Collaborative consumption: business model opportunities and barriers for fashion libraries
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore barriers and opportunities for business models based on the ideas of collaborative consumption within the fashion industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is based on a multiple-case study of Scandinavian fashion libraries – a new, clothes-sharing concept that has emerged as a fashion niche within the last decade.
Findings
It is concluded that fashion libraries offers interesting perspectives, e.g. by allowing people to experiment with styles without having to pay the full cost and becoming a meeting place for young designers and end consumers. However, at present fashion libraries remain a small-scale phenomenon with difficulties reaching the mainstream market, not least due to limited financial and human resources as well as conventional fashion consumption patterns.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to the new phenomenon of fashion libraries and does not cover other types of collaborative consumption within the fashion industry (Swap-parties, etc.).
Originality/value
The paper is one of the first attempts to examine new business models of collaborative consumption in general and the fashion library concept in particular. The study contributes to the discussions of whether and how fashion sharing and collaboration holds promise as a viable business model and as a means to promote sustainability.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the MISTRA Future Fashion research program for funding this study.
Citation
Pedersen, E.R.G. and Netter, S. (2015), "Collaborative consumption: business model opportunities and barriers for fashion libraries", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 258-273. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-05-2013-0073
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited