Messy customer journey self-mapping: A qualitative method for the future of second-hand retail and consumption

For circular retail models to successfully replace linear consumption in the future, retailers must understand the lived reality of second-hand customer journeys. However, existing customer journey mapping methods often fail to capture the non-linear, phygital, and multi-retailer nature of such journeys. This article introduces ‘messy customer journey self-mapping’, a novel qualitative method designed to understand how consumers navigate the complex second-hand retail ecosystem. Used in focus groups with 13 young adult consumers (generation Z), messy customer journey self-mapping revealed three tactics employed in second-hand shopping journeys to help customers complete their second-hand purchases – namely creating notifications, showrooming, and seeking trust via reviews. Messy customer journey self-mapping reveals how consumers combine online and offline touchpoints across multiple retailers to create successful second-hand customer journeys and how they use new touchpoints and tactics in surprising ways to accomplish those journeys. This research contributes, first and foremost, to methodological conversations around customer journey mapping but also contributes practical understanding of phygital second-hand customer journeys, providing insights essential for scaling circular retail models and creating a more sustainable retail future.