Role of Fashion Leadership Influencing the Effect of the Environmental Benefits of Second-hand Clothing on Continuance Usage Intention

Role of Fashion Leadership Influencing the Effect of the Environmental Benefits of Second-hand Clothing on Continuance Usage Intention

Growth in the second-hand clothing (SHC) market has become noteworthy, especially for millennial consumers in Korea. This study identifies the moderating role of fashion leadership influencing the relationship between the perceived environmental benefits of SHC and continuance usage intention for millennial consumers. The hypotheses were statistically tested using online survey data, and the respondents were Korean female millennials aged between 25 and 39 years who had online shopping experiences of SHC within 3 months. Furthermore, 263 responses were analyzed by confirmatory factor, hierarchical regression, and conditional process analyses using SPSS, AMOS, and PROCESS v3.3. Results validated that the perceived environmental benefits of SHC and fashion leadership have positive effects on continuance usage intention of purchased second-hand items. Fashion leadership also moderates the relationship between the environmental benefits of SHC and continuance usage intention, showing that as the level of fashion leadership increases, the environmental benefits have more positive effects on continuance usage intention. Theoretical and practical implications were also discussed. This study will help bridge theoretical and practical gaps between purchasing and using SHC by focusing on the interaction effect of fashion leadership and its perceived environmental benefits.