Thrifting Consumer Communication Experience in Yogyakarta

Thrifting, the increasingly popular activity of shopping for used clothes, came under scrutiny when the government banned the import of used goods. This study aims to analyze thrifting consumer communication experiences regarding prohibiting imports of used goods and their impact on local industries. In the phenomenological approach, the researcher explores the meaning of thrifting consumers' experiences related to popular culture and wasteful behavior. Studies show that thrifting as a shopping alternative can help overcome the problem of turning off expensive and low-quality local goods. This is because thrifting provides foreign goods at lower prices and good quality. Even so, the issue of local products of inferior quality and expensive remains an obstacle that must be overcome. Possible solutions include improving the quality of local products, providing education and information to the public, and improving the quality of thrifting services and products. Thus, this problem can be overcome with solutions from the government, local producers, and consumers so that it can positively impact the economy and the environment. Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)


Introduction
The emergence of globalization affects cultural development in various countries.Globalization makes the interaction between people free and unlimited.Information can be disseminated quickly, and different types of cultures from various sources are shared widely through technology available worldwide (Sinuhaji, 2022).One of the impacts of the emergence of globalization is that fashion trends will change shortly.This incident resulted in the accumulation of garbage daily, and travellers usually took clothes that were still suitable for use.This causes people to get used to wearing used clothes daily and has become a trend today (Linggar Adji & Claretta, 2023).Fashion trends are popular, namely thrift fashion trends or used clothes.This trend is an option for some individuals considering appearance as part of a lifestyle.Fashion thrift is a style that uses used clothes that are still in good condition and can be reused (Agnesvy & Iqbal, 2022).
"Thrift" comes from "thrive," which means to grow or develop.The word "thrifty" means to reuse goods effectively and efficiently.Therefore, "thrifting" can be interpreted as buying used goods.Frugality is not only a matter of buying used goods but also provides personal satisfaction when you find good or rare items at a lower price than the original price (Ghilmansyah et al., 2022).Thrifting is buying vintage items for lower prices and unusual items that are not as popular as current trends.
The term thrifting refers to searching for used goods in certain places that sell used goods (Agustian et al., 2023).
Thrift clothes activities are proliferating in the community, one of which is for students to better understand the world of fashion and products at more affordable prices (Setiawan & Aulia, 2022).Some students often choose to do thrifting instead of buying new clothes because they still do not make money and still make money from their parents.To overcome student expenses and manage finances, students often thrift to support their appearance (Hayati & Susilawati, 2021).The phenomenon of the thrifting fashion trend, reported in (kompasiana.com),the beginning of the emergence of the thrift trend was marked by the mass production of clothing (production of clothing) that occurred during the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 19th century.At that time, there was an event of massive clothing production until the price of new clothes was valued very cheaply, and all circles of society often changed clothes with single-use (Adji & Claretta, 2023).This thrift shop activity is one way for teenagers to show their appearance with an attractive style of dress using retro, vintage, and branded styles, but it does not cost a fortune.Because of that, thrift shops have become a trend and part of popular culture among teenagers.
Seeing this trend, the thrifting phenomenon is an opportunity people use to trade secondbranded goods during the current pandemic.Some people sell in stores or on the side of the lane but are now creeping to sell in online shops.In addition, it is also inseparable from the many issues of second-branded goods, namely illegal imports, environmental issues, and health factors that concern health, especially during a pandemic like this (Ghilmansyah et al., 2022).However, this thrifting activity is very different from the opinion of our current president (Mr. Joko Widodo).For him, thrift shop activities or imports of used clothes disrupt the textile industry in Indonesia.Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki will ban the sale of these imported thrifting goods on ecommerce and social media."So, our argument for refusing the entry of used clothes and shoes is powerful; we want to protect MSME products," said the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs.
The problem of poor quality and expensive local goods is an obstacle consumers face.On the other hand, thrifting as an alternative to shopping provides a solution by selling goods or outside brands at more affordable prices and better quality.As a result of this rapid change in trend, the valuable life of a shirt is short, and it ends up in unused clothes, eventually ending up as waste.These fashion wastes can end up in the sea and pollute the marine environment (Balqies & Jupriani, 2022).The government has banned people from importing used clothes, but huge profits tempt some of these sellers, and buyers are tempted by some foreign-branded goods even though they are against applicable laws (Baladiah & Silviana, 2023).When talking about the consumption of local goods, it is often faced with problems such as overpriced and inadequate quality.This makes consumers look for other alternatives to meet their shopping needs.One popular alternative today is thrifting, where used fashion products still worth using are sold at a much more affordable price.
In addition to selling local products, thrifting also offers external products at lower prices than if purchased newly at official stores.This is because thrifting buys these products from the black market, outlet shops, or through auctions to offer cheaper prices.In addition to affordable prices, product quality also cannot be underestimated.Thrifting only sells products that are still suitable for use, even though most are still in excellent condition.With thrifting, consumers can meet their shopping needs at more affordable prices and positively impact the environment.By buying second-e-ISSN: 2723-6692  p-ISSN: 2723-6595 hand goods, consumers can reduce waste and provide a second chance for previously unused products (Magdalena, 2023).In an era of increasing consumption, thrifting offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.
When viewed from the negative impact, this imported used clothing contains many bacteria that are difficult to disappear even though it has been cleaned repeatedly.These bacteria can affect human health because they can cause skin diseases such as itching, wounds on the skin, fungi, boils, and other skin diseases (Fatah et al., 2023).In terms of the trade industry, this imported second-hand clothing damaged the domestic industry in the field of convection and garment.The Ministry of Commerce issued a letter about the dangers of imported second-hand clothing.The ignorance of the public and entrepreneurs about the risks of bacteria contained in imported used clothes makes imported used garments continue to be famous.The government enacted Law No. 7 of 2014 on trade, stating, "Every importer is obliged to import goods in a new state."From the description in the background above, this study aims to determine the effects of the ban on thrifting entrepreneurs in the Indonesian market on the import of used clothes.
In this discussion, researchers will discuss the communication experience of thrifting consumers affected by government restrictions on thrifting activities.The increasingly popular thrifting activity has recently faced obstacles as the government considers banning it.This raises debate in the community and impacts the communication experience of thrifting consumers.Therefore, I will discuss how thrifting consumers respond to this ban, whether they still do so, reduce, or even stop thrifting activities.In this discussion, researchers will analyze how the government's decision to ban thrifting activities affects the communication experience of thrifting consumers and the views of thrifting sellers and local brand sellers on this issue.In addition, I will also explore the best solutions that can be taken to maintain the sustainability of the thrifting fashion business without harming the local market and textile industry.

