Business models for consumer product reuse

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Journal Title

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Volume Title

School of Business | Master's thesis

Date

2016

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Management and International Business (MIB)

Language

en

Pages

68

Series

Abstract

Circular economy and collaborative consumption are creating new, potentially more sustainable business opportunities today, but businesses operating in that space are scarcely researched. This study addressed the research gap, and concentrated on business models of companies enabling reuse of consumer products. The objective was to increase academic understanding of businesses operating within circular economy and collaborative consumption, and to provide practitioners with insights of the industry, by describing business models existing in the field today. The study was conducted as a qualitative multiple case study with five case companies. Data was gathered through interviews, and analyzed on the basis of earlier literature on circular economy, collaborative consumption, consumer product reuse, and business models. The results indicated that there are diverse business models in use, ranging from platforms for peer-to-peer exchanges, to turnkey solutions for consumers willing to reuse. Based on the study, a framework for consumer product reuse business models was developed. The specialties of the framework include the role of consumers as both suppliers and customers of a service, the importance of trust between peers, the role of a company in reuse, and a company’s aspirations for sustainability.

Description

Thesis advisor

Juntunen, Jouni

Keywords

circular economy, collaborative consumption, reuse, business models

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