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The hunt for treasures, bargains Motivators for

pre-loved
and individuality in luxury items

pre-loved luxury
Susana C. Silva 1321
Cat
olica Porto Business School and CEGE, Universidade Cat
olica Portuguesa,
Porto, Portugal Received 1 October 2021
Revised 9 October 2021
Paulo Duarte 12 April 2022
Accepted 12 May 2022
NECE-UBI, Research Centre for Business Sciences,
Faculdade de ci^encias Sociais e Humanas, Universidade da Beira Interior,
Covilh~a, Portugal
Fabio S. Sandes
Centro de Investigaç~ao em Informaç~ao Comunicaç~ao e Cultura Digital P
olo CICANT,
Universidade Lus
ofona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisbon, Portugal, and
Catarina Andreia Almeida
Cat
olica Porto Business School and CEGE, Universidade Cat
olica Portuguesa,
Porto, Portugal

Abstract
Purpose – This work aims to discuss the motivators for the consumption of pre-loved luxury items and verify
how these motivators interact, leading consumers to engage in behaviors that blend the characteristics of
different motivators: treasure hunting, bargain hunting and individuality seeking.
Design/methodology/approach – This is an exploratory dyadic qualitative research conducted using semi-
structured in-depth interviews involving luxury brand store managers and loyal clients for pre-loved luxury
products in Monaco.
Findings – Throughout the analysis, the authors found three types of behavior that incorporate different parts
of motivators that have been considered as specific motivators for pre-loved luxury consumption: bargain
hunting, an intersection of recreational and economic motivations, treasure hunting, a blend of nostalgic and
recreational motivations, and individuality, a mix of need for uniqueness and fashion involvement motivation.
Practical implications – Identifying three types of behavior for the pre-loved luxury consumer helps
practitioners craft marketing strategies for their brands and products in the pre-loved luxury market.
Social implications – The authors propose a theoretical framework that identifies intersections between the
motivators for pre-loved luxury consumption, potentially identifying new types of consumer behavior in this
market.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work to discuss these three types of
behavior in the pre-loved luxury market. The authors propose a theoretical framework that identifies
intersections between the motivators for pre-loved luxury consumption, potentially identifying new types of
consumer behavior in this market.
Keywords Pre-loved, Luxury, Second-hand, Sustainable consumption
Paper type Research paper

