Mindful Consumption of Used Fashion Apparel Among Gen Z on Online Thrift Stores: A Grounded Theory Perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled Gen Z to spend more time online on various social networking sites. This study proposes that relationship, as a construct, contributes to mindful consumption to measure the sustainable consumption of used fashion apparel among Gen Z through web platforms, commonly called online thrifting. Thrifting is a means of shopping at a thrift store, garage sale, or flea market where gently used items, at discounted prices, are obtained. With internet disruption, this business model has scaled to a digital platform with names like the e-commerce market, social networking sites, and omnichannel platforms. This research adopts the definition of smart living, to represent any digital platform or application (app) that can be leveraged for seeking reused fashion apparel. Smart living moderates the construct relationship and affects variable mindful consumption. Qualitative research technique, grounded theory, is adopted to gain respondent insights and further theorize the dimension of the relationship. Three sets of primary data are collected: focus groups, in-depth interviews, and questionnaire forms. The researchers validated the data independently and with discussions, collated the constructs. The results demonstrate that Gen Z preferred to purchase used apparel in cognizance of the variables of the relationship construct and the research further proposes a conceptual framework illustrating the association of variables of the construct relationship on mindful consumption. This research contributes to practitioners in understanding the importance of relationship, as a construct, to measure young cohorts' perception toward reused fashion, and habits toward adopting mindful consumption, leading to sustainable consumption.