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The Sales And Usage Of Secondhand Clothing Among Nigerians
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CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.0INTRODUCTION
The social
construction of sales and usage of second hand clothing has been a
contemporary issues in Nigeria which cannot be overemphasized.
Secondhand clothing (SHC) traces their origin from wealthy westerners
who contribute their obsolete clothing as donations to charity
organizations (Dougherty, 2004; Slotterback, 2007). Larger charities
first sort through the donations to add to their stock stores and then
sell the surplus to secondhand clothing dealers to help generate funds
towards assistance programs. Slotterback (2007) reported that about 80%
of the donated clothing is usually sold to secondhand clothing
merchants. The merchants sort the secondhand clothing by condition and
then categorize in groups which they bundle in bales whose prices vary
according to quality of the contents. Clothing merchants from the
importing countries visit the offices of exporters to ascertain the
quality, negotiate the price, pay for the bales and then ship the
clothing to the country of origin (Olumide, 2011). It has been observed
presently that Nigeria and Kenya is one of the largest importers of
secondhand clothing (locally referred to as ‘Okirika, Benddown boutique
and Tokunbo while Kenya called it “Mitumba’ meaning ‘onslaught’) in Sub
Sahara Africa respectively.
Buying behaviour according to Dawson et
al (2006), are set of attitudes that characterize the patterns of
consumers' choices. Apart from the essential internal factors, which are
recognized as influential to buying behaviour, there are a number of
external situational contexts that affect consumer choices. Consumer
behaviour is a combination of customers' buying consciousness and
external incentives which are likely to result in behaviour remodeling.
The society’s culture such as norms, philosophies, settlement, customs
religion, festivity, class, lifestyle and other subculture influence how
individual consumers buy and use secondhand products, and help explain
how groups of consumers behave. There has been a current need for
individuals and families to develop sustainable ways of living. One of
the important areas of sustainable living is through maintainable
clothing and textile consumption. Maintainable consumption is using
resources in a way that minimizes harm to the environment, while
supporting the well-being of people (OECD, 2008). Maintainable clothing
or fashion consumption is the use of clothing for purposes beyond
utilitarian needs which is achieved while enabling the
future
generations to meet their needs (Nordic Initiatives, Clean and Ethical
(NICE, 2012). Secondhand Clothing trade (SHCT) represents an
insignificant proportion of the total global trade in clothing (0.5%),
more than 30% of the imports goes to the Sub Sahara African (SSA)
countries (Baden & Barber, 2005). Despite being overtaken by imports
from Asia to Africa, the use of Secondhand Clothing still significant.
According
to Mangieri (2006) and Slotterback (2007) opined that having increased
drastically since 1990 the global Secondhand Clothing trade (SHCT) is
worth more than USD 200 billion each year with almost all countries in
the world becoming involved in it either as exporters, processors, re
exporters or importers. Used clothing markets exist in over 100
countries globally (Slotterback, 2007). The United States, the
Netherlands and Japan participate in SCHT as major exporters while the
developing countries like Nigeria are the major importers and consumers
of Secondhand clothing (Baden and Barber, 2005).
1.1STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The
economic downturn of the past has affected nearly every segment of the
Nigeria economy of the past has affected nearly every segment of the
Nigeria economy .The sales and usage of secondhand clothing is one of
the business, people are engaging themselves with and its increasingly
gaining ground in Nigeria. The rapid increase of population unemployment
is one of the major factors pushing many individuals to sell and buy
secondhand clothing, all over the world.
Nigeria as a country is
posed with a lot of problems, which includes poverty ,unemployment, lack
of resources, and low wage income are making individuals sell and use
secondhand clothing.
Typically, the importation of used clothes would
result in a downward shift of the demand curve in the new apparel
industry. According to studies (Slotterback 2007) many reasons accounts
for the sales and usage of secondhand clothing.
1 .Unemployment among individuals.
2..Poverty, both relative and absolute poverty.
3. Low wage income and lack of better job opportunities.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This study investigate the sales and usage of secondhand clothing in Alimosho local government area of Lagos State. Social construction, sales and usage of secondhand clothing. Certain conditions compel individual into taking decisions and actions. Sales and usage of secondhand clothing is a major occupation, for which, Igbo people are famous. With the economic downturn, more Igbo people have taken to the sales of secondhand clothing. Today, sales of secondhand clothing are no longer exclusive I ... Continue reading---
