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Digital platforms for circular shopping: slowing down and speeding up second-hand clothing consumption

Eggert, Frida LU ; Rahm, Isabelle and Fuentes, Christian LU orcid (2025) In International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research
Abstract
This paper aims to empirically explore and conceptualise how circular fashion platforms enable and shape the practice of secondhand clothes shopping. Taking a shopping-as-practice approach and drawing on an ethnographically inspired study, this paper explores how a Swedish digital second-hand commerce platform enables different modes of shopping. The analysis shows that this platform and its socio-technical script encourage a type of fast second-hand clothes shopping, where the overconsumption of second-hand clothes is legitimised and framed as circular. The study shows that while it was possible to perform slow, sustainable second-hand clothes shopping on the platform, purchasing only a few items believed to be both wearable and durable,... (More)
This paper aims to empirically explore and conceptualise how circular fashion platforms enable and shape the practice of secondhand clothes shopping. Taking a shopping-as-practice approach and drawing on an ethnographically inspired study, this paper explores how a Swedish digital second-hand commerce platform enables different modes of shopping. The analysis shows that this platform and its socio-technical script encourage a type of fast second-hand clothes shopping, where the overconsumption of second-hand clothes is legitimised and framed as circular. The study shows that while it was possible to perform slow, sustainable second-hand clothes shopping on the platform, purchasing only a few items believed to be both wearable and durable, it required consumers to go against the socio-technical script, which promoted fast, frequent, and excessive shopping. Instead, following the script of the platform, most consumers in the study performed fast second-hand clothes shopping, frequently buying and selling large amounts of second-hand clothes. By using the platform in this way, these consumers could participate in fast fashion consumption and acquire affordable, trendy second-hand clothes, while simultaneously framing their shopping as circular and thus sustainable. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:105009529776
ISSN
0959-3969
DOI
10.1080/09593969.2025.2516682
project
The Digitalization of Second-Hand Fashion: Shaping Circular Fashion Consumption
Service Studies Consumption
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c5eea11f-9f3f-4d26-b6c8-c4b470d61a59
date added to LUP
2025-07-07 09:16:40
date last changed
2025-07-10 10:29:08
@article{c5eea11f-9f3f-4d26-b6c8-c4b470d61a59,
  abstract     = {{This paper aims to empirically explore and conceptualise how circular fashion platforms enable and shape the practice of secondhand clothes shopping. Taking a shopping-as-practice approach and drawing on an ethnographically inspired study, this paper explores how a Swedish digital second-hand commerce platform enables different modes of shopping. The analysis shows that this platform and its socio-technical script encourage a type of fast second-hand clothes shopping, where the overconsumption of second-hand clothes is legitimised and framed as circular. The study shows that while it was possible to perform slow, sustainable second-hand clothes shopping on the platform, purchasing only a few items believed to be both wearable and durable, it required consumers to go against the socio-technical script, which promoted fast, frequent, and excessive shopping. Instead, following the script of the platform, most consumers in the study performed fast second-hand clothes shopping, frequently buying and selling large amounts of second-hand clothes. By using the platform in this way, these consumers could participate in fast fashion consumption and acquire affordable, trendy second-hand clothes, while simultaneously framing their shopping as circular and thus sustainable.}},
  author       = {{Eggert, Frida and Rahm, Isabelle and Fuentes, Christian}},
  issn         = {{0959-3969}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research}},
  title        = {{Digital platforms for circular shopping: slowing down and speeding up second-hand clothing consumption}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09593969.2025.2516682}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09593969.2025.2516682}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}