The authors would like to thank CEGE – Research Centre in Management and Economics, funded by the
Multiannual Funding Programme of R&D Centres of FCT – Fundaç~ao para a Ci^encia e a Tecnologia, International Journal of Retail &
under the project UIDB/00731/2020, to NECE – Research Unit in Business Sciences funded by the Distribution Management
Vol. 50 No. 11, 2022
Multiannual Funding Programme of R&D Centres of FCT – Fundaç~ao para a Ci^encia e a Tecnologia, pp. 1321-1336
under the project UIDB/04630/2020, and to Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and © Emerald Publishing Limited
0959-0552
New Technologies (CICANT) Research Centre. DOI 10.1108/IJRDM-10-2021-0466
IJRDM Introduction
50,11 For centuries, the pre-loved luxury goods market has existed (McNeil and Riello,
2016). Historically, this market predominantly focused on heirlooms such as art,
sculpture and jewelry. However, in recent times, this trend has further expanded to
many exquisite goods, including watches, leather goods including handbags and
fashion goods such as dresses (Turunen and Leip€amaa-Leskinen, 2015). Reselling
high-quality luxury goods is now considered a multi-billion-dollar industry and is
1322 expected to reach 25 billion US dollars of the total resale market in 2025. According to
Luxe Digital, this market is growing four times faster than the primary luxury
market, at 12% per year versus 3% (Beauloye, 2020). Research on drivers of luxury
goods purchase highlights the underlying extrinsic and intrinsic motivations
(Vigneoron and Johnson, 2004; Wiedmann et al., 2009; Shukla, 2012). However,
despite the increasing demand for pre-loved items, existing literature on the
motivational drivers for their consumption is largely silent.
Studies focusing on pre-loved goods consumption have explored the motivational
drivers in general, without specifically addressing the luxury goods. For instance, Guiot
and Roux (2010) developed a generic scale for second-hand shopper motivations. However,
researchers have long established that applying generic management principles in the
context of luxury goods is futile (Kapferer and Bastien, 2009). It is important to stress that
we decided to use the term pre-loved instead of second-hand in this research as we consider
it more appropriate for this specific luxury market, following previous studies (e.g. Barnes
and Lea-Greenwood, 2018; Fox, 2018; Turunen and Leip€amaa-Leskinen, 2015; Brun and
Castelli, 2013) that take into account that pre-owned luxury items maintain the
characteristics of exclusiveness, scarceness and uniqueness. The latter is reinforced by
the fact that pre-owned luxury items are even more unique and exclusive, and owning a pre-
loved luxury item is “an expression of postmodern living, as a way to “fit in, while standing
out” (Fox, 2018, p. 47).
Kessous and Valette-Florence (2019) show the differences in affective and cognitive
representations associated with new versus pre-loved luxury goods. They considered first-
hand luxury products represented through power, social ranking and quality. On the other
hand, pre-loved luxury goods are linked with social climbing, eco-consciousness and heritage.
The above evidence leads us to different motivators for pre-loved luxury consumption, but
the way these motivators interact still needs further discussion. Therefore, this paper aims to
discuss how the motivators for pre-loved consumption interact, motivating consumers to
engage in behaviors that are influenced by their intersections, possibly typifying and
describing behaviors that might help researchers and practitioners in better understanding
the consumption of pre-loved luxury items.
We conducted exploratory dyadic qualitative research using semi-structured in-depth
interviews involving both luxury brand store managers and loyal clients for pre-loved
luxury products in Monaco, aiming to explore the motivations that drive the purchase of
pre-loved luxury products. After an in-depth analysis of the empirical data, crossed with
what we found in the literature about motivations for pre-loved luxury products, we were
able to propose a conceptual framework where we include three types of behavior that
represent the interaction of motivators for pre-loved items: treasure hunting, an
intersection of nostalgic and recreation motivations, bargain hunting, an intersection of
recreational and economic motivations and individuality, an intersection of need for
uniqueness and fashion involvement motivations.
This study is valuable for the field of study as it proposes new elements that represent
intersectional motivational drivers for pre-loved luxury items. Also, the fact that our research
blends the perspectives of both pre-loved luxury consumers and sellers is a contribution to
the discussion, as this type of combined empirical data is missing in the literature, possibly
due to the difficulty to access this category of clients and sellers which are typically very strict Motivators for
about their privacy. pre-loved
luxury items
Motivational drivers for luxury consumption
Luxury manifestation has evolved. Throughout history, the notion of luxury has had
several emphases. However, luxury has always been regarded as a status indicator
(Turunen, 2018). Past studies have investigated consumers’ motivations to acquire 1323
and display luxury products, and two distinct types of motivations emerged. The first
is conspicuous consumption or brand prominence (Han et al., 2010), defined by
luxurious products with visible, recognizable and symbolic value with the main
objective of communicating wealth and social status. The second type is an
inconspicuous luxury which goes against the “show-off” of luxury brands and the
strong display and noticeable markings on the products. Inconspicuous luxury goods
are considered more discreet and sophisticated, reflecting a need for “mature” luxury
consumers to be distinct from others. Referred to “Patricians” (Han et al., 2010) or
“Snobs” (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999), these consumers possess enough money to pay
for high-end sophisticated luxury products, usually unperceivable, to detach
themselves from the masses which are more prone to use strong signals to be
associated to the upper-classes (Han et al., 2010).
The consumption of conspicuous luxury is generally influenced by the extrinsic
motivation to engage in behavior to obtain an external reward (Shao et al., 2019) or the
intrinsic motivations to obtain self-pleasure and quality (Brun and Castelli, 2013; Shao
et al., 2019). Vigneron and Johnson (1999) identified five categories of prestige consumers
based on three interpersonal effects (Veblen, Snob and Bandwagon) and two personal
effects (hedonism and perfectionism). The group where interpersonal effects prevail tend
to perceive the price as an indicator of luxury, and they purchase luxury to obtain or
maintain social status (Brun and Castelli, 2013; Han et al., 2010; O’Cass and McEwen,
2004; Tian et al., 2001; Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). Conversely, consumers in segments
where personal effects dominate are more prone to consume luxury goods to fulfill their
emotional and pleasurable senses (Husic and Cicic, 2009; Vigneron and Johnson, 1999).
Quality, esthetics and performance are far more important than price (Brun and Castelli,
2013; Han et al., 2010; Husic and Cicic, 2009; Kapferer and Bastien, 2009; Vigneron and
Johnson, 1999).

