The Determinants of Consumers’ Secondhand Apparel Purchase Intention: Sustainable Insights From Generation Z in Vietnam

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2026.10.3.404

Abstract

Given the major industrial impact on climate change and pollution generated by the fashion industry, consumers, particularly Generation Z, are embracing secondhand clothing for its eco-friendly and expressive value. This study investigates Generation Z’s purchase intentions in Vietnam regarding secondhand apparel. The research employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesis. The sample comprises 297 Vietnamese consumers of secondhand apparel who belong to Generation Z. Data were collected via convenience sampling using questionnaires distributed via Google Forms. The results show that purchase intention is positively influenced by environmental concern, social norms, influencer impact, attitude, and uniqueness, while it is negatively affected by price sensitivity and perceived risk. The study offers managerial insights to promote eco-consciousness and the adoption of secondhand fashion among Generation Z.

Author Biographies

Cuong Nguyen, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cuong Nguyen is an Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Tourism at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. He received a Bachelor of Business from La Trobe University (Australia), a Master of Management from the University of Wollongong (Australia), and a PhD degree in Management Science from the University Paris 1 Panthéon‑Sorbonne (France). His research fields include marketing, business administration, e-commerce and tourism.

Thy Lam, HELP University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Thy Lam received a Bachelor of Business from HELP University (Malaysia). She studied at the Department of Business Studies, HELP University, Malaysia. Ms. Thy Lam completed her thesis under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cuong Nguyen.

Ly Nguyen, Vietnam National University, Ha Noi, Vietnam

Ly Nguyen is a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Management, International School, VNU Hanoi. She holds a Master’s degree in Marketing from the University of Kent, UK, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Economics from the University of Economics and Law, VNU Ho Chi Minh City. Her research interests include marketing, electronic word‑of‑mouth (eWOM), and consumer behavior.

References


  • Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organisational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

  • Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1989). The degree of intention formation as a moderator of the attitude-behavior relationship. Social Psychology Quarterly, 52(4), 266–279. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786991

  • Bernardes, J. P., Ferreira, F., Marques, A. D., & Nogueira, M. (2018, December). “Do as I say, not as I do”-a systematic literature review on the attitude-behaviour gap towards sustainable consumption of Generation Y. In Aegean International Textile and Advanced Engineering Conference (AΙTAE 2018), 5–7 September 2018, Lesvos, Greece, Article 012089. IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/459/1/012089

  • Bhatnagar, A., Misra, S., & Rao, H. R. (2000). On risk, convenience, and Internet shopping behavior. Communications of the ACM, 43(11), 98–105. https://doi.org/10.1145/353360.353371

  • Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17(1), Article 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7

  • Blas Riesgo, S. B., Lavanga, M., & Codina, M. (2020). The consumption side of sustainable fashion: Price sensitivity, value and transparency demand. In Global Fashion Conference 2020 Proceedings. GFC.

  • Bong Ko, S., & Jin, B. (2017). Predictors of purchase intention toward green apparel products: A cross-cultural investigation in the USA and China. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 21(1), 70–87. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2014-0057

  • Borusiak, B., Szymkowiak, A., Horska, E., Raszka, N., & Żelichowska, E. (2020). Towards building sustainable consumption: A study of second-hand buying intentions. Sustainability, 12(3), Article 875. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030875

  • Cachon, G. P., & Swinney, R. (2011). The value of fast fashion: Quick response, enhanced design, and strategic consumer behavior. Management Science, 57(4), 778–795. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1100.1303

  • Cervellon, M.-C., Carey, L., & Harms, T. (2012). Something old, something used: Determinants of women’s purchase of vintage fashion vs second-hand fashion. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 40(12), 956–974. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590551211274946

  • Chen, M.-F., & Tung, P.-J. (2014). Developing an extended Theory of Planned Behavior model to predict consumers’ intention to visit green hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36, 221–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.09.006

  • Chin, W. W. (1998). The Partial Least Squares Approach to Structural Equation Modelling. In G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.), Modern methods for business research (pp. 295–336). Lawrence Erlbaum.

