of
RMB1,284 for urban consumers and RMB232 for rural consumers,
respectively, in 2009 (ITC, 2011). However, minimizing consumption of
textiles and apparel products cannot be the primary solution to the

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LIANG AND XU
environmental problems. Alternative environmentally sustainable appa-
rel consumption and disposable behaviours include recycling, redesign-
ing, repurposing and reusing used clothing items to extend the useful
life of products (Charbonneau, 2008). Extending the average life of
clothing by just three months of active use per item would lead to a 5–
10% reduction in each of their carbon, water and waste footprints
(Abingdon, 2016). There has been an enormous increase in the eco-
nomic power and global scope of the second-hand clothing trade since
the early 1990s (Hansen, 2010).
While buying second-hand clothing is a norm in the western world,
Chinese consumers, in general, dislike wearing someone else’s used
clothes (Cervellon et al., 2012). In their cross-cultural study, Xu et al.
(2014) investigated and identified significant differences in second-
hand clothing consumption behaviours between the Chinese and
American young consumers. In general, in comparison to their Ameri-
can counterparts, the Chinese young consumers had a much lower
level of past purchase experience and future purchase intentions for
second-hand clothing, mainly due to the readily available low-priced
new apparel products in the Chinese market. Chinese young consum-
ers’ second-hand clothing consumption was also influenced by their
high level of environmental concerns and high susceptibility to subjec-
tive norms.
While young consumers represent a very strong market segment,
the Chinese consumer market is very diverse and dynamic with an
evolving culture, an expanding middle class, the prevalence of fast fash-
ion, and the deterioration of environmental conditions. Through previ-
ous research, significant differences were identified between young
consumers and their previous generations in their values, lifestyles and
behaviours. Therefore, in this study, we aim to provide a further insight
of consumers’ perceptions of and behaviours towards second-hand
clothing in the Chinese market. Specifically, we aim to investigate Chi-
nese consumers’ second-hand clothing consumption from the age
cohort perspective by focussing on the four major cohorts in the coun-
try: Post-60s, Post-70s, Post-80s and Post 90s. This investigation is
expected to shed some light on the second-hand clothing market in
China in the midst of the deterioration of environmental conditions in
the country.
2 | LITERATURE REVIEW AND
HYPOTHESES DEVELOPMENT
2.1 | Second-hand clothing consumption
Second-hand clothing, also called used clothing, is a multibillion dollar
global trade today, with diverse supporting business activities (Wilson
& Thorpe, 2000). According to America’s Research Group, up to 15%
of people in the U.S. shop at resale or consignment shops at least once
a year. Low prices, good quality and large selection of clothing attract
consumers to resale, consignment and thrift shops in the U.S. (NARTS,
2013). With the general societal concern of the environmental impact
of overconsumption and trashing unneeded clothing items, it is
expected that the second-hand clothing industry will get even bigger.
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Low prices have been a major reason for consumers to shop for
second-hand clothing. Shoppers buy children’s clothing, designer or
vintage apparel, and even wedding dresses from thrift stores, and many
look for more mainstream brands at a fraction of their retail prices
(O’Donnell & Hughes, 2007). Consumers also purchase clothes for their
kids at second-hand stores for the practical reasons that children’s
clothes are expensive and kids grow quickly (O’Donnell & Hughes,
2007). Instead of feeling embarrassed that they shop at thrift stores,
shoppers brag about their second-hand treasures (Tuttle, 2014). Bar-
gain prices, thrill of the hunt and finding clothing that is different from
the rest, the ‘exotic appeal’ of the garments from around the world,
and great quality of vintage garments are all contributing to the thriving
second-hand clothing industry. Reuse of clothing is also associated
with reducing the amount of disposed clothing sent to landfill, thereby
reducing environmental pollution (Farrant, Olsen, & Wangel, 2010).
Traditionally, consumers obtain second-hand clothing through
adopting from family members/friends or purchasing from providers,
including charity organizations, small boutiques, consignment shops,
online retailers and also individuals selling unneeded clothing items
online. Recently, other options such as clothing renting and swapping
have also become more prevalent in providing consumers with second-
hand clothing consumption opportunities (Albinsson & Perera, 2012).
Although the second-hand clothing industry has a large customer
base, some concerns regarding owning and consumption of used
second-hand clothing items are also prevalent in western society.
These concerns include worries about contamination and germs (Belk,
1988; Hansen, 2010), transfer of disease and misfortune due to the
association of the previous owner who might have died (Groffinan,
1971), and fading sense of self (Erikson, 1968). Real or imagined body
markings on used clothes, such as perspiration stains or odour, can be
felt as a territorial encroachment of the previous owner and, therefore,
a taboo against their reuse (Roux & Korchia, 2006).
Integrating the literature on second-hand clothing, Xu et al. (2014)
proposed a conceptual framework regarding the factors influencing
consumers’ purchase intention towards second-hand clothing using the
Theory of Planned Behavior. Their framework suggested that consum-
ers’ purchase intentions towards second-hand clothing are influenced
by their perceived benefits/values, perceived concerns and perceived
subjective norm. The perceived benefits include: (a) economic value
achieved due to the low prices for second-hand clothing; (b) hedonic
value of treasure hunting; (c) uniqueness resulted from product attrib-
utes; and (d) environmental value achieved by reducing consumption of
new products.
2.2 | Second-hand clothing industry in china
Despite the growth of the second-hand clothing industry in the west-
ern world, it is still an emerging phenomenon in China. The majority of
Chinese textile products were discarded after use, with many clothes
either being piled up in wardrobes or being sent to landfills (Ya, 2013).
Very limited information is available about the second-hand clothing
industry in China, implying a small and ignored industry. Several rea-
