Analysis of Customers’ Perception towards Second-hand Garments in Pakistan’s Apparel Industry: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the factors influencing the purchase decisions of second-hand clothing shoppers in Pakistan. The qualitative approach was adopted for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 respondents.  A thematic approach was used for the analysis of data. The paper reveals that factors such as price, quality, hygiene, brand, social influence, and environmental factors have an effect on the purchase decision of customers. The findings indicate that majority of the customers prefer buying second-hand clothes because they are cheaper and usually of good quality as compared to the local brands. Hygiene and social influence were found to be the main reasons due to which people tend to avoid buying second-hand clothes. Interestingly the study revealed that a very limited number of people buy second-hand clothes due to environmental reasons. The paper fills the gap in the literature by adopting a qualitative approach offering an in-depth understanding of factors impacting customers’ purchase decisions regarding second-hand clothing. This study enriches our understanding by exploring these factors in a developing country’s context.