The influence of drivers and barriers on female consumers’ in-store collaborative clothing consumption practices in an emerging market context

Abstract

This study aimed to explore and describe the motivational drivers and barriers that influence female consumers’ in-store collaborative clothing consumption (CCC) practices in an emerging market context. Specific focus was placed on in-store buying settings, namely renting and second-hand buying, as these seem to be the more popular CCC options to date. Special attention was paid to the motivational drivers, namely hedonic dimensions, the need for uniqueness and social identity and community, as well as barriers, namely unfamiliarity of the concept, materialism and store image, relating to female consumers’ in-store CCC practices. CCC falls under the larger umbrella term of a ‘sharing economy’ and can be described as the sharing, borrowing, lending, selling and buying of previously owned clothing items. This notion could counteract overconsumption in that consumers extend the life cycle of clothing and opt to rent or buy second-hand clothing rather than buying fashion items and potentially discarding them prematurely. By participating in CCC practices, consumers could contribute to economic growth within local communities and also alleviate the environmental and social impacts of the clothing and textile industry. Based on this, research relating to CCC practices, is therefore necessary in an emerging market context as most of the research currently relates to the more developed countries.

A quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional survey design was used for exploratory and descriptive purposes to reach respondents using non-probability, convenience and snowball sampling techniques. An online, self-administered questionnaire was developed on Qualtrics from existing scales that were adapted for this study. A sample of 540 females (over the age of 18, living in South Africa) who participate in in-store CCC practices (i.e., renting and second-hand buying) was collected. Descriptive statistics were conducted and revealed that 107 females prefer renting and 433 females prefer second-hand buying. Cross tabulations revealed that females from Generation Z (19-24) had a penchant for second-hand buying, while Millennials (25-34) also leaned toward it, but to a lesser extent. The older age groups showed reduced engagement in CCC practices but preferred renting. In terms of qualifications, tertiary degree/diploma holders exhibited a preference for renting, while those with Grade 12 leaned more towards second-hand buying, and postgraduate respondents were evenly distributed. The results also highlighted that lower income groups prefer second-hand buying, whereas higher income brackets lean towards renting, suggesting a preference for temporary ownership among older, financially stable individuals.

Due to limitations regarding the minimum sample size for inferential statistics, the renting sample was deemed too small and therefore further inferential data analysis was conducted on the 433 female consumers who prefer buying second-hand clothing. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to isolate the relevant constructs and confirm the factorial validity of the model. The six factors that were extracted and deemed significant were labelled as follows: social hedonic dimensions, need for uniqueness, unfamiliarity with the concept, materialism, store image and second-hand buying. Structural equation modelling was also performed to determine which drivers and/or barriers influence second-hand buying as part of CCC practices. Results indicated that social hedonic dimensions is a positive driver and unfamiliarity of the concept is a barrier to in-store second-hand clothing purchases. Essentially female consumers buy second-hand clothing because they enjoy it and like belonging to a social group with similar interests. On the other hand, female consumers are still hesitant to buy second-hand clothing in-store because they are not fully aware of the entirety of CCC practices and what it entails. The need for uniqueness, materialism and store image displayed weak or insignificant associations. Ultimately, the study delineated key demographic patterns and identified significant motivational drivers and barriers relating to in-store second-hand buying of clothing among female consumers, offering insights for future research in the realm of CCC practices. This study is expected to aid in the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically, those relating to sustainable production and consumption, by presenting consumers and businesses with ways in which CCC practices could be adopted more easily and also assist businesses in minimising the barriers that are linked to collaborative clothing practices.