Consumer value creation through clothing reuse: A mixed methods approach to determining influential factors

Abstract

Clothing reuse is a consumer disposal behavior that has been underexplored, although it has important consequences for the society. From the perspective of customer-dominant logic, reusing clothing is a consumer value creation behavior. To measure this tendency, we conducted a mixed method study in Ecuador, a developing Latin American country. We used 20 in-depth interviews followed by a survey of 425 adults to identify the factors associated with the tendency to reuse clothing. The study also identified gender differences regarding this behavior. Several factors in consumers' lives were revealed that explained the tendency to reuse clothing, including income, occupation, altruism, and physical environment. The study also showed that various population groups (e.g., lower income groups, younger individuals, students, and women) had a greater tendency to reuse clothing.