The Factors Influencing Users’ Trust in and Loyalty to Consumer-to-Consumer Secondhand Marketplace Platform

Abstract

This study investigates the factors influencing users’ trust in and loyalty to Karrot, a Korean consumer-to-consumer secondhand marketplace platform. This research develops a model with key variables based on the dual model of post-adoption phenomena and adds variables reflecting the specific context of Karrot. An online survey of 305 Karrot users was conducted in South Korea during 19–23 May 2022; the data obtained were analyzed by SEM. The results reveal that two types of trust—trust in Karrot and mutual trust among Karrot users—are direct antecedents of loyalty. Mutual trust among Karrot users is an essential predictor of trust in Karrot. Economic benefits and perceived platform functionality are positively associated with trust in Karrot. Psychological ownership and information interactions were shown to be the important determinants of mutual trust among Karrot users. This study contributes to extending the horizons of post-adoption research by understanding users’ affective and practical motivations for trust and loyalty and by confirming the significant role of two types of trust in forming loyalty. Moreover, this study also provides implications for practitioners of C2C secondhand market platforms to develop their management strategies and expand their customer base.

Keywords

• Karrot
• consumer-to-consumer
• C2C
• secondhand marketplace platform
• entrepreneurship
• sellers