Articles, Apparel, Fashion & Retail

“Hedonic vs. Utilitarian Appeals: Applying Neuromarketing and Prospect Theory to Vintage versus Thrift Fashion Consumption"

“Hedonic vs. Utilitarian Appeals: Applying Neuromarketing and Prospect Theory to Vintage versus Thrift Fashion Consumption"
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Author: TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN
Ms Priyasha Mishra, Fashion Management Scholar, Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. Of India, Daman Campus.

Ms Priyasha Mishra, Fashion Management Scholar, Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. Of India, Daman Campus.


Abstract

The growing vintage clothing trend has led major fashion brands to launch archive-inspired collections and haute couture houses to revive past designs, yet the consumer profile and purchase motivations remain underexplored. This study distinguishes vintage clothes (pieces from the 1920s–1980s) from second-hand clothes (modern used items). It examines key antecedents including fashion involvement, nostalgia proneness, need for uniqueness (mediated by treasure hunting), frugality, eco-consciousness (via bargain hunting), and the shared "Thrill of the Hunt," and “Dopamine Reward” consumer behaviour theories while contrasting motivations for historical uniqueness versus value-driven purchases.

Nostalgia-proneness was associated with shopping at thrift stores, ecological-consciousness was associated with consignment stores and markets, and style-consciousness was consistent across shoppers for all store types.

The purpose of this research is to investigate young adults’ motivations and willingness to buy in the context of preowned fashion. Through a comparative study, from a consumer perspective, this study aims to understand how terms like second-hand and vintage evoke different motivations influencing consumer planned behaviour. Understanding the distinct impacts of terminology on consumer planned behaviour, provides valuable insights for companies to better adapt to consumer expectations and improve their competitiveness in the marketplace.

Introduction

The vintage clothing trend has prompted major fashion brands and haute couture houses to revive archive designs, yet consumer profiles and motivations remain underexplored. This study distinguishes vintage clothes from second-hand clothes (modern used items).

Research identifies key antecedents: nostalgia proneness ties to thrift stores, ecological consciousness to consignment outlets, and style consciousness spans all types. Drivers include fashion involvement, nostalgia, and uniqueness (via treasure hunting) for vintage; frugality and eco-consciousness (via bargain hunting) for second-hand—both fuelled by the "thrill of the hunt" and "dopamine reward" theories, contrasting historical uniqueness with value.

This research examines young adults’ motivations and willingness to buy preowned fashion, comparing how "second-hand" versus "vintage" terminology shapes planned behaviour. Insights will help companies adapt to consumer expectations and boost marketplace competitiveness.


Objectives

  • To examine how factors like nostalgia, uniqueness, frugality, eco-consciousness, and the “Thrill of the Hunt” theory influence purchase intentions for vintage and second-hand clothing.
  • To compare consumer motivations for vintage clothing versus second-hand clothing.
  • To analyse how the terms “vintage” and “second-hand” affect consumer perceptions and buying behaviour.

Literature Review

(Pauline Tesio. et.al) Vintage consumption is booming, with demand for vintage fashion, accessories, and collectibles surging in recent years (The RealReal, 2024). In France, the vintage market reached over €7 billion in 2020, including €1 billion for fashion alone (Bain & Company, 2021). “Vintage fashion and conscious shopping have always been part of French culture,” Alix Morabito, head of the women’s, children’s, and lingerie collections at Galeries Lafayette told Forbes in 2022. Platforms such as Vestiaire Collective and ThredUp, alongside traditional stores, reflect this growing trend. With Levi’s relaunching collector editions of its iconic 501 jeans and McDonald’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac burger with posters inspired by design style from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Brands are increasingly leveraging vintage in their marketing strategies by tapping into nostalgia to reengage consumers.

More and more shoppers are turning towards second-hand retail stores and platforms to purchase fashion goods (Abbes et al., 2020; Corvo, 2020; Masige, 2020; Park & Martinez 2020; Paul and Rosenbaum, 2020; ThredUP 2021). Globally, the online second-hand market is predicted to grow from $7 billion in 2019 to $36 billion by 2024 (Masige, 2020). The number of independently owned, fashion-forward, curated second-hand stores is increasing as the stigma and barriers to second-hand shopping decrease (Zaman et al., 2019).