sons might contribute to the slow development of the second-hand
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clothing industry in China: (a) availability of affordable new fashion
items (Baden & Barber, 2005); (b) face saving concern due to the finan-
cial inferiority perception of the user of second-hand products
(Wenger, 1998); and (c) lack of national system to facilitate the collec-
tion of used clothing items from consumers (Hawley, 2000).
However, China has experienced rapid industrialization, which is
inevitably associated with heavy energy use and industrial wastes. As a
consequence, air quality in many Chinese cities is among the worst in
the world and industrial water pollution has become a major health
threat (Zhang et al., 2010). Textiles and clothing has become a new
body of solid wastes (Oakdene Hollins Research and Consulting, 2006).
While the country is still driven by the gross domestic product growth
rate, awareness of the worsening environmental situation is gradually
increasing among the Chinese people. These characteristics of socioe-
conomic development may lead to a higher level of environmental con-
cerns for Chinese consumers in the future as well as an enhanced
awareness of the impact of their consumption on the environment,
which may bring a new look of the second-hand clothing industry in
China. In their cross-cultural study, Xu et al. (2014) suggested that
while in general the Chinese young consumers displayed a much lower
level of second-hand clothing consumption experiences and intentions,
they perceived a higher environmental value of buying second-hand
clothing items than their U.S. counterparts. This interesting finding
leads this current study to further investigate the second-hand clothing
market in China. Particularly, this study aims to analyse the Chinese
second-hand clothing market from the generational cohort perspective.
2.3 | Generational cohort theory
Inglehart (1977) introduced the Generational Cohort Theory, proposing
that groups of individuals who experienced the same social, economic,
political and cultural events during early adulthood would share similar
values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours throughout their lives. Genera-
tional cohorts are defined as groups of individuals who were born dur-
ing the same time period and travel through life together and,
therefore, experience similar external events in their late adolescent
and early adult years (Strauss & Howe, 1991). The defining moments
that these groups experience influence their values, attitudes, preferen-
ces, expectations and buying behaviours; as a result these factors
remain constant throughout the generation’s lifetime and constitute a
generational identity (Schewe & Meredith, 2004).
2.3.1 | Generational cohorts in China
China has experienced dramatic political, social and economic changes
in the past half century, including Cultural Revolution, economic
reform, adoption of the one-child policy and the globalization of China
(Belk & Zhou, 2002). Reflecting the influence of these events on con-
sumers’ values and beliefs, several different generational classifications
have been in existence. Egri and Ralston (2004) identified four different
generations of distinct personal values in China, including: the Republi-
can (born 1930–1950), Consolidation (born 1951–1960), Cultural Rev-
olution (born 1961–1970) and Social Reform generations (born after
1970). In their more recent study of career implications of generational
LIANG AND XU
differences, Yi, Ribbens, and Morgan (2010) compared the Cultural
Revolution and Social Reform generations to ‘Millennials’, which they
operationalized as the generation ‘born in the 1980s’. Other sources
separate those born in the 90s from those born in the 1980s and
named them the post-90s (KPMG, 2013).
Based on the above mentioned classification systems and using
the labels most commonly used in the Chinese literature and media
(Fan, 2016; Gao, 2015; Hizi, 2012; KPMG, 2013; Wang & Wu, 2002),
this study focuses on the four generational cohorts representing the
major shopping power in the Chinese market, namely: Post-60s, Post-
70, Post-80s and Post-90s. China is giving a great attention to the
sharp differences among these generational cohorts as unique social,
economic and political events experienced by each group reflect their
unique value systems and behaviours (Hizi, 2012).
2.3.2 | Post-60s
The Post-60s were born and grew up in the era of the Great Cultural
Revolution with great political instability as well as scarcity of materials
to meet necessity needs. It was not uncommon for them to own only
one or two sets of clothing items throughout the year during their
childhood and even young adulthood (Wong, 2015). Not only did this
generation experience the economic hardship, education shortage and
political instability during their younger ages, they were also the victims
of nationwide closing of state-owned enterprises accompanied by great
layoffs (Hizi, 2012). Entering their 50s or 60s, this generation is more
conservative than the younger generations.
2.3.3 | The Post-70s
The Post-70s were born and raised in the midst of the Cultural Revolu-
tion, an age of instability and uncertainties regarding the future. The
economic hardship accompanying them growing up left a strong emo-
tional mark on this generation. Reaching their puberty during China’s
economic reform years, more new opportunities started to be made
available during their young adulthood. Education was emphasized and
contributed to their success in obtaining jobs. Entering into their 40s,
the Post-70s were labelled as workaholics and enjoyed a stable job and
marriage (Hizi, 2012). These consumers take pride in individual accom-
plishments and have stronger interests in themselves than the previous
generations (Wang & Wu, 2002).
2.3.4 | The Post-80s
Born in the 1980s, the Post-80s market is 280 million strong. They
were the first generation in China whose members did not have sib-
lings due to the one-child policy effective in 1979. Growing up being
the only child in their family when society witnessed fast economic
growth and families had more money to spend than ever before, the
Post-80s received great undivided attention and love from their
parents and grandparents (Yi et al., 2010).
In their late 20s and early 30s, the Post-80s have joined the work-
force, are independent from their parents, and may have started a fam-
ily already. Comparing to the Post-70s characterized by diligence and
economic hardship, the Post-80s pursues hedonism in every part of
their life, including shopping. They attach importance to quality of life,
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pursue fashion and very much want to be trend setters (Renesas,

2016). The large supply of resources gives them strong self-confidence,
as personal well-being is more in control of the individuals than it was
in the preceding generations (Yi et al., 2010). While their parents seek
practicality in consumer products, they are attracted to advertise and
brand name products and they also have a strong tendency for self-
indulgence, personal entertainment and being materialistic (Doctoroff,
2005).

2.3.5 | The Post-90s

Growing up in the 1990s, the Post-90s generation have enjoyed the
fruits of China’s economic rise, including an economy growing at a
double-digit pace, less government control over daily life, a proliferation
of communication and information technology, greater access to local
and foreign goods and services and remarkable increases in family dis-
cretionary income. In China, the Post-90s generation is approximately
135 million strong. Over the next 10 years, this generation will have an
FIGURE 1 Proposed research framework and hypotheses
H3: The influence of perceived values, concerns, and
descriptive norms on consumers’ purchase intention
toward second-hand clothing varies among the four
generational cohorts in China.

increasing impact on China’s economy and society (KPMG, 2013). The

consumer behaviour of the Post-90s is markedly different from that of
the previous generations. This demographic often chooses to forego
brand name purchases, in favour of choosing a product that retains the
greatest long-term value. Major purchases by the Post-90s are regularly
made with the help of parents and grandparents (Jing Daily, 2012).
2.4 | Theoretical framework and hypotheses
development
The Generational Cohort Theory has been successfully used in market
segmentation as well as in the fields of consumer behaviour and man-
agement. Different values and behaviours were found in the U.S mar-
ket among different generational cohorts, including
consumption (Rahulan, Troynikov, Watson, Janta, & Senner, 2015),
shopping values (Jackson, Stoel, & Brantley, 2011), luxury consumption
(Eastman & Liu, 2012), tourism (Chung, Chen, & Lin, 2015) and online
services (Obal & Kunz, 2013). Applying the Generational Cohort Theory
in the Chinese second-hand clothing market and building on the study
conducted by Xu et al (2014), this study postulates that consumers in
the four different generational cohorts in China will have different
behaviours towards second-hand clothing. Specifically, as depicted in
Figure 1, the following hypotheses are developed for this study:
H1: The four generational cohorts in China differ in
consumers’ intentions toward second-hand clothing
consumption via purchasing from local second-hand
clothing stores (H1a) and adopting from family members
or friends (H1b).
3 | RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 | Data collection
A survey was used to collect data for this study. Subjects were recruited
via a snowball sampling technique. The invitation to participate with a
link to the survey was shared via a messaging app-Wechat in spring of
2016. The 5-year old Wechat is the most powerful and dominant
mobile social networking platform in China with over a half billion active
users (Crouch, 2016), which is more than one third of the population in
the country. For comparison, Facebook Messenger has 600 million
users around the world (Kosoff, 2015). Using Wechat to distribute the
apparel
survey is not only cost effective, but also more importantly can provide
maximum reach to eligible subjects without geographic restraints. The
target subjects were those who were born between 1960 and 1995,
covering the four generational cohorts in question, namely the Post-
60s, Post-70s, Post-80s and Post-90s. While the goal was to have equal
sample sizes of 100 respondents each for the four cohorts, the snowball
sampling method limits the potential to control the number of subjects
recruited for each cohort. A total of 350 completed questionnaires
were received. As the response rate dropped at the end of a one month
collection period, it was determined that the collection window be
closed. A total to 334 valid responses were retained for analysis after
16 surveys were deleted due to the following reasons: (a) respondents
obviously filled out the surveys randomly (e.g., straight- lining answers);
(b) at least half of the questions related to this research were unan-
swered; or (c) questions with obvious illogical answers (e.g., similar
answers to completely opposite questions).

