Business models based on sharing fashion and accessories: Qualitative-empirical insights into a new type of sharing economy business models

The sharing economy has become a major topic of interest for researchers during the last decade. Especially parts of the sharing economy such as carsharing or accommodation sharing and the design of business models firms employ in this realm have been widely analyzed. However, other parts of the sharing economy did by now not make their way into the spotlight of research. In this paper, the focus is set on the sharing of fashion and accessories. Against the background of a two-step multiple-case study based on interviews with representatives of 14 case firms as well as open interviews with 102 customers of these case firms, we uncover, characterize, and categorize the business model design employed by these firms and also gain insights into the customer perception of the established business model designs. The results show that the employed business models considerably differ in terms of the value proposition, but are very much alike related to value creation and especially value delivery as well as value capture. Furthermore, customers mainly base their decision on accepting a firm offering on the provided value proposition. Linking the main findings, this paper provides new and interesting insights into the aspect of trust in sharing-focused settings and the roles greenwashing and social washing play in this realm.