How often do you need your evening wear? How often do you use a wallpapering table, wet vacuum cleaner or drill? How many hours does your car really drive, how long does it park in front of your house or office? Sharing services have been offering us sharing items instead of owning them for a while. This is supposed to save money, nerves and the environment
But how accepted is sharing with consumers today? What prospects do they see? And what role does age play: Is it a generational question and will the younger generation share everything in the future?
The sharing economy potential is ascribed solely to the technical possibilities of increasing digitalization and networking PwC estimates the market volume in 2025 at 335 billion US dollars.
Only very few Germans already have experience with sharing via digital platforms. In the total population, one in ten has so far used a sharing service; among younger people aged 18 to 29, one in five has used one.
Use of sharing services in Germany (n=1,000)
Relevant industries
Looking at the sectors in which sharing consumers are active, classic products or services that were already available as a “rental model” even before digitalisation are particularly evident: Automotive (58%) and accommodation (46%). The wide field of goods, whether clothing or tickets, is already heavily frequented (42%), as is the media (37%). The financial sector and services are the backlight of the sharing economy.
Which of the following industries have you already used sharing services from (n=100 sharing users)?
How often do you use sharing services?
Media and entertainment sharing services have the highest utilization rate: Half use it several times, every tenth still once a month. Rarer than six-monthly only one in ten accesses such a service.
Mobility sharing platforms are used by more than a third of respondents at least once a month. Nevertheless, a larger proportion (40 %) uses it less frequently than once every six months. This looks different with the accommodations
Two thirds of respondents turn to sharing platforms for holiday homes or overnight stays at least once every six months, one third even once a quarter.
And the evening dress or the wallpaper table? Freight sharing services are used by two thirds of respondents at least once a quarter.
The sectors are quite differently positioned As in the textile trade, women are in the lead when it comes to clothing: 60% of women swap clothes; among men, this is only an issue for one in four.
Use of sharing services in the industry goods (n=100 sharing users)
In principle, sharing is more common in younger generations in all categories. It is particularly noticeable in the financial market. The 50+ generation has no experience here, while 15% of the 18-29-year-olds report their first experiences.
Use of sharing services in the financial sector (n=100 sharing users)
In the media category, we found a significantly higher distribution of sharing in the 50+ generation. By far: one in two young people aged 18-29 already uses one or more media services such as Spotify or Netflix.
Use of sharing services in the media & entertainment industry (n=100 sharing users)
In the accommodation sector, sharing services have met with great interest among all generations. The new players go here to an ordered field. One in two (53%) of the younger generation has already booked accommodation through sharing providers, but the 50+ generation is also familiar with it (38%).
Use of sharing services in the accommodation sector (n=100 sharing users)
Perks
The advantages of sharing are obvious for consumers: it is sustainable and resources and costs are saved. Social interaction is also mentioned as an advantage. Products that have proven themselves in “loan operation” are then even considered for purchase.
Arne*, 21 years
“Products are used more effectively. Sharing is more sustainable and in comparison there is a lower price for me to use it.”
Niels*, 42 years
“Sharing is cheaper and requires social interaction. Shared things are needed and not just standing around. Less resources are wasted.”
Stefanie*, 55 years old
“You produce less waste, you can avoid mispurchases by being able to test products a little longer in advance and only buy them when they are proven to be useful”
*Names changed
What advantages do you see in sharing services? (n=1.000)
Occasions
The car, the holiday and the book have been the most frequent occasions for sharing so far. But also the tool is already mentioned.
On what occasions do you use sharing services? (n=100 sharing users)
What brands?
The brands that consumers believe are capable of developing new sharing business models are very diverse. On the one hand, the major online brands such as Amazon (with video streaming already in the sharing business) or eBay (one of the first online exchange platforms) play a role, but classic players in retail (Rewe, Edeka, Lidl) or the automotive sector (VW, BMW, Mercedes) are also mentioned.
Which brands that do not yet offer sharing services are you confident of offering them in the future? (n=1.000)
To the study
In June 2018, 1,000 men and women aged 18+ were selected from the Dialego Panel and interviewed using a quantitative questionnaire. The study is representative of the German population by age and gender. We will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.