Preliminary communication
The Retail Second-hand Clothing Sector in Developing Economy: Case study of Liberia
Peter Davis Sumo
; College of Textile Science & Engineering and International Institute of Silk, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
Abstract
The proliferation of environmental awareness and the growing recognition of the
significance of sustainability has resulted in a new trend of retailers embracing
second-hand reselling from unsold or unwanted inventories. Their numbers are
increasing while also leveraging various business models, strategies, and procedures.
This study uses a survey data of 154 responses from retailers of second-hand clothing
across four cities in Liberia to evaluate the used clothing sector in the country.
Findings from the survey highlight that while the SHC value chain encourages
sustainable consumption, it is also a promoter of economic growth, particularly for
developing countries emerging from war. Its retail growth potential is closely tied to
the level of economic development geared toward supporting subsistence activities.
Findings also show that respondents strongly oppose banning the importation of
used clothes and the notion that second-hand undergarments pose health
challenges. These findings are essential for providing business owners with
understanding of the retailing process and how they can strengthen their foothold in
the used clothing sector. They also emphasize the used clothing industry’s
significance in Liberia and create avenues for future research.
Keywords
second-hand clothing, retailers, Liberia, sustainability development, textile waste management
Hrčak ID:
305537
URI
Publication date:
20.10.2022.
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