H2: Consumers’ perceived values (H2a), concerns (H2b),

and descriptive norms (H2c) of buying second-hand
clothing items vary among the four generational cohorts
in China. For H2a, specifically the following values are
measured: economic value, hedonic value, uniqueness
value, and environmental value.
3.2 | Instrument measurement
The survey consisted of three sections. The first section measured con-
sumers’ general apparel shopping and disposal behaviours. The second
section measured consumers’ perceptions of and purchase intentions
towards second-hand clothing. Particularly, the following perceptions
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LIANG AND XU

were measured: perceived economic value, perceived hedonic value,
perceived uniqueness, perceived environmental value, perceived con-
cerns over wearing used products and subjective norms. These con-
structs were measured following the study by Xu et al. (2014).
Consumers’ future consumption intentions towards second-hand cloth-
ing items were measured in terms of shopping at thrift stores and
adopting from friends and/family members. Each of these consumption
intentions was measured by a single item such as ‘I would like to shop
for second-hand clothing at thrift stores’. A 5-point Likert scale was
used to measure each of the future consumption intentions. The third
section measured consumers’ demographics, including age, education,
gender, monthly discretionary income and marital status.
4 | RESULTS
4.1 | Sample profile
A general overview of the sample profile (Table 1) was obtained via a
descriptive analysis of the data. The sample sizes for the four cohorts
were equivalent with relatively more subjects for the Post-70s seg-
ment. Restrained by the nature of the convenience sampling technique,
the sample distribution among the four cohorts was not perfectly pro-
portional to the population distribution. The majority of subjects were
females. Among the four cohorts, the female to male ratios were about
3–1, with a relatively larger percentage of males in the Post-60s group
and a smaller male percentage in the Post-80s group.
The sample in general was well educated, with about 75% of the
respondents received at least some college education. Over 75% of the
respondents in the Post-60s, Post-70s and Post-80s groups had at
least college education, while the Post-90s had a relatively smaller per-
centage of respondents having at least college education (mainly due
to their ages).
Two thirds of the respondents were married, leaving the other one
third being singles. Respondents in the Post-60s and Post-70s groups
were predominantly married. Two thirds of the respondents in the
Post-80s group were married. Being the youngest cohort, the Post-90s
were dominantly (96%) singles.
As to the discretionary income, while about 20% of the sample
had less than ￥1,000 (equivalent of $150) a month, there were
another 30% had over ￥4,000 (equivalent of $600) a month. While
there were more than 60% of respondents in the three older groups
who had a discretionary income of more than ￥4,000 a month, three
fourths of the Post-90s respondents indicated a monthly discretionary
income of less than￥2,000.
While nearly one third of the respondents indicated willingness to
adopt used clothing items from friends or family members, merely 10%

TA BL E 1 Sample profile

The Post-60s The Post-70s The Post-80s The Post-90s

Count % Count % Count % Count %

Gender
Male 24 33.33% 30 28.57% 16 19.75% 19 25.00%
Female 48 66.67% 75 71.43% 65 80.25% 57 75.00%

Education
<5High school 6 8.33% 4 3.81% 3 3.70% 2 2.63%
Technical/vocational 12 16.67% 13 12.38% 17 20.99% 27 35.53%
College 37 51.39% 53 50.48% 37 45.68% 35 46.05%
Advanced degree 17 23.61% 35 33.33% 24 29.63% 12 15.79%

Marital status
Single 5 6.94% 2 1.90% 26 32.10% 73 96.05%
Married 67 93.06% 103 98.10% 55 67.90% 3 3.95%

Monthly Discretionary Income

< ¥ 1,000 14 19.44% 17 16.19% 17 20.99% 31 40.79%
1,001–2,000 12 16.67% 18 17.14% 11 13.58% 25 32.89%
2,001–4,000 19 26.39% 28 26.67% 25 30.86% 14 18.42%
¥ 4,0001 27 37.50% 42 40.00% 28 34.57% 6 7.89%

