The Role of Trust and Perceived Value in Shaping Generation Z’s Thrifting Purchase Intention: Evidence From Second-Hand Fashion Markets

This study examines the role of trust and perceived value in shaping Generation Z’s purchase intention in second-hand fashion markets. Drawing on Signaling Theory, the research investigates how perceived economic value, perceived environmental value, and product quality uncertainty influence consumer trust and purchase intention within the Indonesian thrifting context. Data were collected from 200 Generation Z consumers who have prior experience purchasing second-hand clothing through thrifting platforms, using a purposive sampling technique. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships and mediation effects. The results reveal that perceived economic value and product quality uncertainty significantly affect consumer trust, while perceived environmental value does not directly influence purchase intention. Consumer trust is found to have a strong positive effect on purchase intention and plays a critical mediating role between perceived economic value and purchase intention, as well as between product quality uncertainty and purchase intention. These findings indicate that trust serves as a key mechanism for reducing uncertainty and translating value perceptions into behavioral intention. This study contributes to the literature by extending Signaling Theory to digital second-hand fashion markets. It also provides implications for trust-based strategies targeting Generation Z consumers.