Motivational drivers of pre-loved items’ consumption

The contemporary context, where consumers feel the pressure to behave more
sustainably, recycling luxury products may be seen as a “chic” attitude (Fox, 2018).
Constrained by the global economic recession and political instability, the pre-loved
market for luxury products has witnessed a worldwide expansion since luxury
products are important to sustain the self-image and are considered a social marker
(Herjanto et al., 2016). Researchers have found that the uniqueness and treasure
hunting, present in the motivations for second-hand and pre-loved luxury products
(Roux and Guiot, 2008; Sandes and Leandro, 2019; Turunen et al., 2020) may connect
well to the characteristics of exclusivity, and scarcity of luxury products, providing
the pre-owned luxury item with distinctiveness, which is valued by consumers
(Barnes and Lea-Greenwood, 2018; Fox, 2018). Fox (2018) exemplifies how the
perception of pre-owned items has changed recently. The traditional words used to
describe this marketplace like “charity”, “thrift” and “used” have morphed into “pre-
owned”, “pre-loved”, “retro” (Fox, 2018, p. 48).
IJRDM The pre-loved luxury market offers consumers the opportunity to satisfy multiple desires
50,11 by investing in good or honest deals (Herjanto et al., 2016). In addition to economic
motivations, Bardhi and Arnould (2005) suggest that hedonic motivations also drive the
purchase of pre-loved fashion items. The hedonic motivations express the individual desires
for consumption beyond the basic survival needs, turning consumers more materialistic and
compulsive (Kasser, 2011).
Some consumers are prone to consume through alternative channels to maintain
1324 their social status, investments and construct their identity, while developing their
social network (Ferraro et al., 2016). The pre-loved goods market enables consumers to
reach a certain level of singularity through the acquisition and possession of
distinctive items that represent a way for them to express their social and desired
self-image among other individuals or inside a group while reinforcing their sense of
uniqueness (Gullstrand Edbring et al., 2016). Uniqueness is defined as the trait of
pursuing differentness concerning others and is vital to assure the status provided by
the luxury product, thus becoming a motivation for owning pre-loved exclusive items
(Tian et al., 2001). These characteristics may be specifically valued in different
contexts: Mostafa and Arnaout (2020) studied the consumption habit of luxury
products in the Middle East and found that these consumers’ sense of self-identity
and need for uniqueness is positively related to the consumption of luxury products,
showcasing the fact that uniqueness and identity are relevant matters when studying
the consumption of luxury products across different cultures. This is supported by
other scholars, such as the work by Jain and Mishra (2018) found that for Indian
consumers, the consumption of luxury products is positively related to the
conspicuous, hedonic and social aspects of consumption. It is important to stress
that, in some countries, the pre-loved luxury market is the only option to access some
luxury brands: Zhao et al. (2016) found that, in China, a market where luxury
consumption of foreign brands is constantly growing, several luxury brands are still
not available in this market and consumers cannot find their products in official
retailers stores, but some of these products may be available in non-official retailers –
such as pre-loved luxury retailers – at higher price points.
Consumers of previously owned products are stimulated and excited by the idea of
exploration and discovery while entering a store that emanates from the possibility of
findings unexpected, unusual, distinctive and unique pieces (Cervellon et al., 2012; Ferraro
et al., 2016). Searching through used items’ rails can lead to discoveries such as pieces
unavailable through the official brand stores, discontinued or exclusive vintage pieces able to
reinforce the consumer’s feelings of distinction and uniqueness (Bardhi and Arnould, 2005;
Herjanto et al., 2016).
The purchase of vintage and unique classic items can contribute to self-identity
construction and enhancement (Roux, 2006) by providing consumers with the ability to create
authentic, trendy and original individual styles while avoiding mainstream fashion
(Cervellon et al., 2012). The motivational factors for vintage goods consumption are three
dimensions: the need for status, fashion involvement and nostalgia (Cervellon et al., 2012).
Consumers seeking vintage items are emotionally driven by these factors, which persuades
them to buy them even if it is not at a bargain price, distinguishing them from ordinary pre-
loved items.
The same happens with eco-conscious items. As consumers are becoming more
environmentally “eco-fashioned,” they tend to increase support for reducing the mass
consumption of clothes by extending their lifetime (Cervellon et al., 2012). For this segment
of environmental and ethical concerned consumers, pre-loved markets represent a genuine
alternative to cope with the negative side-effects of mass production (Guiot and Roux,
2010; Herjanto et al., 2016). In general, due to superior quality and sometimes minor use,
pre-loved luxury and vintage goods represent a surplus for the pre-loved potential Motivators for
consumer (Cervellon et al., 2012). It is a viable way to fashion sustainable consumers to pre-loved
practice their eco-conscious fashion shopping: Bianchi and Gonzalez (2021) found that
Chilean eco-conscious consumers prefer to buy in a pre-owned clothes shop to engage in
luxury items
sustainable clothing consumption. However, it is important to stress that sometimes
consumers are not aware that buying used products is sustainable consumption behavior,
which should be reinforced by managers and practitioners in this market (Chang and
Watchravesringkan, 2018). 1325
Nevertheless, according to the literature, environmental concern is not a strong influencer
for pre-loved items consumption. Research has failed to establish a direct correlation between
environmental concerns and pre-loved consumption (Cervellon et al., 2012; McNeill and
Moore, 2015). According to Roux and Guiot (2008), the factors influencing the propensity for
pre-loved consumption are based on mainly three dimensions: “fair price,” “ethic and ecology”
and “distance from the system.” Later, Guiot and Roux (2010), dealing with limitations in their
conceptual framework, introduced a new dimension named critical motivations, which
comprises the rejection of mass-consumption behavior through traditional channels and
ethical and ecological concerns. Either way, the behavior of environmental and ethical
concerned consumers is often contradictory (McNeill and Moore, 2015), yet consumers
engaged in recycling practices unconsciously seem to emphasize money-saving motivation
(McNeill and Moore, 2015). Table 1 summarizes the motivational drivers attached to pre-loved
items consumption.

