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An integrated model to explore Chinese Gen Z consumers' second-hand clothing purchase intention
Qi Zhou1,2, Xiaofen Ji3,4, Liling Cai3
1School of Art and Design, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|July 25, 2026
Summary
Chinese Gen Z consumers
Area of Science:
- Consumer Behavior
- Environmental Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Second-hand clothing (SHC) consumption is growing globally.
- Understanding drivers for SHC adoption among young consumers is crucial for sustainability.
- Existing models like the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) may not fully capture unique influences on Gen Z.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test an integrated framework explaining Chinese Generation Z's intention to purchase second-hand clothing.
- To examine the roles of personal values (biospheric, altruistic) and social influences (subjective norm, group norm, social identity) alongside TPB constructs.
- To compare the explanatory power of the integrated model versus the baseline TPB.
Main Methods:
- A quantitative study utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS software.
- Data collected from 967 Chinese Generation Z respondents via stratified quota sampling.
- The TPB was extended with value-based and social influence variables.
Main Results:
- The integrated model explained a significantly higher variance (53.7%) in purchase intention compared to the TPB alone (34.2%).
- Altruistic values, biospheric values, attitude, subjective norm, and social identity were significant positive predictors of SHC purchase intention.
- No significant gender or city-tier differences were found in exploratory multi-group SEM.
Conclusions:
- Personal values and social influences significantly enhance the prediction of second-hand clothing purchase intention among Chinese Gen Z.
- The integrated framework provides a more comprehensive understanding of SHC adoption drivers in this demographic.
- Findings offer insights for marketers and policymakers promoting sustainable fashion consumption.
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