The Retail Second-hand Clothing Sector in Developing Economy: Case study of Liberia

Abstract The proliferation of environmental awareness and the growing recognition of the significance of sustainability has resulted in a new trend of retailers embracing secondhand 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.