Globally, the apparel industry is being positioned in the first place and money being spent on the purchase of apparel by consumers is increasing day by day. Consumer behaviour towards apparel seems to be dynamic, in the sense that it can with time at a higher rate as needed.
As the result, more waste is generated which compounds the problem of environmental degradation. This is much more obvious in the realm of fashion than it is anywhere else.
The term consumer behaviour may be defined as the behaviour that consumer displays in searching, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products, services and ideas, which they expect, will satisfy their needs.
Consumer behaviour towards apparel and accessories seems to be dynamic, and it changes with time. Thus, it becomes imperative to study the changing behaviour of consumers.
Consumer behaviour is a process and purchase is only one of the stages in that process. The buying decision is a long process, which involves mental and physical activities and it may be involved more than one individual.
Consumer purchase behaviour primarily is an influenced behaviour, which may involve factors that influence the purchase or denial of merchandise.
Second-hand fashion has emerged as a growing trend over the last ten years in Western cultures. There is an increasing awareness among consumers to reduce wastage and to re-use and recycle products, there was an urgent need felt for allowing buying of pre-owned goods that are still in good condition.
Thus, the concept of pre-owned is becoming popular among consumers who want to make smart buying decisions.
Very recently, it has been reported that in India, attitude towards second-hand clothing is changing and has become a notable segment of the market.
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The second-hand clothing market is considered a space where fashion items that have been previously owned or used, are rented or resold by the owner for-profit business.
This not only allows the consumers to buy the latest but also helps to reuse and recycle the old. It also reduces the negative impact can the environment due to wastage.
The majority of middle- and lower-income groups have found a cost-effective way to meet their demands in the growing second-hand clothing market.
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Several online portals are operating on reverse commerce or re-commerce model, which is defined as an online marketplace to buy or sell old goods.
For example, confidentialcouture.com, ebay.in, etashee.com, olx.com, and many others. Similarly, another way of consuming second-hand clothing is to hire.
Second-hand clothing shopping and decision is making encompass sustainability, human geography and retail geography.
While consumer behaviour has been studied extensively, the second-hand clothing market is still not well explored. Currently, a consumer may also be influenced by a new wave of eco-consciousness in their purchasing decision-making.
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There are re-commerce avenues not only for women’s wear but also for men’s wear. The second-hand clothing market in India holds a huge potential with consumers taking an active interest in going green and recycling and initiative being taken up by retailers to offer pre-owned merchandise to consumers.
The Faculty of Fashion & Design at the SGT University equips the students to enter the creative world of the fashion industry and learn the essential skills required for having a successful career in the industry. The Faculty’s fashion design courses are project-based and practical oriented.
Students can design and showcase their fashion and lifestyle products in the faculty’s in-house fashion brand #Designforlife. They also learn the art of merchandising, retailing, and entrepreneurship. The Faculty of Fashion & Design is among the key contributors to achieving the QS I-Gauge Diamond ranking for SGT University.
Written By:-
Annu Yadav
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Fashion and Design
SGT University
