Blog #2 : Individual Field Study 2026 - Influence of secondhand fashion on sustainable consumption in the Asian subcontinent: Exploring consumer and retailer perspectives

In my previous blog post, I shared a brief idea on secondhand fashion and my selected topic. In first draft, I worked on the introduction and methodology part, but to move further, the literature review needed more relevant articles. For which I created another search string to support the literature and move forward. 

Using the new search string on Web of Science, I found 15 more articles after continuous screening, which made the total number of articles 40, including the previous 25 articles for the review. Using these peer-reviewed articles, I am now currently working on answering the research question, which I have categorized into three themes: Theme 1: Consumer Perception, Motivation, and Barriers; Theme 2: Environment vs. Actual Behavior; and Theme 3: Platforms and Generation Z. Apart from these themes, I am also trying to cover the issues and challenges experienced by the retailer, which entail business and operational issues, supply challenges, trust and quality control, consumer awareness, and infrastructural limitations faced by the retailers. While working with the literature, the findings reveal that consumer perception is almost similar across the Asian subcontinent and taken as a low-class practice. 

Moreover, it is also influenced by some factors such as hygiene, product quality, and social stigma. In growing markets, these perceptions become stronger due to the cultural attitudes of that region. The findings also included that there is an attitude & behavioral gap among the consumers towards sustainable fashion, which means that consumers may express positive attitudes toward sustainability but do not translate these into actual purchasing behavior. However, it is seen that pricing of the product plays a vital role in purchasing secondhand products. The young consumers take into account the environmental side, whereas for the older consumers, it is found that price wins every time. And from the point of view of retailers, consistent supply challenges of product due to inconsistent size, styles, and quantities are creating barriers to growing the market. Transparency, quality control, and authenticity is also key factors in this case. So far, these insights are helping me in doing the literature review, and I am at the verge of writing my final report. Looking forward for a better outcome.