Methodology
Qualitative research was conducted to unveil consumers’ behavior when purchasing pre-
loved items and test if the proposed conceptual framework holds. The existing literature
underlines the absence of essential information that is crucial to the object of the research
(Sihvonen and Turunen, 2016). Furthermore, the qualitative approach thoughtfully explores
people’s personal opinions and experiences to obtain a crucial and accurate perception and
understanding of the particular research objective (Creswell and Creswell, 2018).
Semi-structured interviews were considered the most appropriate qualitative approach
for this research. They are a powerful tool that allows for exploring personal and hedonic
motivations and obtaining elaborate and developed responses (Qu and Dumay, 2011). Thus, a

Motivations Value References

Economic Frugality – find better value for Bardhi and Arnould (2005), Ferraro et al. (2016),
motivations money Gullstrand Edbring et al. (2016), Herjanto et al. (2016),
Kasser (2011)
Recreational Entertainment/Hedonic – have Bardhi and Arnould (2005), Cervellon et al. (2012),
motivations fun while shopping Ferraro et al. (2016), Guiot and Roux (2010), Roux and
Guiot (2008), Sihvonen and Turunen (2016)
Need for Uniqueness – find unique Bardhi and Arnould (2005), Cervellon et al. (2012),
Uniqueness products Guiot and Roux (2010), Herjanto et al. (2016), Roux
(2006), Tian et al. (2001)
Critical Eco-consciousness – prolong the Gullstrand Edbring et al. (2016), Roux (2006),
motivations life cycle of products Sihvonen and Turunen (2016)
Fashion Fashionability – find products Cervellon et al. (2012), Ferraro et al. (2016), Guiot and Table 1.
involvement with fashion value Roux (2010), Roux (2006) Motivational drivers
Vintage Nostalgia – find products that Cervellon et al. (2012), Roux (2006), Roux and Guiot for pre-loved luxury
honor/remember the past (2008), Sihvonen and Turunen (2016) consumption
IJRDM set of open questions was developed following the proposed conceptual framework, and
50,11 questions were designed to allow the respondents to express their views freely.
The empirical research was conducted in Monaco. Participants were contacted either by
email or in person and divided into store owners and clients of pre-loved luxury products.
We decided to include the perspective of store owners of pre-loved luxury items. Their
opinions offer a perspective of both seller and buyer of this market, contributing to a
broader perspective of the motivations and characteristics of this market. Based on the
1326 interaction with many different clients, store owners can offer independent and unbiased
information on the purchase of pre-loved items. Although questions were identical – as we
opted to focus on the motivations to buy pre-loved luxury items – and ensure the interviews’
smooth execution, the questions were adapted to the particularities of both categories of
interlocutors. The final sample is composed of three store owners (Interviewees 1, 2 and 3)
and three clients (Interviewees 4, 5 and 6). Table 2 presents the interviewees’ profiles.
The interviews were recorded with consent from the interviewees and later transcribed as
the content analysis was selected for analyzing the data resulting from the interviews.
The respondents were all women aged 26–64 years, living in Monaco. They all consider
themselves women with the financial means to acquire luxury items but find the idea of
buying pre-loved luxury items attractive. Monaco, the study’s location, is characterized by a
superior level of wealth among inhabitants, a social environment far above the world average,
and part of the world’s richest areas. Within its borders of 2 km2, Monaco is an attractive
place where wealthy people often described as millionaires and billionaires (like interviewees
3 and 5), reside or spend their holidays.

Discussion
Based on the reflections made upon the literature, and the content analysis of the interviews
we conducted, we propose including three types of consumer behavior related to pre-loved
luxury consumption. Figure 1 depicts our proposed conceptual framework for understanding
the motivations to consume pre-loved luxury items. It provides a visual outlook on the
relationships among the motives for purchasing pre-loved luxury items.
This proposed framework highlights the intersections between these motivations. The
interior of the overlapped motivational circles represents moments where different
motivational factors for pre-loved luxury consumption interact. When consumers are
looking for pre-loved luxury items because they like to browse for this kind of product
(recreational), it is possible to assume that they like to do it either because they want to save
some money (economic) or finding products that were once a hit in the market, as it
represented something they valued (nostalgic). Hence, it is possible to assume that, in some
cases two main motivations interact and influence consumers’ behavior. In the first case, we
propose that the behavior is similar to a bargain-hunting behavior, where consumers are
motivated by either economic or recreational motives. In the second case, we propose that
consumers are treasure hunting, where they look for products with both recreational and

No. Gender Age Location Type Main activity

1 Female NA Monaco Retailer (from England) Artcurial – Director

2 Female 64 Monaco Retailer (from France) China Chic – Store manager
3 Female 43 Monaco Retailer (from Italy) Le Dressing – Store manager
4 Female 45 Monaco Consumer (from Switzerland) Housewife
Table 2. 5 Female NA Monaco Consumer (from Italy) Financial Director
Interviewees’ profile 6 Female 32 Monaco Consumer (from Russia) Housewife
 Motivators for
pre-loved
luxury items

1327

MoƟvaƟon for
pre-loved luxury
consumpƟon

Figure 1.
Proposed
representation for
motivation for pre-
loved luxury
consumption

nostalgic motivations. We also identified a third interaction behavior, where consumers mix
fashion involvement with the need for uniqueness, and we called this interaction of motives
an individuality motivation. From the motivations we found in the literature, only the eco-
consciousness motivation could not be correlated with any other motivation, as it is rather
specific.
To ease the understanding, the findings from the data analysis are organized and
presented according to the following categories: economic motives, recreational motives, need
for uniqueness, critical motives, fashion involvement and nostalgia.