Materials and Methods
This study used qualitative research methods with a descriptive research approach.Researchers choose qualitative methods based on the needs of the case of the phenomenon to be studied because this method requires in-depth observation and is easier to apply to phenomena that are by reality and by the context of the phenomenon that is happening.Qualitative research methods aim to understand phenomena that occur and are experienced by research subjects, such as behavior, perception, motivation, and action.This study uses qualitative research methods with a phenomenological approach to focus on the thrift shop phenomenon among adolescents, especially in Yogyakarta.The phenomenological approach describes the meaning obtained from the individual's life experience of a particular concept or phenomenon that appears in consciousness.Thus, through this phenomenological approach, researchers aim to understand the meaning of the experiences experienced by adolescents in using thrift shops.Phenomenological methods focus on understanding and interpreting the human experience of the surrounding world.
The phenomenological type in this study refers to the Encyclopedia of Phenomenology from Dordrecht and Boston, namely Generative historicist phenomenology.It studies how meaning (found in experience) is generalized in historical processes or collections of experiences (Kuswarno, 2009).In the context of research on the consumer communication experience of thrifting products, phenomenological methods can help researchers understand and explore the meaning of consumer experiences when interacting with thrift stores, second-hand goods, and other people involved in the buying process.Phenomenological methods can also help researchers identify and analyze aspects related to experiential communication, such as consumers' emotions, perceptions, and cognition when shopping at thrift stores.In addition, phenomenological methods allow researchers to explore concepts that emerge from consumer experience, thus allowing researchers to understand how consumers perceive thrift stores and secondhand shopping experiences.
In the phenomenological method, researchers represent the research results with data collection techniques in questionnaires with several resource persons through Google Forms.The resource persons selected by the researcher meet the researcher's qualifications for searching and processing data.Researchers need as many as 10 informants.Dukes (1984) recommends studying 3 to 10 participants and one phenomenologist, Edwards (2006) studying 33 individuals (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
The selected informant must have a connection from the preparation of research on fashion thrifting and the government's ban on second-hand goods imports.The resource person followed and understood the world of fashion thrifting so that when the researcher interviewed the source.They can answer based on their experience and knowledge in the fashion world so that they can interpret their respective views based on their status.At the same time, one is unfamiliar with it and interprets the world of fashion thrifting as a form of expressing oneself (Agustian et al., 2023).The location of this research was the Yogyakarta area.The study results obtained a view, opinion, and solution from each resource person the researcher interviewed in-depth and found the reason for sellers and users.

Results and Discussions
The Fashion Thrift phenomenon has recently become a trend among young people, especially students.Thrifting is finding and buying used goods, as is the case with clothes that are sought based on the right model and suitable prices so that consumers can be satisfied buying goods that match their wishes.The variety of fast fashion brands from abroad and domestically gives consumers a wide choice in determining the clothes they want to buy (Ayu et al., 2020).Generally, students wear thrift clothes at low prices.Still, it turns out they can look attractive and unique because usually, thrift clothes have one clothing model, which then causes a sense of pride, especially by wearing worldrenowned brand clothes such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Gucci, Channel, Balenciaga, and so on at affordable prices.

Thrifting Enthusiasts in Indonesia
Now, the interest in thrifting clothes is increasing yearly, which makes someone interested in opening this business; young people, not infrequently do most companies.Also, enterprises are done by parents still following the current times.With a business like this, people who initially did not know what business to do can open this business quickly.With this business, many open up jobs such as guarding stores and also transporting new imported goods into the store to sort out which clothes are still worth buying and selling at a specific price so that this business can reduce unemployment (Fatah et al., 2023).In thrift shops, many models are offered, even if the prices are relatively cheap.By spending 50 thousand dollars alone, you can get clothes whose quality is still reasonably good.Therefore, it is not surprising that teenagers flock to this Senen market to get clothes that have contemporary models at affordable prices.
Quoted from the BBC, the reason for the issuance of the ban on the import of used clothes is based on the results of testing conducted by the Ministry of Trade, which was carried out at the Goods Quality Testing Center or PMB; examples of used imported clothes that have been secured are proven to have mould fungi in the fibres, According to Public Health Expert, Ardini Raksanagara, mould can arise due to the state of clothes that are stored for too long in a room that has a high humidity level.Before importing, used clothes are usually placed in sacks for an extended period in warehouses that have moisture and provoke mushroom seeds to arise (Fatah et al., 2023).This mould pollution can cause adverse health effects, such as itching on the skin, allergic reactions, toxic effects, irritation, and infection because the clothing is in direct contact with the skin.And even more dangerous are fungal spores, fungal spores that are inhaled and then sucked into the lungs.It can cause pneumoconiosis, which is a disorder due to dust buildup in the lungs that causes tissue reactions to dust or causes tightness; in addition to fungi and bacteria, diseases can also be caused by chemicals or dust; dust will affect the lungs, especially if the material used is cotton.
Thrifting can be done in two ways: by directly visiting locations or destinations that sell used goods or through online thrift shops on social media, for example, Instagram (Wulandari, 2022) (Putri & Patria, 2022).Impulse buying can be influenced by many factors, including environmental factors and how consumers respond to stimuli from the consumer environment, both external and internal consumers.Everyone has differences in impulse control.This is because some people are more likely to respond to impulse purchases, while others do not respond to those stimuli (Febriani & Purwanto, 2019).Impulse buying is a phenomenon, and widespread shopping behavior in the market has become an essential point in marketing (Tumangger, 2020).The phenomenon of impulse buying behavior is challenging for businesspeople, as they must create emotional interest by provoking consumer passion for buying and consuming a particular product.
Currently, consumers also follow the flow of internet development.Business people are now choosing marketing strategies by utilizing the internet to promote their business because they are connected to the internet, and marketers can communicate, encourage, and inform their products (Nurdin, 2021).To market their products, they use social media.This is because their product, namely Thirft or used clothes, is still unknown to many consumers.Therefore, they use social media to be easily known or seen by many people (Anjarsari et al., 2021).Many thrifting entrepreneurs sell by utilizing features found on Instagram, such as Instagram Feeds and Instagram Stories (Harianto & Sadikin, 2022).Not only that, in creating content and posting on Instagram accounts, content management also needs to be done by collaborating with online communities or public figures to get Instagram exposure so that the content shared will have more impact on the thrift shop (Mahmudah & Rahayu, 2020).Instagram story is one of the features of Instagram social media that is so popular today.In this feature, users can share temporary photos and videos that will disappear after 24 hours.From this Instagram story, many Instagram account users express their respective personalities.One of the goals is to meet the needs of selling content to others in the form of videos, photos, or images to Instagram, especially the Instagram story feature (Martha, 2021).

