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bad conditions or fake is received. However, this bad experience is generally not attributed to the luxury brand, by the respondents, but rather to the S-H platform.
The risk associated to these purchases, additionally, evokes behavioural reactions that pushes the consumers to research and attentively evaluate the product before the purchase. This also makes the consumer more involved and knowledgeable about the brand and its products, which can have both positive and negative influence for the brand based on the knowledge that can be acquired.
Additionally, in the consumption phase, the lack of newness proper of the S-H items make some of the consumers engage with cleaning rituals that can minimize the presence of the previous owner. If not completely removed this presence can distance the user from the product and therefore limit her attachment to it. Furthermore, for most of the respondents this pre-used nature of S-H is also justifying the consumers to use the product more carelessly and more often. Both these behavioural reactions can decrease the perceived prestigiousness and value of the product.
From an intellectual point of view, S-H luxury consumption is a strongly cognitive experience, where the consumer needs to be conscious about the risk she is taking and evaluate whether is worth taking it or not. As a more rational and premeditated experience, it can lose the “magic” and emotionality that usually characterizes luxury experiences (Kapferer, 1998) as well as make the consumer more aware of the value of the product. Especially the more experienced luxury consumers were found to be very conscious of the quality and value of different products and brands, not seeing the luxury brand necessarily as a guarantee for its value. This can have a negative impact for the brands it they are not able to maintain their value in the S-H market.
The S-H luxury experience also losses its social aspect related to the in-store experience. However, the consumption of these products still maintain a social relevance as, on one hand, they are still luxury products and not necessarily visibly associated to the practice of S-H and on the other they contribute to make the owner look better: skilled in finding and recognizing great deals, special for owning unique products or responsible for choosing a qualitative and sustainable option.
Is therefore the author’s conclusion, that the S-H experience consumers go through, has a relevant influence on how luxury brands are experienced. This influence, however, is not necessarily positive or negative, as different stimuli and consumer experiences can have a different impact on the overall brand experience. Among these stimuli and experiences the most prominent were:
• The resale value of the item, or the change in price between the F-H and the S-H market, if small or negative can positively influence the perceived value and exclusivity of the brand, but if high
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it has a negative impact on it. This stimulus is particularly relevant for consumers with an elevated knowledge about luxury and see these items as expressions of their actual self. It is important here to note, that due to the risk associated with S-H, S-H consumers are keener to collect information about the products and the brand. Due to the democratization of internet they are also more likely to find real data, which might not always benefit the brand.
• The uniqueness of the products available has a positive influence for consumers that are looking for rare pieces to express their self and their knowledge, as it increases the attachment to the brand and its perceived value (Kessous & Valette-Florence, 2019).
• The availability of popular products on the other hand can satisfy the aspirational luxury consumers, who uses S-H to access luxury at a lower price point. However, this can also have a negative impact, if the products in store are also available on the S-H market for a lower price. This will in the first place create confusion over the value of the product and influence the decision making of those consumers who are considering buying the item F-H. Furthermore, it will also decrease the perceived exclusivity of this item, an important characteristic of luxury products.
• The packaging and delivery experience if positively perceived, influences the perceived luxuriousness of the product and consumer’s emotional involvement with it positively, having therefore a positive influence on the brand.
• The past owner presence has a positive influence for consumers that see the emotional value in the connection with the past, as this strengthens the relation between the product and its owner.
However, it can have a negative impact for consumers who do not perceive this as valuable, but rather as an obstacle that limits them to fully enjoy the item.
• The perceived quality and low delicacy of the product due to past usage, has a positive impact on consumers experience with the product as it makes them more comfortable to use it more often and in all situations. This positively influences the relationship the consumer has with its product as well as the perception of its quality, and therefore influences the brand. However, in the context of luxury, this negatively influences the perception of the product in terms of its prestigiousness. Due to their usability these products are not experiences as prestigious and precious as the new ones.
• The sustainability aspect of the experience positively influences the experience as it decreases the dissonance luxury consumers live in relation to luxury.
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• Brand involvement with S-H luxury positively influences the brand experience if perceived to be beneficial for both the brand and the consumer. If perceived as incentivizing consumers to make bad choices this will have a negative impact on the brand
The study, therefore, contributes with novel knowledge to the research field about S-H luxury experiences as well as their influence on luxury brands. In other words, the study deepens the understanding of how consumers live luxury in the S-H market and how these experiences impact the overall luxury brand experience.
Additionally, to the authors knowledge, the Brakus et al., (2009) brand experience framework was used in the context of luxury for the first time in this study. It contributed, therefore, to confirm the applicability of the specific framework as well as to the development of new knowledge about brand experience.
Additionally, due to the explorative nature of the study, these findings can be seen as a base for future researches as they provide a starting point for the understanding of the phenomenon of S-H luxury from an experiential point of view as well as a useful insight for managerial decision making.