Purchase at thrift stores

Yes 7 9.72% 3 2.86% 13 16.05% 9 11.84%
Mixed feeling 14 19.44% 13 12.38% 16 19.75% 18 23.68%
No 51 70.83% 89 84.76% 52 64.20% 49 64.47%

Adopt from friends/family members

Yes 16 22.22% 22 20.95% 31 38.27% 25 32.89%
Mixed feeling 14 19.44% 26 24.76% 22 27.16% 28 36.84%
No 42 58.33% 57 54.29% 28 34.57% 23 30.26%

Total 72 21.56% 105 31.44% 81 24.25% 76 22.75%

334
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TA BL E 2 ANOVA results of consumption intentions of second-hand clothing

Generational
cohorts Mean SD F value Sig. Group comparisons

Purchase at thrift stores Post-60s 1.97 1.087

Post-70s 1.62 .848 5. 5 .001 Post-60s > Post-70s*
Post-80s 2.16 1.250 Post-80s > Post-70s*
Post-90s 2.17 1.112 Post-90s > Post-70s*

Adopt from friends/ Post-60s 2.38 1.215 6.201 .000 Post-80s > Post-60s*
family members
Post-70s 2.30 1.218 Post-80s > Post-70s*
Post-80s 2.91 1.362 Post-90s > Post-60s*
Post-90s 2.93 1.215 Post-90s > Post-70s*

All the items are measured on a 5-point Likert Scale with 1 5 strongly disagree and 5 5 strongly agree.
*Indicates significant at p value of .05.

would like to shop at local thrift stores for second-hand clothing, with
about 20% had mixed feelings towards purchasing second-hand cloth-
ing. The post-90s respondents in general held much higher intentions
to consume second-hand clothing than their counterparts in the three
older groups.
much higher intentions than their older counterparts. The difference
among the four cohorts is presented in Figure 2. Therefore, H1 was
supported
Multiple one-way ANOVA were conducted to test H2, regarding
the differences among the four cohorts in their perceived values (H2a),
perceived concerns (H2b) and perceived descriptive norms (H2c). Sig-

4.2 | Hypotheses testing nificant differences were identified among the cohorts in terms of per-
ceived hedonic value, environmental value, uniqueness and descriptive
Reliability analyses were conducted on the multi-item constructs.
norms (Table 3). Specifically, the Post-90s perceived a much higher
According to Nunnally and Bernstein (1994), a coefficient alpha score
level of hedonic value of second-hand clothing than the Post-70s and
exceeding 0.70 would be considered as an acceptable level of scale
Post-80s. The Post-80s perceived the highest environmental value
reliability. The standardized Cronbach’s alphas for all the constructs
among the four cohorts. The Post-80s also perceived a higher level of
measured were above or close to 0.70 (hedonic value, a 5 0.9; eco-
descriptive norms than the Post-70s. In terms of uniqueness, the two
nomic value, a 5 0.89; environmental values, a 5 0.87; uniqueness,
younger cohorts perceived a much higher level than the two older
a 5 0.80; concerns over wearing used products, a 5 0.73; descriptive
ones. No significant difference was observed among the four cohorts
norms, a 5 0.69).
in terms of perceived economic value and perceived concerns of pur-
Two one-way ANOVA analyses were conducted to test H1,
chasing second-hand clothing. Therefore, H2 was partially supported.
regarding the differences among the four generational cohorts in terms
The difference among the four cohorts in terms of their perceived val-
of consumers’ consumption intentions via purchasing from local
ues, concerns and descriptive norms were depicted in Figure 3.
second-hand clothing stores (H1a) and adopting from family members
Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test H3. Different
or friends (H1b). As shown in Table 2, significant differences were
influences of perceived values, concerns and descriptive norms on con-
found among the four generational cohorts. In terms of shopping for
sumers’ purchase intentions towards second-hand clothing among the
second-hand clothing at local stores, while no significant difference
four generational cohorts in China were found (Table 4). Across the
was found among the other three cohorts, Post-70s stated a much
four cohorts, perceived hedonism value and perceived descriptive
smaller intention. In terms of willingness to wear second-hand clothing
norms had significant influence on Chinese consumers’ purchase inten-
from family members or friends, the two younger cohorts indicated
tions towards second-hand clothing. Additionally, uniqueness was also
found having significant influence on Post-60s and Post-90s consum-
Consumpon Intenon toward Secondhand Clothing
3.5 ers’ purchase intention. Environmental values were only found exerting
3 significant influence on their purchase intentions for Post-70s and
2.5 Post-80s. Perceived economic value was only significant for Post-90s
2 consumers in their purchase intentions. Therefore, H3 was supported.
1.5
1
0.5 5 | DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
0
Post-60s Post-70s Post-80s Post-90s
China’s rapidly growing economy and consumption are creating serious
Purchase at Thri Stores Adopt from Friends/family Members
environmental problems on both local and global scales. The throw-
FIGURE 2 Consumption intentions among the four generational away trend credited to fast fashion changes and short-lived styles
cohorts. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] made textiles and clothing a new body of solid wastes, resulting a
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LIANG AND XU

