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

Master's Thesis , 2014 , 156 Pages , Grade: 1,7

Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Media

The internet has provided fertile ground for turning the traditional niche activity of second-hand shopping into a mass phenomenon. Various successful consumer-to-consumer-platforms such as eBay.de facilitate the exchange of second-hand goods for both resellers and buyers, with branded products being especially popu-lar. This development has fostered concerns from brand manufacturers. They fear that second-hand offerings pose a threat to brand perceptions. However, this assumption has yet not been verified empirically and constitutes a research gap in the marketing literature. The research aim of this thesis is thus to investigate whether the degree of availability of second-hand products affects consumer brand perceptions while taking into account the possible moderator effects of product type and price. Specifically, the effects on brand image, perceived quality, and perceived prestige are examined.Our conceptual framework is based on a combination of theoretical findings relating to second-hand products, brand perceptions and limited product availability. Moreover, it is supplemented through insights from related fields such as price promotions and counterfeits. After having pre-tested the stimuli for product type and price, a final quantitative online survey was carried out that yielded a total of 561 usable responses. Due to the study’s experimental design and existence of multiple dependent variables, multivariate and univariate analysis of variance were employed to analyze the data. Our findings suggest that....

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Abbreviations
• List of Symbols
• List of Appendices
• 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
• Appendix
• References

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This master thesis investigates the impact of second-hand product availability on consumer brand perceptions. It aims to determine whether the degree of availability of second-hand products affects brand image, perceived quality, and perceived prestige. The study also explores the moderating effects of product type and price on these perceptions.

• The impact of second-hand product availability on brand perceptions
• The role of product type as a moderator in the relationship between second-hand product availability and brand perceptions
• The role of price as a moderator in the relationship between second-hand product availability and brand perceptions
• The potential for brand-image dilution due to the availability of second-hand products
• The implications of the findings for brand managers and marketing strategies

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The introduction provides an overview of the research topic and its relevance in the context of online second-hand shopping. It highlights the growing popularity of consumer-to-consumer platforms and the concerns of brand manufacturers regarding the potential threat posed by second-hand offerings. The chapter also outlines the research aim and objectives of the thesis.

Chapter 2 delves into the conceptual background of the study. It defines second-hand products and explores their characteristics. The chapter reviews empirical findings related to second-hand products and examines consumer brand perceptions, including brand image, perceived quality, and perceived prestige. It also discusses product availability and theories on scarcity effects, evaluating their applicability to the research context.

Chapter 3 develops the hypotheses of the study. It proposes a main effect of second-hand product availability on brand perceptions, as well as moderating effects of product type and price. The chapter also outlines control variables and descriptive variables, and presents a conceptual framework that integrates the theoretical concepts and hypotheses.

Chapter 4 describes the empirical study conducted to test the hypotheses. It details the pre-test process, including stimuli selection and pre-test design and results. The chapter outlines the experimental design, procedure, and operationalization of variables. It also discusses data cleaning, sample characteristics, scale assessment, and the statistical techniques employed to analyze the data.

Chapter 5 presents the results of the empirical study. It includes a manipulation and realism check, followed by the testing of hypotheses. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the findings and their implications.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include online second-hand shopping, brand perceptions, brand image, perceived quality, perceived prestige, product availability, scarcity effects, product type, price, moderating effects, consumer behavior, marketing strategies, and brand management.

• College: University of Münster
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Daria Brake (Author)
• Publication Year: 2014
• Pages: 156
• Catalog Number: V278444
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656711124
• ISBN (Book): 9783656712497
• Language: English
• Tags: Second-Hand;, Shopping, Zweite Hand, Online Second-Hand Shopping, brand perception, Markenwahrnehmung, Gebrauchte Güter, Kleiderkreisel, eBay, Gebrauchtwarenmarkt, secondary market