Qualitative research on responsible consumption concerning apparel

Abstract

Purpose of the study

The focus area of this paper is Sustainable Consumption linked to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. It emphasizes Responsible Consumption and Production.

One of the most important SDGs for the fashion industry is SDG 12. About 98 million tonnes of non-renewable resources are used by fashion per year and out of this just 12 per cent of the material used in clothing is presently recycled. There is an increasing trend in modern consumers to buy pre-loved apparel which are good looking and affordable too.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research method was adopted for this study and 36 consumers were interviewed in-depth to find out the reasons behind it. A purposeful Snowball sampling method is used for this study across India. The interview method is adopted to collect the data.

Findings

It is found that modern consumers buy their clothes from second-hand stores both online and offline. They have multiple reasons for this as it is cheap and affordable yet stylish clothing, easy shopping, temptation most of the time, and fast fashion.

Originality

This paper is of first of its kind which deals with both buyers and sellers of the second-hand market emphasizing environmental sustainability.