IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i4p1694-d1593825.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Key Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction in China’s Sustainable Second-Hand Clothing Market: A Mixed Methods Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Yu Yao

    (Department of Textile Design, Sangmyung University, Cheonan 31066, Republic of Korea)

  • Huiya Xu

    (Department of Textile Design, Sangmyung University, Cheonan 31066, Republic of Korea)

  • Ha-Young Song

    (Department of Textile Design, Sangmyung University, Cheonan 31066, Republic of Korea)

Abstract

Driven by the increasing awareness of environmental protection and the demand for personalized fashion, China’s second-hand clothing market is developing rapidly. Chinese consumers have begun to accept second-hand clothing, and online platforms such as Xianyu and Zhier have promoted the widespread trading of second-hand clothing. This study explored the key factors influencing customer satisfaction in China’s sustainable second-hand clothing market. Using a mixed research approach, factors such as pricing strategy, product quality, brand image, customer service, market environment and promotions were identified. The conclusion of grounded theory is that price, product quality, brand reputation, customer service quality, economic environment and platform promotions have a strong impact on customer satisfaction. The Kano model highlights the sensitivity of customer service quality, economic environment and promotions in improving satisfaction. Price is crucial, confirming the price sensitivity of customers. Brand reputation and product quality significantly increase satisfaction. Customer satisfaction significantly affects the amount of sustainable recycling. This study improves the theoretical framework and research hypotheses, provides valuable insights for future research and practical applications and contributes to the sustainable development of the second-hand clothing market.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu Yao & Huiya Xu & Ha-Young Song, 2025. "Exploring the Key Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction in China’s Sustainable Second-Hand Clothing Market: A Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-33, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1694-:d:1593825
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1694/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1694/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sarah Gray & Angela Druckman & Jhuma Sadhukhan & Keith James, 2022. "Reducing the Environmental Impact of Clothing: An Exploration of the Potential of Alternative Business Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-24, May.
    2. An Hai Ta & Leena Aarikka-Stenroos & Lauri Litovuo, 2022. "Customer Experience in Circular Economy: Experiential Dimensions among Consumers of Reused and Recycled Clothes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Xinzi Wang & Hui’e Liang & Zihuan Wang, 2024. "The Emerging Fashion Market: A Study of Influencing Factors of Shanghai’s Second-Hand Luxury Consumers’ Purchasing Behavior with Grounded Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-22, November.
    4. Azadé Azad & Elisabet Sernbo & Veronica Svärd & Lisa Holmlund & Elisabeth Björk Brämberg, 2021. "Conducting In-Depth Interviews via Mobile Phone with Persons with Common Mental Disorders and Multimorbidity: The Challenges and Advantages as Experienced by Participants and Researchers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-13, November.
    5. Yang, Yong & Li, Qiaoxing & Li, Chengjiang & Qin, Quande, 2024. "User requirements analysis of new energy vehicles based on improved Kano model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    6. Razvan-Andrei Corbos & Ovidiu-Iulian Bunea & Monica Triculescu, 2023. "Towards Sustainable Consumption: Consumer Behavior and Market Segmentation in the Second-Hand Clothing Industry," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 25(S17), pages 1064-1064, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sophia Barquete & Ana Hiromi Shimozono & Adriana Hofmann Trevisan & Camila Gonçalves Castro & Leonardo Augusto de Vasconcelos Gomes & Janaina Mascarenhas, 2022. "Exploring the Dynamic of a Circular Ecosystem: A Case Study about Drivers and Barriers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Ut-Tha Veenarat, 2023. "Pioneering Eco-Cart: Carbon Reduction Solutions for Thai Online Shoppers," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 18(4), pages 515-536, December.
    3. Maria Csutora & Gabor Harangozo & Cecilia Szigeti, 2022. "Factors behind the Consumer Acceptance of Sustainable Business Models in Pandemic Times," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, August.
    4. Rui Jorge Carreira & José Vasconcelos Ferreira & Ana Luísa Ramos, 2023. "The Consumer’s Role in the Transition to the Circular Economy: A State of the Art Based on a SLR with Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Katherine Mansilla-Obando & Fabiola Jeldes-Delgado & Nataly Guiñez-Cabrera, 2022. "Circular Economy Strategies with Social Implications: Findings from a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Thomas Tsalis & Alexandros I. Stefanakis & Ioannis Nikolaou, 2022. "A Framework to Evaluate the Social Life Cycle Impact of Products under the Circular Economy Thinking," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-24, February.
    7. Bi, Sheng & Li, Chengjiang & Zhang, Wei & Xu, Guoteng & Wang, Honglei & Hu, Yu-Jie & Chen, Che & Wang, Sheng, 2024. "The prospect of methanol-fuel heating in northern China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PB).
    8. Nika Hein, 2022. "Factors Influencing the Purchase Intention for Recycled Products: Integrating Perceived Risk into Value-Belief-Norm Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-15, March.
    9. Rajesh Bahl & Tarun Panwar & Rajiv Padhye & Rajkishore Nayak, 2023. "Are Australian Consumers Ready to Wear Recycled Clothing to Practice Sustainable Consumption?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-14, October.
    10. Micol Barletta & Idiano D'Adamo & Jose Arturo Garza‐Reyes & Massimo Gastaldi, 2024. "Business strategy and innovative models in the fashion industry: Clothing leasing as a driver of sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4730-4743, July.
    11. Jhuma Sadhukhan, 2022. "Net-Zero Action Recommendations for Scope 3 Emission Mitigation Using Life Cycle Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1694-:d:1593825. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.