Pre-owned, still precious: How emotional attachment shapes pre-owned luxury consumption

Abstract

Pre-owned luxury consumption is gaining momentum as a culturally and economically meaningful alternative to traditional luxury, reflecting changing consumer values around identity, distinctiveness, and long-term worth. Drawing on product attachment theory, this study investigates how consumption values—economic, uniqueness, hedonic, and materialistic—influence emotional attachment to pre-owned luxury goods. It further examines how this attachment influences two key behavioral outcomes: consumers’ intention to switch from new to pre-owned luxury and their intention to repurchase pre-owned luxury products. The study also tests the moderating roles of brand heritage and perceived asset value. Survey data collected from 397 South Korean consumers with experience purchasing pre-owned luxury items were analyzed using structural equation modeling and moderation analysis. The findings reveal that uniqueness, hedonic, and materialistic values significantly enhance emotional attachment, which in turn drives both switching and repurchase behaviors. Additionally, brand heritage strengthens the impact of consumption values on attachment, while perceived asset value amplifies the behavioral consequences of attachment. This study contributes to the growing literature on non-traditional luxury consumption by extending product attachment theory to second-hand contexts and identifying key emotional and symbolic mechanisms that underpin consumer loyalty and behavioral transitions. The findings offer strategic implications for brands and platforms seeking to engage consumers in the evolving luxury resale market.