Sharing economy: comparing users’ and non-users’ perceptions

With the support of new online platforms such as Airbnb, 9flats, Uber and Liftshare, the so-called sharing economy or collaborative consumption has rapidly gained popularity among consumers. Millions of people have changed the way they purchase and consume, with deep consequences on both the demand side and the supply side. Different reasons encourage people to participate in collaborative consumption. In particular, available literature has identified both extrinsic motivations (such as securing economic benefits) and intrinsic motivations (such as contributing to environmental sustainability). Despite the growing relevance and popularity of this phenomenon, knowledge on this issue is still in its embryonic stage. The aim of this study is to advance such knowledge by studying the perceptions of both people that participate in collaborative consumption (“users”) and people who do not (“non-users”), with the intent of identifying the motivations which predict the usage of sharing economy platforms. For this purpose, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among a sample of 378 Italian consumers. The findings highlight the importance of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations but also disconfirm the significance of some drivers suggested by previous studies. Relevant managerial implications for firms affected by this phenomenon are derived from these results.