Buying for a Better World: The Power of Marketing to Encourage Millennials to Choose Second‐Hand Luxury Clothing

ABSTRACT This study investigates factors that may drive Chinese millennials' intentions to purchase second‐hand luxury clothing (SHLC). Grounded in the Stimulus‐Organism‐Response (S‐O‐R) theory, it investigates how electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM), publicity and environmental advertisements relate to moral obligation, which subsequently predicts SHLC purchase intention. Additionally, it explores the moderating effect of consumers' perception of SHLC. Data were collected from 354 Chinese millennials using an online survey. The results show that eWOM, publicity and environmental advertisements are positively related to moral obligation, which mediates the relationship between these marketing stimuli and SHLC purchase intention, introducing a novel linkage to the existing literature. Furthermore, consumers' perceptions about SHLC were found to moderate these relationships, adding another unique contribution to the literature. This study addresses a gap in the SHLC research by emphasising the importance of marketing strategies that promote sustainability and social responsibility to foster consumers' moral obligation. The findings suggest that practitioners and social marketers should leverage these tools to motivate environmentally conscious millennials to purchase SHLC and reshape their perceptions, as sustainable consumption practices like SHLC can contribute to societal well‐being by reducing waste, conserving resources and fostering ethical consumer behaviour.