Figure 1 Forms of Instagram Thrifting Product Sales Promotion
Sales promotion of thrifting products on Instagram can be done through various activities, such as discount promos, free product promos (giveaways), and special price promos.In the discount promo, thrifting products can be offered at a price that is cheaper than the average price to attract consumers to buy the product.Meanwhile, in the free product promo (giveaway), thrifting products can be given for free as gifts in the context of promotion.This can attract consumers to try the product and expand the promotion reach.In special price promos, thrifting products can be offered at prices that are cheaper than average within a limited time to attract consumers to buy products as soon as possible before the promo ends (Noti et al., 2021).In promoting thrifting product sales on Instagram, paying attention to the right promotional strategy to attract consumer interest and increase product sales is essential.This can be done by choosing promotional activities that suit the target consumers, providing clear information about promos, and utilizing social media effectively.

Category Consumer Motives Fashion Thrifting
Researchers looked at various forms of behavioral differences among consumers of thrifting products.From here, the author creates a category based on consumer motives in buying thrifting products in the Yogyakarta area (Fitria & Kusuma, 2022), Including: -Consumer Groups with Unique Motives and Opportunities for Discovery In Yogyakarta, consumers are often drawn to thrifting fashion because they have the opportunity to find unique clothing and accessories.They look for items that are different from mainstream trends and want to come up with an original and exclusive style.
-Consumer Group with Affordable Price Motive Thrifting clothes are of good quality or even look like new clothes despite low prices.This makes the background of students buying thrifting clothes because the price is more affordable.Consideration of the cost of thrifting clothes is used to make savings (Ristiani et al., 2022).One of the reasons behind the act of buying thrifting clothes is frugality.This frugal action can be categorized by researchers as the act of instrumental rationality, where students do this frugality with a specific purpose, namely to minimize expenses so that the money they have can be used for other purposes.The effort made is to buy thrifting clothes.
-Consumer Groups with Sustainability and Ethical Motives Consumers concerned with environmental and sustainability issues are often drawn to thrifting fashion.Buying second-hand clothing helps reduce textile waste and supports more environmentally responsible consumption practices.The ethical motive of communication from consumption practices can be interpreted as a science that observes excellent or wrong ways of communicating with someone through consumption that cares for the environment (Anggraeni & Adiprabowo, 2023).
-Consumer Group with Retro and Vintage Style Motifs Some consumers are attracted to thrifting fashion because they love retro and vintage styles.Vintage is a style of dress from the 20s to 60s.However, some interpret the notion of vintage in a more specific fashion, namely a clothing style with many touches of interest and striking colours.Vintage items that are being loved today are found on vintage t-shirts (Aswadana et al., 2022).They want clothes and accessories with a classic aesthetic that is difficult to find in the conventional market.
-Have a personal style Thrifting also provides an opportunity for people to express their style.By shopping at thrift stores, people can find clothes that match their style and express themselves through how to dress.Selfexpression is one's behavior as an action relevant to interpersonal communication (Ikhsan & Adiprabowo, 2024).

