Att dela eller inte dela? : Vad som möjliggör respektive förhindrar produktdelningssystem

Sammanfattning: Product sharing systems is recently starting to become a more common phenomenon. Carpools exist in more than 40 Swedish towns and both Stockholm and Gothenburg have established bicycle sharing systems. Other products for which sharing systems have been established throughout Sweden are clothing and tools. From the point of view of the consumer, product sharing systems is a form of consumption which can be placed somewhere in between renting and privately owning a product, where the consumers usually pay a membership fee or a monthly fee to have access to the products whenever they need them. The concept is relatively new, and there are many products for which product sharing systems do not exist. As a consequence, previous research in the area is scarce, with the exception of car pools. However, some research discussing product sharing systems in general exists, such as the research by Lamberton & Rose and Mont. In this thesis, previous research is further developed by analyzing what enables and hinders product sharing systems, and for what type of products these systems are suitable. A mix between a quantitative and a qualitative method is used, as both interviews with owners of sharing systems and a questionnaire survey with potential consumers are carried out. To analyze the concept, institutional and behavioral economic theory is used as well as traditional microeconomics. Both the interviews and the survey indicate that the general knowledge of product sharing systems is low and that it is hard in general for companies to reach out to new users. For the consumers, one of the biggest problems is the perceived risk of not having access to the products when they are needed. Another conclusion is that products for which variety is desired, such as clothing and books, that are used frequently, are especially suitable for product sharing systems.