Purchasing second-hand clothing is an alternative response to the problems associated with fast fashion and the fashion industry more broadly. Second-hand shopping allows consumers to avoid conventional fashion channels and thereby reduce some of the waste produced by the fashion industry (Lo et al., 2019; Stanescu, 2021). The main types of retailers of second-hand clothing are thrift stores, consignment stores, markets and online platforms (Bardhi and Arnould, 2005; Zaman et al., 2019). Thrift stores are non-profit retail outlets selling donated clothes with profits being passed to fund humanitarian causes or charitable work (Seo and Kim, 2019; Zaman et al., 2019). Consignment stores are privately-owned, for-profit businesses selling clothes provided by a third-party seller (often individuals selling their used closing) and are usually highly ‘curated’ with high-quality items (Seo and Kim, 2019; Zaman et al., 2019)

(Ferraro et.al.) Second-hand consumption has been quietly undergoing a makeover in recent years. As part of this shift, the concept of shopping for second-hand goods has been redefined. In today's retail marketplace, a mix of thrift stores, high-end stores, and online retailers are recognising the value of second-hand and hosting flea markets or launching their own vintage product collections. However, limited research attention has been paid to role of ‘fashionability’ as a motivation for consumers to shop for second-hand goods.

(Cassidy.et.al.) Amongst other factors, the current economic climate appears to have contributed to the trend of acquiring and reusing vintage clothing, accessories, and home-ware products, particularly with young consumers. The popularity of vintage has also been linked to a change in consumer attitudes towards wearing and utilizing second-hand goods. In addition to a change in attitudes, other factors that contribute to the growth of the vintage trend include a change in values, the inclusion of vintage inspirations used in current designs by fashion designers, and in the trends marketed by the forecasting sector, eco-sustainability, the media, and technology. Also vintage consumers and vintage retailers appear to share the viewpoint of the movement towards vintage fashion that has been assisted by a reaction against mass-produced fast fashion, as consumers strive for more individuality in their styling and garments.

(Crespo-Pereira.et.al.) Understanding what constitutes the neurobiology of consumer decision-making has been the aim of neuromarketing since the beginning. New notions regarding the value of emotions in consumer preferences have changed the way companies develop their actions towards marketing and communication. Nostalgia has emerged as an effective strategy for reinforcing the positioning of established brands. Because of the nature of emotions in nostalgia and the trendy relationship between neuromarketing and emotions in business, this research offers an exploratory bibliographic review to set the guidelines that help in understanding the interplay between retro marketing, nostalgia, and neuromarketing on marketing consumption.

(Gu.et.al.) People sometimes enjoy the thrill of the hunt, which implies search can generate joy in addition to costs. Some customers say they enjoy searching for unique items such as vintage T-shirts and luxury handbags, and managers at warehouse stores, thrift stores, and many online selling platforms say they design their store format to offer a treasure hunt experience. 


An important example of treasure hunting in a retail context occurs in the used clothing market, which is growing rapidly, with global revenues expected to increase from 141 billion in 2021 to 256 billion in 2025 (ThreadUp 2025). Even wealthy shoppers now visit Goodwill stores, thrift shops, and online markets to buy used clothing, which is also known as thrifted or pre-loved fashion (Rao 2023, Bass 2024), and thrift shopping is especially popular with Gen Z customers (Huber 2020). Customers often mention the thrill of searching for a unique item as an important motivation for thrift shopping (Hughes et al. 2024). Although customers also buy used clothes for other reasons, such as low prices and environmental sustainability, anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests the joy of a treasure hunt is a primary motivation for many customers. For example, a thrift industry executive stated that

customers “like the thrill of the hunt” (Pandey 2021). A thrift shopper said in a news interview, “Younger people find it fun, like a game. A hunt for something unique,” (Sicurella 2021) and another shopper said, “I’ll never stop loving the rush of adrenaline that I get when I enter a thrift store not knowing what I’m going to find that day” (Huber 2020)


(Meacham.et.al) Vintage clothing is defined as “clothing that is 20 years old or more, with a recognizable decade- old look” (Fischer, 2015, p. 48). Vintage is differentiated from historical, antique, second-hand, consignment, reused, and resale clothing (DeLong et al., 2005). Although vintage items are often second-hand, the most desirable items have rarely or never been worn (Mackinney-Valentin, 2010). The vintage community is created around the mutual appreciation and valuation of vintage clothing (Peters, 2014). Individuals who consume vintage purposefully acquire knowledge and develop deep appreciation for vintage pieces (Duffy et al.,2012). Gaining knowledge on historic dress, learning to identify.  Vintage clothing, and shopping for vintage pieces, referred to as “Treasure hunting,” take significant time and effort (DeLong et al., 2005). The knowledge, appreciation, and time involved in

consuming vintage clothing create a strong relationship between consumer and clothing.