  • da Silva Almeida, A. R. (2020). Exploring consumers’ second-hand apparel consumption intention and main influential factors [Master’s thesis, Universidade do Porto]. Open Repository of the University of Porto. https://doi.org/10.34626/hkv1-t889

  • DeLong, M., Min, S., Casto, M. A., & Lee, Y. K. (2017). Sustainable clothing from the older female user’s perspective. Clothing Cultures, 4(3), 219–234. https://doi.org/10.1386/cc.4.3.219_1

  • Ellen, P. S., Wiener, J. L., & Cobb-Walgren, C. (1991). The role of perceived consumer effectiveness in motivating environmentally conscious behaviors. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 10(2), 102–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/074391569101000206

  • Ferreira, M. S. (2024). The rise of second-hand fashion in Portugal: Understanding consumer engagement through theoretical and empirical insights [Master’s thesis, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa]. NOVA University of Lisbon Institutional Repository. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/182155

  • Fisher, R. A. (1922). On the mathematical foundations of theoretical statistics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 222(594–604), 309–368. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1922.0009

  • Fletcher, K. (2014). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys (2nd ed.). Routledge.

  • Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312

  • Gam, H. J. (2011). Are fashion-conscious consumers more likely to adopt eco-friendly clothing? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 15(2), 178–193. https://doi.org/10.1108/13612021111132627

  • Gogoi, B. (2013). Study of antecedents of purchase intention and its effect on brand loyalty of private label brand of apparel. International Journal of Sales & Marketing, 3(2), 73–86.

  • Goworek, H., Fisher, T., Cooper, T., Woodward, S., & Hiller, A. (2012). The sustainable clothing market: An evaluation of potential strategies for UK retailers. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 40(12), 935–955. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590551211274937

  • Guiot, D., & Roux, D. (2010). A second-hand shoppers’ motivation scale: Antecedents, consequences, and implications for retailers. Journal of Retailing, 86(4), 355–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2010.08.002

  • Guo, S., & Choi, T.-M. (2024). Risk management for second-hand clothing imports in least developed countries: Legislations and perception of public-sector corruption. Risk Analysis, 44(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.14134

  • Hair, J. F., Jr., & Alamer, A. (2022). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in second language and education research: Guidelines using an applied example. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 1(3), Article 100027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2022.100027

  • Hair, J. F., Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2014). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). SAGE.

  • Hansen, T. (2008). Consumer values, the theory of planned behaviour and online grocery shopping. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 32(2), 128–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2007.00655.x

  • Hansson, A.-A., & Morozov, E. (2016). Driving forces towards shopping for second-hand clothing: A qualitative study on motivations, moderating factors and their linkages conducted in Lund [Master’s thesis, Lund University]. Lund University Publications Student Papers. https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8878267

  • Henninger, C. E., Alevizou, P. J., & Oates, C. J. (2016). What is sustainable fashion? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 20(4), 400–416. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2015-0052

  • Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modelling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

  • Hoang, D. P., Nguyen, V. D. H., Chu, Q. T., & Hoang, L. B. (2022). Factors affecting behavioral and psychological perspective of young Vietnamese customers in buying second-hand clothes. Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Studies, 5(5), 1325–1345. https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v5-i5-13

  • Hur, E. (2020). Rebirth fashion: Secondhand clothing consumption values and perceived risks. Journal of Cleaner Production, 273, Article 122951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122951

  • Jalil, M. H., & Shaharuddin, S. S. (2019). Consumer purchase behavior of eco-fashion clothes as a trend to reduce clothing waste. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 8(12), 4224–4233. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.L2693.1081219

  • Javadi, M. H. M., Dolatabadi, H. R., Nourbakhsh, M., Poursaeedi, A., & Asadollahi, A. R. (2012). An analysis of factors affecting on online shopping behavior of consumers. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(5), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v4n5p81

  • Jordaan, Y., & Simpson, M. N. (2006). Consumer innovativeness among females in specific fashion stores in the Menlyn shopping centre. Journal of Consumer Sciences, 34, 32–40. https://doi.org/10.4314/jfecs.v34i1.52887

  • Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2017). Investigating the determinants of consumers’ sustainable purchase behaviour. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 10, 110–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2017.02.002

