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Sustainable in Name, Fast in Practice: A Social Practice Approach to Digital Second-hand Clothing Consumption on Vinted and Sellpy

Khan, Mohammad Zaeem LU and Zhang, Lejia (2026) SMMP40 20261
Department of Service Studies
Abstract
This thesis explores the tensions between second-hand clothing consumption enabled by digital platforms such as Vinted and Sellpy as sustainable alternatives to fast fashion. Rather than treating the narratives at face value, we critically examine how service design elements on second-hand digital platforms mirror those of fast fashion. By keeping our focus on Generation Z consumers, we draw on Social Practice Theory (Shove et al., 2012), analyzing today’s second-hand consumption practice constituted by materials, competences and meanings in everyday life. Our findings reveal that platform service design actively reorganizes second-hand consumption by reducing friction and embedding acquisition into everyday routine, while the competencies... (More)
This thesis explores the tensions between second-hand clothing consumption enabled by digital platforms such as Vinted and Sellpy as sustainable alternatives to fast fashion. Rather than treating the narratives at face value, we critically examine how service design elements on second-hand digital platforms mirror those of fast fashion. By keeping our focus on Generation Z consumers, we draw on Social Practice Theory (Shove et al., 2012), analyzing today’s second-hand consumption practice constituted by materials, competences and meanings in everyday life. Our findings reveal that platform service design actively reorganizes second-hand consumption by reducing friction and embedding acquisition into everyday routine, while the competencies consumers develop through repeated engagement deepen their engagement rather than reduce it. Moreover, sustainability and environmentally friendly narratives function as a moral entry point but ultimately evolve into a framework of perpetual loops in which selling and buying become mutually enabling. This positions second-hand clothing consumption within tensions of the circular economy where consumption narratives may co-exist with sustained practices. By arguing for a reproduction and legitimization of such practices we contribute to academic research on circular clothing consumption and digital retail by offering a practice based understanding of platform service design.
Keywords:
Social Practice Theory, Digital second-hand platforms, Digital retail, Service design, Circular economy, Generation Z (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Khan, Mohammad Zaeem LU and Zhang, Lejia
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Submitted to the Department of Service Studies, Lund University Master of Science in Service Management: Retailing and Consumption
course
SMMP40 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Keywords: Social Practice Theory, Digital second-hand platforms, Digital retail, Service design, Circular economy, Generation Z
language
English
id
9234277
date added to LUP
2026-06-10 09:05:19
date last changed
2026-06-10 09:05:19
@misc{9234277,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores the tensions between second-hand clothing consumption enabled by digital platforms such as Vinted and Sellpy as sustainable alternatives to fast fashion. Rather than treating the narratives at face value, we critically examine how service design elements on second-hand digital platforms mirror those of fast fashion. By keeping our focus on Generation Z consumers, we draw on Social Practice Theory (Shove et al., 2012), analyzing today’s second-hand consumption practice constituted by materials, competences and meanings in everyday life. Our findings reveal that platform service design actively reorganizes second-hand consumption by reducing friction and embedding acquisition into everyday routine, while the competencies consumers develop through repeated engagement deepen their engagement rather than reduce it. Moreover, sustainability and environmentally friendly narratives function as a moral entry point but ultimately evolve into a framework of perpetual loops in which selling and buying become mutually enabling. This positions second-hand clothing consumption within tensions of the circular economy where consumption narratives may co-exist with sustained practices. By arguing for a reproduction and legitimization of such practices we contribute to academic research on circular clothing consumption and digital retail by offering a practice based understanding of platform service design.
Keywords:
Social Practice Theory, Digital second-hand platforms, Digital retail, Service design, Circular economy, Generation Z}},
  author       = {{Khan, Mohammad Zaeem and Zhang, Lejia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Sustainable in Name, Fast in Practice: A Social Practice Approach to Digital Second-hand Clothing Consumption on Vinted and Sellpy}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}