An integrated model to explore Chinese Gen Z consumers' second-hand clothing purchase intention

To develop a comprehensive framework for understanding the factors associated with Chinese Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers' intention to purchase second-hand clothing (SHC), this study analyzed a valid sample of 967 Chinese Gen Z respondents obtained through stratified quota sampling. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the proposed model incorporated additional constructs related to values (biospheric and altruistic values) and social influence (subjective norm, group norm, and social identity). Model comparison using their variance explained (R2) for purchase intention showed that the integrated model exhibited improved in-sample explanatory performance over the baseline TPB, explaining 53.7% of the variance in purchase intention vs. 34.2% for the TPB alone. Altruistic values (β = 0.154, p < 0.01), biospheric values (β = 0.143, p < 0.01), attitude (β = 0.168, p < 0.001), subjective norm (β = 0.187, p < 0.001), and social identity (β = 0.394, p < 0.001) were positively and significantly associated with purchase intention. Exploratory multi-group SEM revealed no significant differences by gender or city tier. Given the non-probability sampling and cross-sectional design, all findings should be interpreted as associational rather than causal. This study offers new insights into previously underexplored factors associated with SHC purchase intention among Chinese Gen Z consumers by integrating value-based and social influence constructs with the TPB.