Digital Resale Platforms and Circular Fashion Consumption in Hanoi, Vietnam
This study analyzes 253 digital resale users in Hanoi, Vietnam, to demonstrate that circular fashion consumption is significantly driven by platform convenience, trust, economic value, and environmental concern, while being hindered by perceived product risk, ultimately explaining over half the variance in consumption intention.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
The clothes we wear carry a hidden history long before they reach our closets. Every garment requires water, energy, and raw materials to create, and when we discard them too soon, those resources vanish into landfills. A growing movement called circular fashion seeks to keep these items in use for as long as possible, slowing down the cycle of production and waste. One of the most accessible ways to do this is through resale, where a second owner gives a pre-owned item a new life. However, simply having a place to buy and sell used clothes does not guarantee that people will actually do it. In many places, especially in fast-growing cities, the decision to buy second-hand is complicated by a mix of practical concerns. People wonder if the item is clean, if the seller is honest, if the price is truly a bargain, and if the whole process is worth the effort.
This complexity is at the heart of a recent study focused on Hanoi, Vietnam, a city where fashion is popular, prices matter, and digital shopping is woven into daily life. Researchers wanted to understand what actually drives people to buy, sell, or swap clothes on digital platforms rather than just browsing. They looked at how trust in the website or app, the ease of using it, the financial benefits, and the desire to help the environment all play together. They also examined how the fear of getting a damaged or fake item might stop a person from clicking "buy." By surveying 253 people who had recently used these digital resale channels, the study mapped out the specific mental steps that turn a general interest in sustainability into a real transaction.
The researchers found that the decision to participate in circular fashion is not driven by a single factor, but by a balance of practical and emotional forces. The most powerful drivers were found to be trust and convenience. When users felt that a platform was reliable—meaning sellers were honest, descriptions were accurate, and problems would be fixed fairly—they were much more likely to intend to buy or sell. Similarly, if the platform made it easy to search for items, compare prices, and complete a transaction without hassle, participation increased. These practical elements were slightly more influential than the desire to save money or the wish to protect the environment, though both of those motivations were still important. The study showed that even if someone cares deeply about the planet, they are unlikely to follow through if the platform feels risky or difficult to use.
Conversely, the fear of risk acted as a significant brake on participation. This fear included worries about the item not matching its online description, concerns about hygiene, or the possibility of losing money in a bad deal. The data showed that this anxiety could cancel out the positive pull of environmental concern or low prices. The study also confirmed that having a strong intention to participate was a good predictor of actual behavior. People who said they planned to buy or sell used clothes were indeed more likely to report having done so in the past six months. However, the link between intention and action was not perfect; about two-thirds of the reasons why people actually acted or did not act were due to factors outside the model, such as whether the right size was available, the effort required to list an item, or simple daily habits.
The findings suggest that for digital resale to truly support a circular economy, platforms cannot rely on environmental messaging alone. Instead, they must build systems that feel safe and effortless. This means verifying seller identities, standardizing how item conditions are described, and creating clear rules for returns and disputes. In Hanoi, where transactions often happen across a mix of social media groups and classified sites, these safeguards are essential to turn scattered interest into consistent action. The study indicates that when a platform reduces uncertainty and saves time, it creates the conditions where economic value and environmental concern can finally translate into real-world behavior, keeping more clothing in circulation and out of the trash.
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