Blog #3 : Individual Field Study 2026 - Blog #3 : Individual Field Study 2026 - Influence of secondhand fashion on sustainable consumption in the Asian subcontinent: Exploring consumer and retailer perspectives

Hope everyone is doing great. This is the final blog post for the IFS. At this point, I am at the final stage of the field study and will be taking part in the presentation seminar. 

The findings of the study reveal that consumers are showing more interest towards secondhand fashion and becoming more aware of the environmental issues and the benefits of sustainable consumption. However, purchasing decisions vary from different customer ranges and depend on various factors such as affordability, authenticity, and trendiness. Environmental concerns are also gaining importance among the young consumers, but they still act as a secondary motivation in terms of buying in the Asian markets. While conducting the study, different research gaps were noticed, which include a focus on only one side of secondhand fashion, such as consumer perception, avoiding the retailer perception, and a single country-based study without doing a comparative analysis. This study hopefully could cover up the comparative country-based limitations, as in the literature review I have analyzed secondhand fashion specifically in India, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Vietnam, but further research is needed to integrate consumer and retailer perspectives, examining consumer purchasing behavior and overcoming the barriers. To achieve this goal, retailers, policymakers, and consumers need to work with coordination to overcome existing barriers and establish a reliable, accessible, and socially accepted secondhand fashion environment in Asia.

Overall, this study has helped in gaining hands-on experience in research, referencing, literature review, and developing my writing skills as well. I believe this will contribute a lot in the coming days of my academic career. Thank you.