Understanding second-hand clothing purchases: a comparison of five theoretical models

Purpose – Due to the rising levels of pollution and waste from the fast fashion and apparel sectors, consumers are increasingly turning to second-hand clothing as a more sustainable option. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing consumers' purchase intentions for second-hand clothing by comparing the explanatory and predictive power of five theoretical models: the theory of planned behaviour, the extended theory of planned behaviour, the norm activation theory, the theory of consumption values and perceived risk theory. Design/methodology/approach – Data from 558 surveys were collected from Prolific to achieve the research objective. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is the main analytical tool. Findings – The study reveals that the extended theory of planned behaviour ranks highest in both in-sample and out-of-sample prediction for second-hand clothing purchase intentions, followed by the theory of planned behaviour, the theory of consumption values, perceived risk theory and the norm activation theory. Additionally, the study identifies key factors from various theories that significantly influence consumers' purchase intentions for second-hand clothing. Originality/value – This is the first study to systematically compare the in-sample and out-of-sample predictive power of five theoretical models in the context of second-hand clothing purchase intentions. The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners, highlighting the most effective theoretical framework for promoting second-hand clothing purchases and identifying the specific factors that drive consumer intentions across different models.