Abstract
With the consciousness of circular fashion and environment, the second-hand clothing (SHC) market develops gradually. However, some unsolved factors restrain the SHC market. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Perceived Risk Theory (PRT) to reveal how facilitative factors (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) and inhibitory factors (sanitary and aesthetic risk) interact in the context where perceived value is a mediator and aesthetic risk is a moderator. This research is a cross-sectional survey and analyzes 312 Chinese consumers’ responses on the Credamo platform. The data of key constructs are analyzed by using SPSS 31, AMOS 29, and PROCESS 5.0. The findings of this study are below. Economic motivation and behavioral beliefs positively impact attitudes toward SHC. Moreover, Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control have favorable implications on purchase intention. However, sanitary risk negatively impacts purchase intention, and the negative implication is amplified by the aesthetic risk’s moderating role. What’s more, perceived value fully mediates the attitude–purchase intention association, and subjective norms influence both attitude and perceived behavioral control. The SHC retailers and platforms ought to emphasize economic value, enhance the transparency of cleanliness, and use some tools to reduce the risks. Furthermore, policymakers can establish hygiene certification standards to boost consumer trust. This study combines the TPB and the PRT and recognizes the perceived value as a vital mediator, which is creative. Additionally, the framework of this research enriches the sustainable consumption literature for facilitating the SHC.