Secondhand Shopping: Understanding Consumer Behavior toward Pre-owned Clothing in India

A practice note by the World Resources Institute examining consumer behavior and barriers regarding the secondhand clothing market in India, highlighting the potential for circular business models.

• India's apparel market is growing, with pre-COVID 19 estimates suggesting it would become the world's sixth largest apparel market by 2022. The sector is noted for creating social and environmental pressures due to its reliance on large amounts of non-renewable resource inputs.
• Survey data indicates that secondhand clothing buyers tend to be female and under the age of 35. The primary motivations for these purchases are lower prices and a desire to reduce environmental impact, though environmentally conscious consumers typically ensure their total purchase volume does not increase.
• The main obstacles to purchasing pre-owned clothing are concerns regarding the condition of the garments and hygiene. While the formal secondhand market in India is in the early stages of adoption, there are opportunities for circular business models, such as resale, where stakeholders act as both buyers and sellers.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Secondhand Shopping: Understanding Consumer Behavior toward Pre-owned Clothing in India. https://www.wri.org/research/secondhand-shopping-understanding-consumer-behavior-toward-pre-owned-clothing-india

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Secondhand Shopping: Understanding Consumer Behavior toward Pre-owned Clothing in India. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/secondhand-shopping-understanding-consumer-behavior-toward-pre-owned-clothing-india.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Secondhand Shopping: Understanding Consumer Behavior toward Pre-owned Clothing in India |url=https://www.wri.org/research/secondhand-shopping-understanding-consumer-behavior-toward-pre-owned-clothing-india |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendsecondhand, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Secondhand Shopping: Understanding Consumer Behavior toward Pre-owned Clothing in India}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/secondhand-shopping-understanding-consumer-behavior-toward-pre-owned-clothing-india}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }