Can Resale Scale Responsibly?
Description
Second-hand fashion is often presented as a circular solution, yet resale growth does not necessarily reduce new-product purchases. This systematic review examines how governance arrangements, exchange-supporting devices, and market context shape trust, scale, and circularity outcomes in second-hand fashion markets. We searched Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Business Source Complete, and ABI/INFORM for peer-reviewed English- or Spanish-language articles and reviews published from January 2010 through 21 January 2026. Two reviewers independently screened records (Cohen’s κ = .86). Thirty-two studies met the eligibility criteria. Because the corpus combined empirical, conceptual, and review studies and did not support causal effect estimation, methodological transparency was appraised qualitatively and findings were synthesized through a configurational Requirements–Fit–Outcomes (R→F→O) framework that distinguishes Governance Intensity from Device Completeness. The review identifies five recurring market configurations. Sixteen studies were coded as high governance, 11 as moderate, and five as low, while the mean Device Completeness score was 2.28 of seven. Most studies emphasized trust, participation, adoption, or transaction growth; direct evidence on displacement of new purchases, rebound, product-life extension, and net environmental effects was limited and inconsistent. The heterogeneity of study designs and the scarcity of direct circularity measures preclude causal or comparative effect estimates. The findings suggest that responsible scaling is best understood through the fit among governance, exchange-supporting devices, and context, while circularity must be evaluated independently from market performance. The review received no specific funding, was not registered, and had no formal protocol.