The consumer potential of Collaborative Consumption: Identifying the motives of Dutch Collaborative Consumers & Measuring the consumer potential of Collaborative Consumption within the municipality of Amsterdam

Abstract

Collaborative Consumption (CC) is a new socioeconomic groundswell in which traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping are redefined through technology and peer communities. It is characterized by access, instead of ownership, to products and services thereby benefiting people, profit and planet. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence about the actual growth potential of CC. The objective of this research is to yield descriptive and explanatory knowledge on the consumer potential of Collaborative Consumption, by determining if, and because of what factors, consumers living in Amsterdam would take part in Collaborative Consumption. A Mixed METHODS approach is adopted. First Grounded Theory Methods are adopted in order to find out what motives (and other explanatory factors) current users have for taking part in CC (N=20). These findings are then tested in a non-experimental setting by means of a large N-survey among 1330 citizens of Amsterdam. The RESULTS on the dependent variable indicate that there is a substantial willingness for taking part in CC. This willingness differs per item (power drill & bicycle, car, ride, meal, garden, accommodation, skill), role (taker, provider), and whether there is money involved (buying, selling, renting, renting out) or not (lending, lending out, giving, receiving, swapping). Motives influencing the dependent variable are; saving / earning money, meeting people, contributing to a healthy environment, social attitude towards the neighbourhood, general social attitude and environmental behaviour. Other explanatory factors are recommendation, online- and offline experience. Furthermore, results on the different demographics indicate that women are slightly more likely than men to take part in CC. When income and age increase, the willingness to take part in CC slightly decreases and education correlates positively with the dependent variable. The 54 non-western immigrant group demonstrated the highest willingness of all ethnic groups.