Access-Based Consumption: Its Technological Determinants and Business Implications (Evidence from Poland)

Among many modern trends reflecting shifts in the way consumers satisfy their needs is the rising popularity of consumption modes based on renting, lending, leasing, and/or sharing. It is referred to as access-based consumption. Once treated as inferior, today this option is not only socially accepted but even trendy, and, most importantly, much easier than before due to the technological support of special devices and applications. This paper characterizes an idea of access-based consumption and describes how information and communication technologies determine consumers’ willingness and possibilities to use this mode of consumption. An empirical part is aimed at verifying and characterizing the relationship between consumers’ activity in using technology and their use of renting and borrowing as alternative consumption modes. Primary data come from an online survey conducted in the first two quarters of 2016, employing a nationwide quota sampling with a total sample of 1112 adult Poles. Analyses confirm that consumers using information and communication technologies to a greater extent (as measured by the frequency of use) employ access-based solutions more often. However, certain technology uses are more strongly related to an intensive engagement in access-based consumption. And finally, certain business implications of this trend development are presented, as well as limitations of the study and future research areas.