Is Luxury Brand Image Diluted by Second-Hand Luxury Retailers?
(A2026-131729)

AUTHORS

Huifeng Bai, Liverpool John Moores University; Vito Tassiello, Rome 3 University; Yan Sun, Oxford Brookes University ; Jin Shi, Saitama University, Japan

ABSTRACT

From the perspective of the Construal level theory, this study aims to examine whether purchasing a second-hand luxury product from either an official or an unofficial retailer directly affects luxury brand image. The quantitative data was collected through two online experiments which measured whether the retailer types (official vs. unofficial) play a pivotal role in luxury brand image. It is revealed that when consumers purchased second-hand luxury goods from unofficial retailers, their perception of luxury brand image fell due to activation of a lower level of construal, because they focused on the product’s tangible elements. The opposite occurred when consumers purchased from official retailers. This paper extends the theoretical understanding of luxury brand image through integrating construal level theory and comparing unofficial and official retailers. Practitioners are suggested to develop an eco-system framework to redistribute second-hand products in-house with emphases on brand attributes to suit the retail context.