Economic motives in the context of pre-loved luxury

Frugality can be considered a major reason for pre-loved consumption. This reason is mentioned
by store managers, who consider it a genuine alternative to acquiring luxury while saving money.
In some cases, the word investment refers to the price paid to possess luxury goods such as
handbags (Kelly of Hermes, Vintage Chanel), clothes (Mrs Rossi – Yves Saint Lauren and Chanel
Private Collection) and jewelry. Store managers suggest that pre-loved items offer the opportunity
for any client to buy two handbags in perfect condition for the price of a brand-new one.
Furthermore, consumers of pre-owned luxury goods commonly use the word “investment” since
they are aware that luxury, in general, can be easily sold back. This product-related factor was
previously reported as the perfectionist effect (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999).
Furthermore, store managers explained that some wealthy people pondered how they
could get the best value when spending their wealth even if they have money. These
customers justify their investment in pre-loved items as a rational alternative to brand-new
luxury, as some items (specifically handbags and jewelry). Indeed, all respondents considered
IJRDM that the price-quality ratio for pre-loved items is equivalent to brand new ones since they are
50,11 well-conserved, kept in the original case and have the original certificate of origin. Also, the
high quality of luxury products was mentioned by informants as an important aspect of this
consumption model:
I think that as soon as I put on my Saint Lauren jacket, well then I bought a coat, people say to me
“how beautiful is your jacket!” I feel that in the eyes of people that are aware it is haute couture.
1328 (Interviewee 4)
According to the interviewees, the use of incredible materials and the quality of
craftsmanship in luxury products expresses an intangible feeling of beauty and elegance
when wearing or carrying such garments, even if in pre-loved purchases. Therefore, when
purchasing a pre-owned item, the quality of the good is referred to as excellent, timeless and
durable:
I like the aesthetic that is noticeable on these items I love fashion, beautiful things, quality materials,
for me luxury is perceived as something elegant, to dress well which means to wear quality and
therefore by wearing luxury I feel unique, well inside me, it gives me confidence. With self-
confidence, I am more fulfilled and relationships with others are easier (Interviewee 5)
The desire to stand out by using luxury items by adopting a better use of money strategy is also
consistent with the characteristic of the luxury market, where consumers want to use luxury
brands to stratify themselves in society. Researchers (e.g. Brun and Castelli, 2013; Kapferer and
Bastien, 2009) have already pointed out that luxury answers a social stratification need. One
interviewee felt concerned with the urgent drive for blending displayed currently by many
consumers, which is in accordance with O’Cass and McEwen (2004) on the need for group
affiliation and distinction. Even this social factor focuses on the possession of new luxury in
general. This perception is also shared when consuming pre-loved luxury products, as it signals
values of authenticity and the status of their owners (Turunen and Leip€amaa-Leskinen, 2015).

Recreational motives in the context of the pre-loved luxury

All store managers and clients said they visit pre-loved retail chain stores because of
recreational motives. The recreational motives appear as a relevant aspect defining the
buying behavior of pre-loved luxury customers. This is consistent with Roux and Guiot
(2008), who describe pre-loved shopping as pleasurable, entertaining and reinforcing the
social interaction between luxury enthusiasts. Experiential factors, the recreational browsing
activity for mere pleasure, and the thrill of the hunt or acquisition discussed by Bardhi and
Arnould (2005) also appear as motivational features. One store manager states that the thrill
of the hunt is an important aspect as clients pursue the unexpected and will never know what
they will find inside the store. This recreational motivation takes place for mere pleasure and
distraction, even if there is no intention to buy anything.
Some clients didn’t intend to buy something, just went to look what was in there (Interviewee 1)
I love to search. I love to find pieces that I have never seen; you know it’s like a game because we don’t
expect anything (Interviewee 5)
The emergence of pre-loved luxury stores online is considered the future. Indeed, all store
managers confirmed already having their online platform on social media where people browse
the novelties and search for unique findings. The online channel also satisfies a need for
discretion, the desire of customers who do not want to be associated with the pre-loved market.
Based on the responses, this need for discretion is mostly directed at rich people who want to
protect the secret of where they acquired unique items from their relatives, friends and family.
 One of our Russian clients used to say, ‘Don’t tell it! Don’t tell anyone else!’ (Interviewee 1) Motivators for
One interviewee suggests that it is also a matter of modesty, in her opinion. According to her, pre-loved
rich people appreciate acquiring goods without being noticed when purchasing many items luxury items
and this inconspicuous side of the market is often perceived.
When you want to acquire and purchase 20 to 30 items of luxury, clients want to keep the modesty of
their purchase (Interviewee 2)
1329
On the other hand, purchasing is also seen as a leisure activity combining utility with
pleasure. Pleasure is that some clients do not hesitate to engage in pre-loved luxury items
shopping with friends as it is a more exciting alternative driven by the thrill of the hunt than
first-hand stores. This is an example of a behavior we suggest is similar to treasure hunting,
where consumers are motivated by recreational and to find unique products:
They come with their friends [. . .] well it’s a unique experience [. . .] Even if you have a lot of money,
people like to have [. . .] something special, to look around [. . .] they want a different buying, a
different experience and the excitement of the experience is also another hock (Interviewee 1)
They also like to know the details of people that sold the item and attribute this more important when
someone with good taste and elegance first loved the item. (Interviewee 2)
Every day, people walk these stores to look, buy or sell items. Each client entering the store can
make an incredible finding which they would refer to as treasure hunting. Indeed, handmade
and custom-made items full of history, preciosity and luxury heritage are also mentioned as
motivational recreational factors for the increasing success of pre-used luxury items.

