Online Second-Hand Shopping. Threat or Opportunity for Branded Products?

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

2 Conceptual Background

2.1 Definition of Second-Hand Products

2.2 Characteristics of Second-Hand Products

2.3 Empirical Findings Related to Second-Hand Products

2.4 Consumer Brand Perceptions

2.4.1 Brand Image

2.4.2 Perceived Quality

2.4.3 Perceived Prestige

2.5 Product Availability

2.6 Theories on Scarcity Effects

2.7 Evaluation of Scarcity Theories regarding Applicability to Research Context

3 Development of Hypotheses

3.1 Main Effect

3.2 Moderating Effect of Product Type

3.3 Moderating Effect of Price

3.4 Interactive Moderating Effects of Product Type and Price

3.5 Control Variables

3.6 Descriptive Variables

3.7 Conceptual Framework

4 Empirical Study

4.1 Pre-Test

4.1.1 Stimuli Selection

4.1.2 Pre-Test Design and Results

4.2 Experimental Design

4.3 Procedure

4.4 Operationalization of Variables and Scenario Description

4.5 Data Cleaning and Sample Characteristics

4.6 Scale Assessment

4.7 Statistical Technique and Testing of Assumptions

5 Results

5.1 Manipulation and Realism Check

5.2 Testing of Hypotheses

5.3 Discussion of Results

6 Conclusion

6.1 Summary

6.2 Theoretical Contribution and Managerial Implications

6.3 Limitations and Further Research

Research Objective and Core Topics

This thesis investigates whether the degree of availability of second-hand products significantly affects consumer brand perceptions, specifically brand image, perceived quality, and perceived prestige, while considering the moderating roles of product type and price.

• The influence of second-hand product availability on brand perceptions.
• Application of scarcity theories within a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) market context.
• Moderating effects of product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian) on brand perception.
• Moderating effects of price segments on brand prestige and quality.
• Strategic recommendations for brand manufacturers to manage second-hand market presence.

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Summary of Chapters

1 Introduction: Introduces the rise of second-hand shopping as a mass phenomenon driven by the internet and outlines the research objective regarding its impact on brand perceptions.

2 Conceptual Background: Defines key terms like second-hand products, reviews existing empirical research, and explores theoretical frameworks concerning consumer brand perceptions and scarcity effects.

3 Development of Hypotheses: Formulates five specific hypotheses based on established marketing and psychology theories, focusing on the main effect of availability and the moderators of product type and price.

4 Empirical Study: Details the pre-test, experimental design, procedure, data cleaning, and the statistical techniques (MANOVA) used to validate the proposed hypotheses.

5 Results: Presents the findings of the empirical study, including manipulation checks and the results of the hypothesis testing based on the multivariate analysis.

6 Conclusion: Summarizes the study's outcomes, discusses theoretical and managerial implications, and identifies limitations alongside avenues for future research.

Keywords

Second-hand shopping, Brand image, Perceived quality, Perceived prestige, Product availability, Scarcity, Consumer-to-consumer (C2C), Brand perception, Commodity theory, Attribution theory, Hedonic goods, Utilitarian goods, Price moderation, Online marketing, Brand dilution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this thesis?

The thesis examines the relationship between the degree of availability of second-hand products on the internet and the resulting consumer perceptions of those brands.

What are the primary research areas explored?

It integrates concepts from second-hand shopping trends, consumer brand perceptions (image, quality, prestige), and scarcity theories from economic and psychological literature.

What is the main objective or research question?

The primary aim is to investigate whether the degree of second-hand product availability influences consumer brand perceptions while accounting for the potential moderating effects of product type and price.

Which scientific method is utilized?

The research employs a quantitative approach, specifically a laboratory experiment based on a 3x2x2 factorial between-subjects design, followed by a Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA).

What does the main body of the work cover?

The main part encompasses the development of a conceptual framework, the derivation of five hypotheses, and a rigorous empirical study involving 561 usable survey responses to test these predictions.

Which keywords characterize this work?

Key terms include second-hand shopping, brand image, product availability, scarcity, and consumer perceptions.

What is the specific finding regarding brand image?

The study found a significant negative impact of a high degree of second-hand product availability on brand image, supporting the hypothesis that such mass availability dilutes brand perception.

Did the proposed moderators (product type and price) show significant effects?

The results provided no empirical evidence for the hypothesized moderating effects of product type or price on the dependent variables, which the author discusses as potentially due to sample characteristics or specific stimuli choices.