  • Joy, A., Sherry, J. F., Jr, Venkatesh, A., Wang, J., & Chan, R. (2012). Fast fashion, sustainability, and the ethical appeal of luxury brands. Fashion Theory, 16(3), 273–295. https://doi.org/10.2752/175174112X13340749707123

  • Kaplan, L. B., Szybillo, G. J., & Jacoby, J. (1974). Components of perceived risk in product purchase: A cross-validation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59(3), 287–291. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0036657

  • Kapoor, A., & Khare, A. K. (2019). Understanding purchase intentions of pre-owned clothing in India. Journal of Management, 6(6), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.34218/JOM.6.6.2019.002

  • Korgaonkar, P. A., & Karson, E. J. (2007). The influence of perceived product risk on consumers’e-tailer shopping preference. Journal of Business and Psychology, 22(1), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-007-9044-y

  • Kostadinova, E. (2016). Sustainable consumer behavior: Literature overview. Economic Alternatives, 2, 224–234.

  • Liu, C., Bernardoni, J. M., & Wang, Z. (2023). Examining Generation Z consumer online fashion resale participation and continuance intention through the lens of consumer perceived value. Sustainability, 15(10), Article 8213. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108213

  • McDonald, S., Oates, C. J., Young, C. W., & Hwang, K. (2006). Toward sustainable consumption: Researching voluntary simplifiers. Psychology & Marketing, 23(6), 515–534. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20132

  • McEachern, M. G., Middleton, D., & Cassidy, T. (2020). Encouraging sustainable behaviour change via a social practice approach: A focus on apparel consumption practices. Journal of Consumer Policy, 43(2), 397–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10603-020-09454-0

  • Medalla, M. E., Yamagishi, K., Tiu, A. M., Tanaid, R. A., Abellana, D. P. M., Caballes, S. A., Jabilles, E. M., Himang, C., Bongo, M., & Ocampo, L. (2020). Modeling the hierarchical structure of secondhand clothing buying behavior antecedents of millennials. Journal of Modelling in Management, 15(4), 1679–1708. https://doi.org/10.1108/JM2-08-2019-0207

  • Moon, K. K.-L., Lai, C. S.-Y., Lam, E. Y.-N., & Chang, J. M. (2015). Popularisation of sustainable fashion: Barriers and solutions. The Journal of the Textile Institute, 106(9), 939–952. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2014.955293

  • Morais, D. O. C., & Barbieri, J. C. (2022). Supply chain social sustainability: Unveiling focal firm’s archetypes under the lens of stakeholder and contingency theory. Sustainability, 14(3), Article 1185. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031185

  • Nayak, R., Houshyar, S., Patnaik, A., Nguyen, L. T., Shanks, R. A., Padhye, R., & Fegusson, M. (2020). Sustainable reuse of fashion waste as flame-retardant mattress filing with ecofriendly chemicals. Journal of Cleaner Production, 251, Article 119620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119620

  • Niaura, A. (2013). Using the theory of planned behavior to investigate the determinants of environmental behavior among youth. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, 63(1), 74–81. https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.63.1.2901

  • Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

  • Odoyi, E. J., & Riekkinen, K. (2022). Housing policy: An analysis of public housing policy strategies for low-income earners in Nigeria. Sustainability, 14(4), Article 2258. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042258

  • Pagiaslis, A., & Krontalis, A. K. (2014). Green consumption behavior antecedents: Environmental concern, knowledge, and beliefs. Psychology & Marketing, 31(5), 335–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20698

  • Paul, J., & Bhakar, S. (2018). Does celebrity image congruence influences brand attitude and purchase intention? Journal of Promotion Management, 24(2), 153–177. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2017.1360826

  • Paul, J., Modi, A., & Patel, J. (2016). Predicting green product consumption using theory of planned behavior and reasoned action. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.006

  • Porto, R. G., De Almeida, R. F., Cruz-Neto, O., Tabarelli, M., Viana, B. F., Peres, C. A., & Lopes, A. V. (2020). Pollination ecosystem services: A comprehensive review of economic values, research funding and policy actions. Food Security, 12(6), 1425–1442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01043-w

