The report delivers insights from empirical data of 110 Sharing Economy initiatives from North- and Latin America and Europe. Together with the CSCP Institute (Germany), Columbia Business School (US), Akatu Institute (Brazil) and Shareable (US), OuiShare published a report with the frame of understanding the different business models, its enablers and success factors as well as the barriers to identify opportunities for this sector to thrive. The basis for the report is an empirical survey of 110 Sharing Economy initiatives active in the areas of service, goods, mobility and space, following business models of P2P, B2B, B2C and C2B interactions - in both: the profit & non-profit sector. Furthermore six expert-interviews were conducted to support the analysis and findings. Looking at who is actally using this alternative model of consumtion, the study finds that today Sharing Economy initiatives focus mainly on tech-savy (92 % use web- and/or mobile applications) millenials (less than 50 % target people 50+) in urban environments. The value propositions of the initiatives show that the aim is to create value beyond economic aspects focussing mainly on the social interaction. While 94 % aim to create positive social and/or environmental impact, only 25 % actually measured it - a tendency that was already pointed out in a study from 2013. Changing consumer habits and establishing critical mass are still perceived as the main challenges - for 70 % creating trust constitutes a challenge. While most of the initiatives see scaling up as a way to increase their impact (mostly through expansion across countries), the financial restrictions pose a barrier to its attainment. That the Sharing Economy scene is highly collaborative can be derived from the fact that the initiatives are highly interested in partnerships with other initiatives of the sector, traditional players and public administrations. These partnerships are also the main opportunity identified by the study to overcome the obstacles. To access a broader customer group - as e.g. the elderly - existing assets and infrastructure of large companies and local administration might be beneficial as well as creating proper legal frameworks in cooperation with policy-makers would allow to realize the full potential of the Sharing Economy.
For more details and insights download the full report:
On the side of OuiShare, Francesca Pick, David Weingartner and Thomas Dönnebrink contributed to the research. Furthermore, Albert Cañigueral was one of the six experts interviewed for the report.