Collaborative consumption as a socio-economic model

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of a new socio-economic model — the economy of collaborative consumption, which has become globally widespread due to the digital transformation of business and the active integration of information and communication technologies into daily life of a person. The interest in the issues of collaborative consumption is due to the rapid development of digital services for the exchange of goods, the growth in the number of participants and economic sectors involved in the economy of collaborative consumption. The methodological approach of this study includes a systematic review of foreign and Russian literature on collaborative consumption with an emphasis on empirical data. A case study of foreign practices of joint consumption in rural areas has been implemented. Such issues as the essence and basis of the economy of collaborative consumption, as well as the conditions for its development, become central in the present research. The approaches of Russian and foreign authors to the definition of the economy of collaborative consumption are revealed. An attempt to systematize the conceptual apparatus of the collaborative consumption model allows us to identify its main characteristics: peer-topeer interaction, temporary access to underutilized assets, mediation of economic agents through online platforms. The article analyzes the influence of socio-technical, economic and personal factors that stimulate or hinder the development of the economy of collaborative consumption in Russia. The high rate of Internet penetration and the development of technology have become key factors for the development of the economy of collaborative consumption. Personal factors reflect the specifics of the country and indicate the main reasons that prevent the inclusion of Russians as participants in collaborative consumption. A review of empirical data allowed us to conclude that the socio-economic model of collaborative consumption is developing at an active pace in Russia. The sharing economy has shown positive growth rates in the total volume of transactions in two years. The leading segments are C2C sales, P2P services and carsharing. As a result, empirical evidence has been found, based on the analysis of foreign cases, on the role of the sharing economy for innovative rural development. The application of the logic of a joint economy in the unique conditions of rural development can develop rural tourism and help overcome the financial constraints faced by farmers when accessing expensive agricultural equipment.