Digital Nudging and Online Second-Hand Consumption: An Experimental Comparison of Green, Social and Fair Price Nudges

This study investigates the effectiveness of digital nudges in promoting purchase intentions towards second- hand products in online marketplaces. Drawing on behavioural economics and digital nudging theory, a between-subjects experimental design was employed with 206 participants randomly assigned to one of four conditions: a green nudge (environmental benefits), a social nudge (descriptive norm), a fair price nudge (economic savings), or a control condition (no nudge). Results from a one-way ANOVA revealed that all three nudge types significantly increased purchase intention compared to the control condition (F(3,202) = 19.80, p < .001, η² = .23), with no significant differences among the three nudge types. Hierarchical multiple regression further demonstrated that environmental motivations, economic savings, and platform trust were the strongest predictors of purchase intention, while perceived barriers (hygiene concerns and social stigma) showed no significant association. Age significantly moderated purchase intentions (F(3,190) = 6.34, p < .001), with younger consumers (18–39) expressing greater willingness to buy second-hand goods. Gender differences were in the expected direction but did not reach statistical significance. These findings contribute to the emerging literature on digital nudging applied to sustainable consumption, offering both theoretical insights and practical implications for e- commerce platforms seeking to promote circular economy behaviours.