Design for service-oriented approach: a case of collaborative consumption

Human activities are placing increasing pressure on our global resources and climate, with the circular economy considered as a promising approach to reducing the global pressure on diminishing resources. Service-oriented products have become firmly established as a crucial aspect of business today. With consumers recognising the benefits provided through apps and websites, combining convenience with the potential to improve individual’s behaviour in respect to sustainability. Subsequently, the “sharing economy” is a term that describes a wide range of activities and organisations that foster the sharing of tangible assets for monetary or non-monetary benefits, typically through a peer-to-peer marketplace. Collaborative consumption is best conceived as a "resource circulation system" and a challenge for businesses and practitioners. This paper discusses the findings of a questionnaire conducted in Britain and China, which sought to understand consumer’s perceptions and behaviours around the use of collaborative consumption platforms, comparing the situation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that individuals, who use collaborative consumption platforms, predominately use the service for its economic benefits rather than environmental concerns. Consumer’s perception of sustainability may change post COVID-19, due to differing lifestyles with people being connected at a distance. Therefore, there is a need to explore new knowledge in order to find fresh revenue streams, new collaborative models, new partnerships, and new services. This paper aims to describe the gap between people’s value and their action, hoping to identify and correlate differences in consumption behaviour between two countries to inform future consumption and communicate potential sustainability benefits.