Need for uniqueness in the context of pre-loved luxury

The pre-loved need for uniqueness is characterized by the desire to escape social pressure as
mass-consumerism (Roux and Guiot, 2008), creating distinctive and distinguishable styles
outside of the norm, which will display uniqueness and specialness (Tian et al., 2001). This
need for distinctiveness is also associated with luxury values that promote exclusiveness,
enhancing one’s identity, among others (Kauppinen-R€ais€anen et al., 2018). According to all
respondents, uniqueness is the central motivation for purchasing pre-loved luxury since the
accessibility of some specific prestigious products is limited in original luxury retail stores.
These limited products, such as the Constance of Hermes, popularized by Jaqueline Kennedy,
Vintage Chanel’s and other designers’ vintage models are considered global icons nowadays.
They have been discontinued or no longer manufactured by brands. These stores in Monaco
have an ultimate advantage, which is to have privileged access to limited-edition as people
from all around the world gather in this privileged region, where residents must prove to have
at least 500.000V in a bank account. When clients were asked about their best purchase in
such a store, an interviewee argued that a jacket from Saint Laurent was her best finding as
she could not find this classic jacket in the official store anymore.
I went to the pre-loved store, and I saw this classic Saint Lauren, simple, which I like, super beautiful,
elegant, great, the perfect shot! I told myself, “I’ll take it!” “I will never find it in (brand new) stores. It’s
in front of me. If I don’t buy it now, it may disappear! (Interviewee 4)
When the same question was asked to store managers, a respondent stated that it was an
invaluable vest of an old collection from Hermes, which was personalized as it was
embroidered with gold and silver thread depicting a Chinese village.
Yes, I already had unique and invaluable pieces of the old collection, which are very confidential and
personalized. It was a red Hermes vest embroidered with gold and silver thread representing
IJRDM depicting a Chinese village. This unique vest was made at the request of a rich Chinese man in the
1960s for a horse race. I sold it in 2 days. (Interviewee 2)
50,11
All respondents agreed that acquiring one of these exclusive and unique pieces generates a
feeling of pride, enabling the consumer to stand out from the crowd. In Monaco, Hermes is
considered the most prominent pre-loved brand for sale.
They have the financial means, but the fact of finding “la piece” that will make them different from
1330 others, stand out from the crowd! (Interviewee 3)
Nevertheless, the elegance of the glamorous classic design is incomparable, which still
generates excitement and passion, according to one respondent. However, its exclusivity and
uniqueness have gradually been lost.
We have clients today who do not want the Hermes Birkin handbag because “everyone has it!”. The
Birkin is no longer exceptional and unique. It is the same case for the speedy Louis Vuitton, too much
seen and worn by everyone (Interviewee 3)
The fear of becoming “just someone with a Hermes or a Louis Vuitton” seems to be a major
concern for the respondents, which could explain the attractivity of pre-loved luxury, and also
an input for new product development for luxury brands, as interviewees agree there is an
urgent need for limited-edition products:
Extremely rich people may not want to possess the same purse as my daughter, or as my husband’s
secretary. They will say: I want something more exclusive! (Interviewee 4)
In Monaco, there is a problem that happens where people end up buying the same luxury goods; you
see we’re going to have people with the same coats, so these people are trying to differentiate
themselves, trying to become exceptional in the eyes of others. You come across something unique, a
classic, you know. There are classics that you haven’t seen for years in stores, and we will find them
there! That’s what’s good! Some items are gaining value over time since they are no longer available
in stores or elsewhere, the price is multiplied (Interviewee 5)
All interviewees agree that in an overloaded environment of consumers possessing
significant wealth and similar purchasing behavior, the likelihood to distinguish itself with
luxury products becomes impossible. Therefore, pre-loved items have become a great
alternative to be perceived as special by other individuals. The opportunity to find limited-
edition items that symbolize exclusivity was a strong factor favoring the pre-loved luxury
market. Such limited-edition associated with the recreational dimension of “treasure hunting”
is used by individuals as a form of social comparison and communication of one’s status and
uniqueness (O’Cass and McEwen, 2004). When referring to limited-edition, Husic and Cicic
(2009) explained that the demand for a specific item could vary according to its availability
and accessibility in traditional retail stores. The ones with limited availability are perceived
as more desirable, valuable and prestigious. Also, according to Vigneron and Johnson (1999),
the desire for limited-edition is associated with the Snob effect. Snob consumers perceive
value in products that others have limited access to. They serve their need for dissociating
themselves from others and the desire to stand out from the crowd while purchasing limited
editions (Husic and Cicic, 2009). Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the functional dimension
of these items was never mentioned by any of the clients and store managers interviewed.

