Sustainable Fashion: Examining Purchase Intention in Digital Second-Hand Platforms

Abstract

The global fashion industry has undergone rapid transformation in recent decades, driven by the expansion of fast fashion and the increasing adoption of digital technologies. While fast fashion has enhanced accessibility and affordability, it has also raised significant environmental concerns, prompting growing interest in sustainable consumption practices. In this context, digital second-hand platforms have emerged as an important mechanism for promoting circular economy principles by extending product lifecycles and reducing waste. This study examines the factors influencing purchase intention in digital C2C second-hand fashion platforms, with a specific focus on users in the Lithuanian market. The research investigates the role of perceived value, trust, perceived security, and usage motivations in shaping purchase intention. A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected through an online questionnaire distributed to 105 users with experience using second-hand fashion platforms. The findings reveal that perceived value is the strongest predictor of purchase intention, followed by usage motivations and trust, all of which have a positive and statistically significant effect. In contrast, perceived security does not have a significant direct impact on purchase intention, suggesting that it functions as a baseline requirement rather than a key driver of behaviour. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from a relatively underexplored context and highlights the importance of perceptual and motivational factors in digital second-hand consumption. Practical implications suggest that platform managers should prioritise enhancing perceived value and user motivations to strengthen user engagement and purchasing behaviour.