Forms of Communication Experience
Government policies prohibiting the import of used goods into Indonesia can affect the communication experience of thrifting consumers.Due to limited supply, some consumers may find it frustrating or difficult to find the desired quality used items.On the other hand, some consumers feel that this policy improves the quality standards of second-hand goods and allows the local industry to grow.Communication between the store and the consumer becomes essential in this case.Thrifting stores can provide clear and accurate information to consumers regarding the availability of desired used items and comparable product alternatives.This can help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and minimize inconvenience or disappointment.
On the other hand, communication between thrifting consumers can also influence their perception of government policies.Consumers can share their views and experiences regarding this policy with fellow consumers and thrifting stores.In this case, thrifting stores can act as mediators in helping consumers understand government policies and how these policies affect their business.Overall, thrifting consumers' communication experience of government policies prohibiting secondhand goods imports from entering Indonesia can vary and can influence consumer purchasing decisions.Therefore, thrift stores must communicate well with consumers and provide accurate and relevant information.Based on the results of the questionnaire distributed by the researcher, the number of respondents who answered the questionnaire questions amounted to 10.They consist of 8 active students and 4 business owners of local brands and thrift shops.Based on the results of validity tests conducted by researchers, it can be concluded that interest in thrifting is increasing yearly.Many students are interested in opening a thrift shop business because of the great business opportunities and the added relationships.Fashion thrift also benefits those who like fashion but want to save money and are environmentally friendly because it reduces waste due to fast fashion.However, there is a view that thrift fashion is considered garbage or second-hand goods worn by foreigners, so it can cause infectious diseases if not chosen carefully.Consumers must be more innovative in choosing thrifting products for suitable materials and quality.
Violating thrifting products or importing used goods under the pretext of disturbing local products is not a strong argument.The reason is that many foreign brands or brands still open outlets or stores in Indonesia.People's enthusiasm for foreign brands is also tremendous and is influenced by factors such as quality, price, and comparison between local and foreign products.This makes Indonesian people prefer to buy foreign products.However, as local product business actors engage in clothing, they feel that the policy is more or less helpful because it can expand the market for local brands and help micro-local businesses downward.With the ban on products from outside, people are more likely to choose local products.However, thrifting products can help people in a low-income economy by offering low prices but good quality.
Seeing the effect of the ban on selling thrifting products on local products in Indonesia has negative and positive effects.The negative effect of the ban on second-hand goods imports is the impact on thrift business actors, both in traditional markets and online buying and selling platforms.The ban can hamper the growth of thrift businesses and kill thrift business actors who have plunged before the current boom.In addition, the ban can also reduce consumers' choices of affordable clothes.However, banning the import of used goods can positively impact the local textile industry and open up business opportunities for local brands.The ban can expand the market for local brands and help local micro-businesses down by increasing public interest in local products.In addition, with the ban, it is hoped that people will be more aware of the importance of choosing local products and supporting the development of the local textile industry.However, informants see the effect of this ban as a chicken and eggs situation.If thrifting is banned, it will harm thrifting actors; if it is not prohibited, it will hurt the local textile industry.

Conclusion
Looking at the results and discussion, the conclusion of the deadly problem of expensive and poor-quality local goods is that shopping alternatives such as thrifting can be the right solution to overcome this problem.Thrifting provides goods or outside brands at lower prices and good quality to be a more affordable shopping alternative for the community.However, the issue of poor quality and expensive local products remains an obstacle that must be overcome.The solution is to improve the quality of local products and offer more affordable prices, such as by increasing production efficiency and providing incentives for local producers.
In addition, relevant parties can provide education and information about the benefits of buying local and sustainable products so that people are more aware of the importance of supporting local and sustainable products.In terms of thrifting, the solution that can be done is to continue to improve the quality of services and products, such as improving the quality of packing and adding product variations, so that it can continue to be an environmentally friendly and sustainable shopping alternative.Overall, the problem of killing off local goods can be overcome with various solutions that can be implemented by the government, local producers, and consumers so that it can have a positive impact on the economy and the environment.