Secondhand clothing resale - understanding consumer decision-making and shopping orientations for high-end secondhand clothing in Russia - sustainable social innovation

Aug 31, 2026

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Study examines secondhand clothing consumption in Russia through sustainable social innovation theory and the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) to clarify how consumers make purchasing decisions and form shopping orientations for high-end branded resale. It frames resale as a business model innovation pathway supporting socially responsible marketing amid supply-chain disruption. Using a survey of 250 Russian consumers, the research tests CSI shopper orientations and identifies four new orientations, outlining strategic implications for retailers and social entrepreneurs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatDOCX

Pages40

Reading Time14 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose

Design/methodology/approach

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Originality

Introduction

Resale as sustainable social innovation: understanding shifts in consumer decision-making and shopping orientations for high-end secondhand clothing. The best things in life are free – the second best are very expensive. (Coco Chanel) Abstract Purpose – This study draws from sustainable social innovation theory and the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) instrument to examine secondhand clothing consumption habits for Russia. The secondhand market is the logical outcome of efforts to adopt resale as a facet of sustainable social innovation, with which to drive sustainable decision-making and socially responsible marketing in the secondhand high-end clothing market. Resale represents the cornerstone of business model innovation (BMi) for the retail sector, offering substantial opportunities for retailers who understand changes in consumption behaviour. More cost-effective and arguably greener, the sale of secondhand clothing is expected to be double the volume of fast fashion by 2030 but it remains an understudied field of research in the literature relating to the fashion industry. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are developed from the existing literature. Survey methodology is used to collect data from 250 Russian consumers in the city of Petersburg. The objective is to test the veracity of CSI shopper orientations, focusing on nascent motivations for high-end branded secondhand clothing, to examine sustainable social innovation and resale in an emerging market. Findings – Four new shopping orientations are identified. Based on the empirical data, we suggest that five (out of the original eight CSI shopping orientations) are of internal statistical relevance, and that our new orientations are relevant for not only this market, but for neighbouring Eastern European countries too. The findings reflect postmodern evolution in behavioural motivations for Russian consumers, that can inform retail strategy in terms of BMi consumer for harnessing opportunities offered by sustainable social innovation and resale. Originality – Whilst the CSI has been widely used, research for Eastern Europe is limited. Understanding the shopping orientations for sustainable alternatives to newly produced clothing has theoretical and practical implications for improving circularity, post-war entry strategies, and countries facing economic downturn. Our study contributes novel insights by examining consumer decision-making and shopping orientations in an emerging market. Keyword: Sustainable Social Innovation, Resale, Consumer Styles Inventory (CSI), high-end branded secondhand clothing, shopping orientations, Business Model Innovation (BMi), Russia Introduction The genesis for this study is the market disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has interrupted global supply chains and left unmet needs. Beyond the immense tragedy to human life, we are beginning to grasp its devastating consequences for society and sustainability. The war is having a serious knock-on effect on consumers, retailers and social entrepreneurs – resulting in extreme uncertainty for Russia, Ukraine and neighbouring countries (Korobkova, Newmark and Gardham, 2022; Jagtap et al., 2022). The disruption of global supply chains has altered the retail landscape, especially in these emerging economies. The focus of our study is on examining the concept of resale (also known as re-commerce) as a facet of sustainable social innovation (Guldmann and Huulgaard, 2020). Evidence suggests that high-quality resale is popular (Hines, 2005), and has grown in recent years into a multibillion-dollar business (THREDUP, 2016) It is a sector that is more commercially orientated than some other social enterprise sectors in the sense that it focuses on the recovery, distribution and resale of clothing back into communities. While resale has strong links with the many other actors, the small size of many of these social enterprises means they are highly dependent on good quality busi

FAQs

What is the study’s main purpose regarding secondhand clothing in Russia?

The study uses sustainable social innovation theory and the Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) to examine secondhand clothing consumption habits in Russia, especially shopping orientations for high-end branded resale.

How was the research conducted?

Hypotheses were drawn from existing literature, and a survey collected data from 250 Russian consumers in Petersburg to test CSI shopper orientations and emerging motivations for high-end branded secondhand clothing.

What are the key findings about shopping orientations?

The study identifies four new shopping orientations and suggests that five of the original eight CSI orientations have internal statistical relevance for this market, with implications for retail strategy and sustainable resale beyond Russia.

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Ophelia