The impact of sharing business dimensions on consumer engagement : a conjoint analysis in the fashion industry

In the transition to a circular economy, sharing business models – with their focus on increasing the utilization rate of resources – are embraced. After identifying the dimensions along which these business models may vary (professional involvement, resource transfer, compensation, digitalization and openness), this paper relies on Social Exchange Theory to empirically investigate their influence on consumer engagement in the fashion industry. Using a discrete choice conjoint experiment (n = 383), we find that consumers have a significant preference for ownership of goods over access to goods, monetary compensation over no compensation, substitution of human interaction by a digital platform over no digital platform and local communities over worldwide communities. This research hereby contributes to a better understanding of how sharing businesses can improve their potential to engage consumers, which facilitates the transition to a circular economy