Circular business model – Access based car service : A Quantitative Study from customers´ perspective

Sammanfattning: This study develops the knowledge and understanding of Circular Business Model (CBM) from the consumers´ perspective in Sweden. It is of great importance, for the Swedish companies that are planning to establish collaborative consumption or move towards other CBMs, to understand how and what are the consumers´ attitudes, behaviour, and the level of purchase intention towards circular business models. Consumer behaviour regarding CBM is an undiscovered terrain with a very little research that has been done from customer’s perspective. In this study the Access Based Car (ABC) service is used as CBM service which sets the context for the research.   A quantitative approach was chosen. Based on the literature review and theoretical framework a proposed research model and 14 hypotheses were developed by using The Theory of Planned Behaviour and the New Ecological Paradigm. The questionnaires were sent to a sample of Swedish participants which resulted in receiving 317 complete responses with a response rate of 31%. The hypotheses were then tested by using multi-regression analysis, mediation analysis and MANOVA.   The study showed that the Swedish consumers´ purchase intention of ABC car service is positively influenced by their concern about the environment, their information of the ecological products, their willingness to pay premium and their attitude towards the CBM. Furthermore, it was found that Swedish individuals have positive attitudes towards ABC service with high purchase intention. Additionally, they are willing to pay premium for the service yet there is price sensitivity. The findings suggest that the best segment for this service would be the postgraduates and individuals between 26-35 years old. It is due to their higher earning power, awareness of ethical products, awareness of the environment and their willingness to pay premium. Such segments are present in larger cities, this can also be an important fact in product launches in such cities.