  • Riebl, S. K., Estabrooks, P. A., Dunsmore, J. C., Savla, J., Frisard, M. I., Dietrich, A. M., Peng, Y., Zhang, X., & Davy, B. M. (2015). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis: The Theory of Planned Behavior’s application to understand and predict nutrition-related behaviors in youth. Eating Behaviors, 18, 160–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2015.05.016

  • Selezneva, A. (2024). Influence of social media content on TikTok on consumer purchasing intention of beauty and cosmetic products [Master’s thesis, Lahti University of Technology]. LUT University. https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2024040815483

  • Tan, S. J. (1999). Strategies for reducing consumers’ risk aversion in Internet shopping. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16(2), 163–180. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769910260515

  • Thomas, V. M. (2003). Demand and dematerialization impacts of second-hand markets: Reuse or more use? Journal of Industrial Ecology, 7(2), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1162/108819803322564352

  • Tian, K. T., Bearden, W. O., & Hunter, G. L. (2001). Consumers’ need for uniqueness: Scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(1), 50–66. https://doi.org/10.1086/321947

  • Todd, S., & Lawson, R. (2003). Towards an understanding of frugal consumers. Australasian Marketing Journal, 11(3), 8–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3582(03)70131-1

  • Tran, B. X., Ha, G. H., Nguyen, L. H., Vu, G. T., Hoang, M. T., Le, H. T., Latkin, C. A., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2020). Studies of novel coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic: A global analysis of literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11), Article 4095. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114095

  • Valle, P. O. D., Rebelo, E., Reis, E., & Menezes, J. (2005). Combining behavioral theories to predict recycling involvement. Environment and Behavior, 37(3), 364–396. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916504272563

  • Wang, Q., & Zhang, F. (2021). What does the China’s economic recovery after COVID-19 pandemic mean for the economic growth and energy consumption of other countries? Journal of Cleaner Production, 295, Article 126265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126265

  • White, K., Habib, R., & Hardisty, D. J. (2019). How to SHIFT consumer behaviors to be more sustainable: A literature review and guiding framework. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 22–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242919825649

  • Wiederhold, M., & Martinez, L. F. (2018). Ethical consumer behaviour in Germany: The attitude-behaviour gap in the green apparel industry. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 42(4), 419–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12435

  • Wong, K. K. K. (2013). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques using SmartPLS. Marketing Bulletin, 24(1), 1–32.

  • Wu, W.-Y., Huang, P.-C., & Fu, C.-S. (2011). The influence of an online auction’s product price and e-retailer reputation on consumers’ perception, attitude, and behavioral intention. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 52(3), 290–302. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2011.00875.x

  • Xu, Y., Chen, Y., Burman, R., & Zhao, H. (2014). Second-hand clothing consumption: A cross-cultural comparison between American and Chinese young consumers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38(6), 670–677. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12139

  • Yadav, N., & Sijoria, C. (2024). Consumer shift from fast fashion to thrift fashion: An application of goal framing theory. Business Perspectives and Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/22785337241255832

  • Yan, R.-N., Bae, S. Y., & Xu, H. (2015). Second-hand clothing shopping among college students: The role of psychographic characteristics. Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers, 16(1), 85–98. https://doi.org/10.1108/yc-02-2014-00429

  • Zahid, N. M., Khan, J., & Tao, M. (2023). Exploring mindful consumption, ego involvement, and social norms influencing second-hand clothing purchase. Current Psychology, 42(16), 13960–13974. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02657-9

  • Zahid, R. M. A., Khan, M. K., Anwar, W., & Maqsood, U. S. (2022). The role of audit quality in the ESG-corporate financial performance nexus: Empirical evidence from Western European companies. Borsa Istanbul Review, 22(Suppl. 2), S200–S212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2022.08.011

  • Zheng, Y., & Chi, T. (2015). Factors influencing purchase intention towards environmentally friendly apparel: An empirical study of US consumers. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 8(2), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2014.990059

Published
2026-10-05
How to Cite
Nguyen, C., Lam, T., & Nguyen, L. (2026). The Determinants of Consumers’ Secondhand Apparel Purchase Intention: Sustainable Insights From Generation Z in Vietnam. Changing Societies & Personalities, 10(3), 649-668. doi:10.15826/csp.2026.10.3.404
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 10, No. 3 (2026)
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.