Critical motives in the context of pre-loved luxury

As mentioned in the revised literature, environmental consciousness takes part in the
motivational factors that influence the purchase of pre-loved items. In contrast, opinions
remain in the context of pre-loved items. All interviewees were asked if environmental issues
could be a reason for purchasing pre-used luxury and their opinions. All the interviewees
agreed that luxury is not immune to environmental challenges and that there is a need for Motivators for
luxury brands to engage in sustainability and environmental protection. An interviewee pre-loved
considered H&M’s “Conscious-Sustainable Style” and Zara’s “Join Life” an example for
luxury brands to follow, even though she considered these fast fashion brands unethical for
luxury items
our planet. The circular economy was mentioned by two clients who felt that pre-loved luxury
consumption is a great alternative to the massive production of new goods. According to
them, by consuming pre-loved items, they contribute to the extension of the life-cycle of
products: 1331
All the time, I was always participating in consumerism with the production of new items “Why
should I buy something new?” “It’s better for the environment to recycle exciting things, items!”
(Interviewee 4)
The pre-loved consumption enables to sell items which are not used anymore and could be used by
someone else. We recycle them, we avoid the production of waste, of more pollution, and we recycle!
(Interviewee 5)
According to respondents, pre-loved items help to prevent the purchase of low-quality
clothing, full of unwanted chemical products, which are considered unhealthy for the human
body and at the same time for the planet. So, as more the pre-owned market is stimulated, the
more we work to fulfill the circular economy potential. We can derive from here that pre-loved
luxury consumers’ intentionality toward sustainability is still regarded as a nice-to-have
feature, in line with Moraes et al. (2017) and Silva and Martins (2017).

Fashion involvement in the context of pre-loved luxury

Fashion involvement with luxury brands is a motivator that drives consumers’ behavior
toward pre-loved items. Still, the mere use of haute couture does not make anyone
fashionable, as the concept of fashion is closely related to the need to stand out. Together, the
public aspect of the individual and the snob influence the possession of fashion products,
create a strong motivation for the consumption of pre-loved luxury goods. Furthermore, as
luxury possession seems to increase with more people wearing the same bags to impress
others, luxury may not even be necessary. The simple use of an original, differently model by
a simple creator or designer may be sufficient.
I prefer a simple creator, designer [. . .] a dream handbag can also be a bag without no brand but
extraordinary, out of the ordinary and not necessarily expensive (Interviewee 2)

Nostalgic factors in the context of pre-loved luxury

The previous life of a product presented in a pre-loved luxury items store was described as
possessing a distinct character from its brand-new counterparts. Old collections flagship
pieces referred to as classics (interviewees 4, 5 and 6) of the haute couture, no longer
available in traditional retail stores, are considered an unmissable opportunity when
found since consumers might never face the opportunity of finding some exclusive vintage
pieces again if they do not buy them instantly. This will also signal that the buyers have
been professing the luxury style for a long time. Furthermore, as the demand for vintage
and old exclusive pieces increases, the price of an item non-seen for a long time can
substantially increase. This value appreciation is considered the norm, according to the
respondents, and reinforces that the treasure-hunting motivation previously mentioned is
very important.
I know that I can go to a Chanel store, but I’d rather enjoy seeing the vintage item in a second-hand
store. It means that the product meant a lot to someone before. (Interviewee 4)
IJRDM This reinforces the idea that the existence of story behind each piece stimulates the interest of
50,11 the buyer that kind of imitates the same style and elegance of the first owner. This seems to be
rather common in Monte Carlo, where one interviewee was coming off.
This bustier top from Saint Laurent was obviously from someone extremely sensual, which is
common around Monaco’s visitors. (Interviewee 4)
Another important aspect mentioned in the interviews related to vintage products was the
1332 stories behind these goods. According to the clients, the story associated with the item, mostly
handbags, was appreciated, and it makes the good special, unique and more authentic.
The price increases according to who the previous owner was. It should be noticed that even
well-known celebrities purchase and sell some of their pre-loved items.
Customers come from all over the world, even celebrities like to come and discover exclusives items.
Julia Roberts came to the store some time ago (Interviewee 3)
Even though store managers are not allowed to reveal who the previous owners were, as the
seller’s story associated with the object is sometimes very emotional and full of adventures,
this raises the interest in the product.
Depending on the seller, we get to know some of the histories of the items. The thing is [. . .] we don’t
pass the history to the buyer [. . .] it’s a bit of a pity (Interviewee 1)
So, it is like the salesperson uses the previous story of some items to influence sales, thus
influencing the purchasing intentions, as a sequence of a positive experience the other party
had (Shukla et al., 2016). The previous owner features, when described, tend to influence the
buyer, as it happens in social media currently, but with the strongest message: here, they are
not just suggesting the purchase, they are telling that they already did it themselves, which
conveys a stronger message.

Theoretical contribution
This work contributes to the literature by suggesting a theoretical framework that
includes finding points of intersections for the motivators for the consumption of
pre-loved luxury items. This perspective will allow researchers to typify and better
understand some types of consumer behavior in this market. In our study, and with the
empirical data we had access to, we were able to identify three behaviors: treasure
hunting, bargain hunting and individuality. As two different motivators influence these
types of behavior, it is expected that researchers in this field may further explore other
intersections.