(Carla Ferraro.et.al.) Second-hand shopping clearly offers a genuine alternative to conventional options (Brace-Govan and Binay, 2010, Chu and Liao, 2007, Guiot and Roux, 2010, Williams and Paddock, 2003). Further, second-hand stores have become an accepted and established retail channel offering a genuine alternative to traditional options (Brace-Govan and Binay, 2010, Chu and Liao, 2007, Williams and Paddock, 2003). Accordingly, the underlying meaning of second-hand shopping has been redefined and social stigmas have faded (Brace-Govan and Binay, 2010, Williams and Paddock, 2003). However, few studies address the motives that explain why consumers turn to second-hand shopping channels (Guiot and Roux, 2010). Further, little is known about how current second-hand shopping motivations are driving growth in the sector. While Guiot and Roux (2010) consider second-hand shopping in terms of critical, economic, and recreational motivations, prior research has not considered the role of fashionability.

(Freya Evans.et.al.) As demand for second-hand fashion grows, the objective of this study is to examine consumer orientations of secondhand shoppers to determine whether they differ by shopping frequency, and store type. Hypotheses were developed for orientations of frugality, ecological-consciousness, materialism, nostalgia-proneness, style-consciousness and fashion-consciousness. Orientations generally increased with shopping frequency. Nostalgia-proneness was associated with shopping at thrift stores, ecological-consciousness was associated with consignment stores and markets, and style-consciousness was consistent across shoppers for all store types.

(Vicamara.et.al.) Humans tend to get something in return for what is given, and exchange rates in thrift fashion where they want the loss to be as minimal as possible. Thrift fashion consumers aim to get branded products at affordable prices (Gerber et al., 2014). As a used product, thrift fashion has several risks, including the condition of the clothes that are slightly faded or have small or faint stains that can be annoying to those who wear the clothes (Zhang & Yu, 2020). Risk is uncertain, and there is no certainty of profit or loss. The existence of risk considerations can hinder consumers from fulfilling their desire to shop (Nguyen et al., 2021). (Rachmawati et al. 2016) explained that the low-risk perception that a person has makes him not feel afraid when buying and selling used clothing transactions both online and offline. Another factor that is also able to encourage consumers to want to use thrift fashion is social support.  With social 

support, consumers will feel they belong to the same social group. Social support has a profound influence on efforts to build the quality of relationships between buyers and sellers which ultimately influences the buyer’s intention to buy the product (Istiqomawati et al., 2022). Consumers who have received various social supports and perceived minimal risk will ensure that thrift fashion is not as bad as it is understood and can accept existing risks tend to experience an increase in their ability to buy thrift fashion products.


Research Methodology

This study adopts a mixed-methods design to apply neuromarketing and prospect theory to vintage versus thrift fashion consumption, drawing methodological rigor from reviewed literature.

Findings

  1. Nostalgia proneness, need for uniqueness, and the "Thrill of the Hunt" theory emerged as primary drivers of purchase intentions for vintage clothing among young adults, mediated by the excitement of discovering rare historical pieces; in contrast, frugality directly fuelled second-hand intentions, with eco-consciousness playing an indirect role through bargain hunting for sustainable value.
  2. Consumer motivations diverged significantly: vintage buyers sought emotional fulfilment via nostalgia and personal distinctiveness from one-of-a-kind items with cultural history, whereas second-hand shoppers prioritized practical gains like cost savings and environmental impact, highlighting distinct psychological profiles despite shared thrills in sourcing.
  3. The terminology "vintage" positively shaped perceptions of exclusivity, authenticity, and social status—elevating purchase intentions—while "second-hand" triggered associations with affordability and utility but diminished perceived prestige, influencing planned buying behaviour through semantic framing effects.


Conclusion

This study reveals that vintage and thrift fashion, though occupying the same second-hand marketplace, attract fundamentally distinct consumer profiles driven by contrasting motivations. Vintage consumers are primarily driven by nostalgia, need for uniqueness, and the thrill of discovery — seeking emotional fulfilment, cultural authenticity, and social distinctiveness. Thrift consumers, by contrast, are motivated by frugality, eco-consciousness, and utilitarian value — prioritising cost savings and environmental responsibility over prestige.

Critically, terminology acts as a semantic trigger "vintage" elevates perceptions of exclusivity and status, while "second-hand" anchors consumers to affordability and practicality. Though both segments share the dopamine-driven Thrill of the Hunt, their emotional architecture differs significantly.

Understanding these divergent motivational profiles equips fashion marketers and retailers to craft more targeted strategies — driving growth in the pre-owned fashion economy while addressing the sustainability imperatives of the modern fashion industry


References

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305634054_The_role_of_fashionability_in_second-hand_shopping_motivations

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