Consumer attitude on used furniture: Assessing the influence factors.
By choosing used over new furniture, and by reselling instead of discarding old items, the environmental impact of the industry is reduced significantly. One of the main drivers for the purchase decision is the consumer attitude.
Topic
The second-hand furniture market is well-known to the general public and offers great deals to individual and business customers. By choosing used over new furniture, and by reselling instead of discarding old items, the environmental impact of the industry is reduced significantly. One of the main drivers for the purchase decision is the consumer attitude. This study assessed six factors influencing the attitude and explored the impact of a different perspective (private vs. business).
Relevance
Most commercial furniture retailers do not (yet) offer used pieces in their stores. They might not be aware of the demand and the positive environmental impact of serving this division. This study highlights the factors, which are essential for consumers to have a positive attitude towards used furniture. By tailoring their offer to the client's needs, retailers can extend their business, increase revenues and contribute to climate protection, which results in a better image.
Results
In this study, six factors with a potential influence on customer attitudes were assessed. Three of them, namely price, sensory experience and warranty have a significant impact. Price has a positive relationship with attitude, meaning that high transparency and discount rate are associated with positive consumer attitude. Sensory experience and warranty are negatively related to attitude. This result indicates mistrust in the second-hand market and that consumers need more assurance before making a purchase decision.
Implications for practioners
--> Be transparent with your pricing and declare the discount rate.
--> Display the product in an excellent condition and allow your clients to have a close look.
--> Offer a warranty for expensive items with a risk of malfunction.
Methods
This study is founded on a literature review to explore the influence factors and to construct the hypotheses. In the second step, the quantitative method was applied with an online survey, which gathered 113 answers. Participants responded to seven sections (attitude and the six influence factors) and evaluated one to three statements per factor on a likert scale (1-6) according to their personal importance. In the third part of the questionnaire, the respondents gave details on five socio-demographic questions.
In the last step, the data was analysed with a multiple linear regression in IBM SPSS to identify relationships between the influence factors and the consumer attitude.