Managerial contribution
Our findings of the three types of behavior that intersect two different motivators are
particularly useful for practitioners and communication professionals that work in the pre-
loved luxury market, as they may use these behaviors as drivers for their marketing
strategy and tactics. It is important to point out that the luxury market may face a
downturn due to COVID-19 restrictions (Roggeveen and Sethuraman, 2020), and the pre-
loved luxury market may be an option for brands to find creative and innovative solutions
in this new context.
Product placement, branding and narratives of the items for sale are examples of
tactics that may be directed toward the characteristics of these three types of behavior.
Bargain hunters have been previously discussed in the literature but focused on economic
motivators (Saarij€arvi et al., 2018). Retailers that sell pre-loved luxury items must
incentivize these behaviors, offering a high-quality service experience for their customers. Motivators for
This is one of the most relevant differentiators from a traditional retail channel, which pre-loved
consumers appreciate in non-traditional marketplaces (Childs et al., 2020). Retailers
should also highlight the better value for money customers may find in pre-loved luxury
luxury items
items, where consumers buy luxury brands for a fraction of the price. For treasure
hunters, they can create narratives and stories of items that have traveled through time
and showcase the design and quality that resist over time. Moreover, individuality
seekers can drive the spotlight on the characteristics that make the pre-loved luxury items 1333
unique: the fact that it is not available anywhere, it is a one-time opportunity to purchase
and use such a unique item, and so forth. We believe that having these behaviors in mind
would facilitate practitioners in creating their marketing strategy for the pre-loved luxury
market.

Limitations and future research

The small number of interviews is the main limitation of the study. However, getting in touch
with consumers and retailers of pre-loved luxury items is not an easy task and was only
possible due to the good relations that one of the authors has in the luxury community of
Monaco. If finding luxury consumers is already complicated, getting interviews with those
willing to buy items that used to belong to someone else and speak out about it is even more
difficult. Expanding the sample is strongly desirable to support these preliminary findings.
Furthermore, as the characteristics of Monaco might have influenced the results of this
investigation, thus repeating the investigation in other places known for luxury consumption
is suggested to surpass the cross-sectional approach (Shukla and Purani, 2012; Chattalas and
Shukla, 2015). Another important development would be to assess the online consumption of
pre-loved items since the current investigation has only addressed the market at physical
stores. Nevertheless, the online market offers several advantages for pre-loved luxury sellers
and buyers, such as the anonymity.
Since this investigation has focused only on female individuals possessing adequate
financial resources and for whom the motivations for consuming luxury are strong, it would
be interesting to conduct this same kind of research on a more diversified sample of
individuals of different gender and period to determine their motivations and by that
providing company with data to design strategies for attracting and retaining future
consumers for luxury goods. To improve the existing knowledge, the future investigations
should consider specific types of pre-loved luxury items, such as bags and clothes, which may
offer a valuable contribution, as these types of items have specific characteristics related to
uniqueness, vintage nature and fashion, among others that deserve to be explored.

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Further reading
1336 Paras, M.K., Pal, R. and Ekwall, D. (2018), “Systematic literature review to develop a conceptual
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About the authors

Susana C. Silva is an associate professor at Cat
olica Porto Business School, Universidade Cat
olica
Portuguesa, where she is also a researcher at Research Centre in Management and Economics (CEGE).
Susana is an adjunct professor at University of Saint Joseph, Macao/China. She holds a PhD in
Marketing from the University College de Dublin, Ireland. Her research interests include online
consumer research, international marketing, social and social and cause-related marketing, chatbots and
artificial intelligence. Her main contributions are published in International Marketing Review,
International Business Review, Journal of Business Review, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,
European Journal of International Management and International Journal of Retailing and Distribution
Management. She is the national representative of Portugal at European Marketing Academy and an
active member of the European International Business Academy.
Paulo Duarte holds a PhD in Management and is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Human and
Social Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal. He heads the MSc in Marketing and is Vice-
Coordinator for marketing and Human Resources at NECE - Research Centre in Business Sciences. His
research interests include consumer behavior, the intersection between psychology and marketing,
namely consumer and buying behavior, sustainable consumer behaviour, satisfaction, and branding
across sectors and industries, particularly on tourism, fashion, healthcare, higher education and
electronic markets, both offline and online.
Fabio S. Sandes is assistant professor at Universidade Lus
ofona, and also a researcher at CICANT
Research Centre. Fabio earned his Ph.D. in Marketing at Fundaç~ao Getulio Vargas EAESP, a Brazilian
leading business school with triple-crown international accreditation (AACSB, EFMD and AMBA). He
also holds an MSc in Marketing at the same school. Fabio has worked as a Marketing practitioner for
15 years, working in multinational companies like The LYCRA® company and Vicunha Textiles,
consolidating an executive career in the fashion industry. He has published papers in international peer-
reviewed journals and presented papers in the most relevant international conferences in Marketing,
such as EMAC, ACR, SCP and AMA. Due to his background in the fashion industry, Fabio is also
working with advancing the knowledge of the role of Marketing in this market. Fabio S. Sandes is the
corresponding author and can be contacted at: fsandes@gmail.com
Catarina Andreia Almeida is a PhD student at CPBS. She was living in Monaco until 2018. She holds
an MSc. in Marketing from Universidade Cat
olica Portuguesa, Porto. She is marketing manager at
Farfetch, a British-Portuguese online luxury fashion retail platform. Her research interests include
luxury goods, pre-loved items and consumer behavior.

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