Access-based consumption: a new business model for luxury and secondhand fashion business?

This chapter investigates the concept of access-based consumption (ABC) within the context of the UK’s secondhand luxury fashion industry. ABC has received increased interest and implies temporarily being able to use and experience a good/service without making a transaction that transfers ownership of goods/services. A proliferation of business models has emerged that embrace the concept of ABC, all of which share one communality: a consumption experience on the consumer side. This chapter presents various forms of ABC models and critically evaluates their relevance within the context of secondhand luxury and vintage fashion. This topic is new and fills a gap in the current retail fashion literature, particularly from a sustainability perspective. Sustainability, having developed as a megatrend in recent years, is having significant impacts on the retail fashion landscape. In sum, these business models suggest that the ultimate desire of consumers is moving from ownership towards experience. This chapter seeks to contribute to knowledge by investigating an emerging phenomenon within an under-researched context. More specifically, ABC models within the creative and cultural industries are examined. Furthermore, this research explores the business motivations of establishing an ABC model, as well as an insight into consumer motivations and shopper orientations for renting and swapping merchandise in a luxury fashion context.