TA BL E 3 ANOVA results of perceived values, concerns and descriptive norms

Cohorts Mean SD F value Sig. Group comparisons

Hedonic value Post-60s 2.0208 .99890 2.924 .034 Post-90s > Post-70s*
Post-70s 1.8571 .89393 Post-90s > Post-80s*
Post-80s 2.1235 1.04293
Post-90s 2.3421 1.02538

Economic value Post-60s 2.4931 1.31217 2.368 .071 Post-60s, Post-70s,

Post-70s 2.4048 1.31759 Post-80s, Post-90s
(NS)
Post-80s 2.7531 1.31606
Post-90s 2.8618 1.19331

Environmental value Post-60s 2.6528 1.20923 4.835 .003 Post-80s > Post-60s*
Post-70s 2.5905 1.21644 Post-80s > Post-70s*
Post-80s 3.2407 1.33957 Post-80s > Post-90s*
Post-90s 2.7763 1.15872

Uniqueness Post-60s 2.3241 1.07026 4.059 .007 Post-80s > Post-70s*

Post-70s 2.2444 1.06845 Post-80s > Post-60s*
Post-80s 2.7078 1.12963 Post-90s > Post-70s*
Post-90s 2.6623 1.06596

Perceived concerns Post-60s 3.4630 1.08562 1.470 .223 Post-60s, Post-70s,

Post-70s 3.5143 1.04291 Post-80s, Post-90s
(NS)
Post-80s 3.2510 1.02270
Post-90s 3.3158 1.00649

Descriptive norms Post-60s 1.7685 .77447 1.716 .164 Post-80s > Post-70s*
Post-70s 1.5587 .69721
Post-80s 1.8519 .82832
Post-90s 1.8158 .80442

All the items are measured on a five-point Likert Scale with 1 5 strongly disagree and 5 5 strongly agree.
*Indicates significant at p value of .05.

negative environmental consequence (Birtwistle & Moore, 2007; Oak-
dene Hollins Research and Consulting, 2006). While minimizing con-
sumption of textiles and apparel cannot be the primary solution to
environmental problems, it is important to enhance consumer aware-
ness of the impact of their daily consumption on the environment and
promote environmentally sustainable apparel consumption and disposal
behaviours (Fletcher, 2008), including but not limited to consumption
of second-hand clothing. Limited information is available on Chinese
consumer behaviour towards second-hand clothing.
generational cohort perspective, this study aims to gain an insight of
Chinese consumers’ behaviours towards second-hand clothing, in terms
of their purchase intentions and influence from consumers’ perceived
values, perceived concerns and descriptive norms.
5.1 | Consumption intentions
Not surprisingly, merely 10% of the respondents indicated a willingness
From a to purchase second-hand clothing, with majority of the respondents

Perceived Values, Concerns, and Descripve Norms

4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Hedonic Value Economic Value Environmental Uniqueness Concerns Descripve
value Norms

Post-60s Post-70s Post-80s Post-90s

FIGURE 3 Consumers’ perceived values, concerns and descriptive norms. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
LIANG AND XU
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| 127

saying a firm NO. Relatively, the resistance to adopt second-hand T AB LE 4 Results of multiple regression analyses
clothing from family members or friends was not as strong as the
Dependent Variable: Intention to purchase second-hand clothing at
resistance to purchase, with around one third of the respondents indi- thrift stores
cated willingness to adopt. This reluctance of Chinese consumers could Generational Independent
be due to the availability of affordable new apparel products in the Chi- cohorts variables R2 Sig. Beta t Sig.

nese market. Additionally, the typical concerns of using second-hand Post-60s Hedonic value .643 .000* .418 4.367 .000
products may be even amplified in the Chinese culture which is centred Economic value .139 .865 .390
Environmental value –.036 –.294 .770
around status and face saving. Uniqueness .252 2.281 .026
However, this reluctance of second-hand clothing consumption is Perceived concerns –.131 21.733 .088
not even across the four generational cohorts. The Post-70s demon- Descriptive norm .384 5.071 .000

strated the strongest resistance to purchase second-hand clothing. Sim- Post-70s Hedonic value .584 .000* .309 3.664 .000
ilarly, the Post-60s and Post-70s held a stronger resistance than their Economic value .081 .572 .569
Environmental value .273 2.438 .017
younger counterparts to adopt from friends or family members. A pos-
Uniqueness .056 .570 .570
sible explanation might be related to the established financial capability Perceived concerns –.124 21.863 .065
of the Post-70s as well as the Post-60s. The Post-60s have reached Descriptive norm .520 7.826 .000

their retirement years with accumulated wealth. Being in their late 30s Post-80s Hedonic value .697 .000* .466 6.353 .000
or early 40s, the Post-70s are in the most active stage of their career Economic value .079 .739 .462
with high and stable incomes. Another reason might be related to the Environmental value .207 2.060 .043
Uniqueness .128 1.644 .104
hardships that both generations experienced when they grew up. At Perceived concerns –.130 21.968 .053
this mid-age stage of their life with sufficient financial ability, the emo- Descriptive norm .496 7.699 .000
tional memory of economic hardship (including wearing hand-me- Post-90s Hedonic value .719 .000* .314 3.885 .000
downs from their older siblings) may serve as a strong motivation for Economic value .230 2.268 .026
them to treasure the enjoyment of life provided by (new) material Environmental value .176 1.957 .054
Uniqueness .201 2.491 .015
items. Perceived concerns –.036 –.561 .577
Descriptive norm .333 4.982 .000
5.2 | Perceived values and concerns *Indicates significant at p value of .05.
In general, the Chinese consumers did not perceive high values of
second-hand clothing items, but held strong concerns of owning
of awareness of environmental issues and support for environment
second-hand clothing. The four cohorts held comparable concerns over
protection among Gen Y consumers (Hymas, 2011; Rayapura, 2014)
using second-hand clothing including hygiene concerns, associated
because they grew up in an era when eco-consciousness was becoming
financial and status inferiority and/or emotional discomfort. Public self
a norm. The Post-80s also demonstrated a relatively higher level of
or face is held very important to the Chinese. Image concern may carry
descriptive norms regarding second-hand clothing consumption than
a heavy weight in Chinese consumers’ general concerns over second-
other cohorts. That is, the Post-80s had the highest awareness of
hand clothing. Another consistent perception among the four cohorts
friends, family members, or other consumers’ purchasing/owning
was the low economic value of second-hand clothing. That is, Chinese
second-hand clothing. These high levels of perceived environmental
consumers, regardless of age, did not find that buying second-hand
values and descriptive norms might contribute to their relatively
clothing helped them saving money or maximizing their spending
weaker resistance to second-hand clothing consumption.
power. This low perceived economic value is not surprising due to the
The Post-60s and Post-70s shared some similarities in their per-
noticeable decrease on the consumer price index for apparel products
ceived values, which were relatively lower than what were perceived
of almost 15% in the first decade of the century and the oversupply of
by their younger counterparts, including hedonic value, environmental
mass-produced garments in the Chinese market (ITC, 2011).
value, uniqueness and descriptive norms. This is in line with their rela-
Other than these two consistent perceptions, significant differen-
tively smaller purchase intentions than their younger counterparts. The
ces were observed among the four cohorts. Being the youngest cohort
emotional memories of hardship experienced during their early ages
in their early 20s, the Post-90s perceived the strongest hedonic values
may pull them away from seeing values from old, used items.
as well as uniqueness of second-hand clothing. This finding is consist-
ent with existing literature in that this generation often chooses to
5.3 | Factors influencing consumers’
forego brand name purchases, in favour of choosing a product that
purchase intentions
retains the greatest long-term value (Jing Daily, 2012).
Being the first generation with no siblings and with abundance of Some commonalities were found across the four generational cohorts.
resources available to them, the Post-80s held the highest perceived In general, Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions towards second-
environmental values as well as uniqueness of second-hand clothing hand clothing, while low, were out of their perceived hedonic enjoy-
among the four cohorts. This observation is in line with the high level ment, such as treasuring hunting and feeling of smart shopping. Low
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economic values were perceived, which did not contribute to their pur-
chase intentions. While concerns for owning second-hand clothing did
not exert influence on their purchase behaviours, consumers’ observa-
tions of others wearing/owning second-hand clothing contributed to
their intentions to purchase. This finding is perfectly in line with the
observation of the Chinese collective culture. Therefore, it is expected
that the relatively higher purchase intentions and accordingly behav-
iours towards second-hand clothing of young consumers (Post-80s and
Post-90s) may create a momentum for consumers in other cohorts to
reduce their resistance to second-hand clothing consumption.
In their early 20s, the Post-90s consumers are not financially inde-
pendent yet and still need assistance from their parents/grandparents
in their purchases. Therefore, it is not surprising to observe the signifi-
cant influence of perceived economic value on their intentions to con-
sume second-hand clothing. Actually, the Posts-90s is the only cohort
whose second-hand clothing purchase intentions were influenced by
perceived economic value. Another factor driving the Post-90s to pur-
chase second-hand clothing was the perceived uniqueness in terms of
product attributes and vintage styles. The Post-60s also had the pur-
chase motivation for perceived uniqueness.
While the Post-70s consumers held much smaller intentions
towards second-hand clothing consumption than the Post-80s, con-
sumers in both cohorts were influenced by the same factors in their
purchase intentions. In addition to hedonic value and descriptive
norms, the Post-70s and Post-80s purchased second-hand clothing
also for the perceived environmental value. With the deterioration of
the Chinese environment conditions and media coverage of the nega-
tive impact of apparel consumption, Chinese consumers might perceive
higher environmental values, which will lead to a stronger intention to
purchase second-hand clothing.
5.4 | Implications to the second-hand
clothing industry
While the Chinese consumers in general held low intentions to pur-
chase and consume second-hand clothing, there are opportunities to
grow the second-hand clothing industry in the Chinese market. Recent
rapid developments in online shopping (such as online renting and
clothing subscription services) have provided even more opportunities
for the second-hand clothing industry to thrive in China. Based on the
results from this study, below are some recommendations for practi-
tioners to consider in their endeavours to grow their businesses in the
Chinese second-hand clothing industry:
1. Address consumer concerns through technology: Across the four
cohorts, Chinese consumers held high concerns over consuming
second-hand clothing. Addressing these concerns will at least
remove the barriers for consumers to consider purchasing second-
hand clothing. For online resale and renting companies, they could
use technology to provide transparency on how the products are
cleaned and stored. While it might be more challenging to address
the (inferior) image concern of wearing second-hand clothing, defi-
nitely it is not impossible through partnering with celebrities as
LIANG AND XU
well as social marketing focussing on reducing negative environ-
mental impact.
2. Smart Shopping vs. Cheap Shopping: While second-hand clothing
consumption has been traditionally strongly associated with cheap
shopping, the industry can promote the new concept of smart
shopping over cheap shopping by adding more values to second-
hand clothing shopping and consumption. These added values
might be cost savings, more styles, and treasure hunting enjoy-
ment for young consumers, but social responsibilities and access
to quality and classic luxuries for the Post-60s and Post-70s.
3. Emphasis on access over ownership: The Post-60s and Post-70s
consumers demonstrated a strong resistance to second-hand
clothing consumption. With the emotional memories of economic
hardship during their childhood and adolescence, consumers in
these two cohorts may not be able to perceive hedonic values of
used clothing. At the same time, with their strong purchasing
power, these consumers may not see much economic value of
consuming second-hand clothing either. Therefore, emotionally
and economically, these consumers have strong intentions and
abilities to purchase new clothes. However, the second-hand
clothing industry can ‘talk’ to the consumers regarding the problem
of their cluttered closet hence directing consumers to the option
of renting second-hand clothing instead of owning new ones.
4. Promote sharing economy: Several industries in China have been
doing great in taking advantage of the sharing economy, such as
the bike-sharing industry and taxi on-demand services. The
second-hand clothing industry could provide a similar service to
the fashion consumers. Through this service, on the supply side,
consumers can sell or rent out their unneeded clothing items to
declutter their closets and at the same time can make money. On
the demand side, consumers can get affordable access to variety
of clothes new to them. From the environmental perspective, the
life span of the clothing items can be greatly expanded.
6 | LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
While the generalizability of the findings of this study might be
restrained due to the nature of the convenience sampling, this study
provides a great insight of the second-hand clothing market in China.
This study confirms the observation of Chinese consumers’ weak inter-
ests in consuming second-hand clothing (Xu et al., 2014). It furthers the
understanding of the market from the generational cohort perspective.
While in general the Chinese consumers’ perceived low values but high
concerns of second-hand clothing, and accordingly had a strong resist-
ance towards second-hand clothing consumption, noticeable differen-
ces were observed among the four generational cohorts. The younger
ones were relatively more likely to consume second-hand clothing for
enjoyment, uniqueness and environmental values. The Post-90s might
also purchase second-hand clothing out of financial concerns. With the
current environmental situation in many cities of China as well as the
recently more prevalent collaborative consumption opportunities, the
LIANG AND XU
younger generations are likely to have stronger intentions to consume
second-hand clothing in the years to come. Their purchase behaviours
may provide a momentum for other Chinese consumers to see the
value and reduce concerns of consuming second-hand clothing. This
study mainly focussed on consumers’ purchase intentions towards
second-hand clothing. Future research could investigate other forms of
obtaining second-hand clothing, such as clothing renting and clothing
swapping.
ORCI D
Yingjiao Xu http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9008-9851
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How to cite this article: Liang J, Xu Y. Second-hand clothing
consumption: A generational cohort analysis of the Chinese
market. Int J Consum Stud. 2018;42:120–130. https://doi.org/
10.1111/ijcs.12393