The idea of buying something that you rarely use could be outdated. The only reason it survived is because, in our consumerist society, you bought stuff so it was close by when you needed it.
Now, with the Internet’s ability to connect you with people, it’s possible to borrow stuff rather than buy it.
This is the concept explained in “What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption”. In this book author Rachel Bostman explains how this sharing and exchange of assets could be as much of a societal transformation as the industrial revolution.
There are lots of examples today, from house-sharing site Airbnb, through to errand marketplace TaskRabbit and car-sharing schemes being offered in Europe by the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Rachel says this means products will need to be designed to be shared, rather than with built-in obsolescence.
It sounds like a mammoth shift in how the economy operates, but one which makes better use of resources. Wouldn’t that be nice?
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America Goes Gaga as Janet Yellen Acts Big
Janet Yellen says the US administration needs to act big in the next Corona virus package. NAB’s Ray Attrill says she also signalled no change in direction regarding China.
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Retail, wages and RBNZ
Don’t expect a big increase in Australian wages today says NAB’s Rodrigo Catril in today’s podcast. That will come later in the year. Meanwhile the RBNZ continues to push hard on rate rises., with another 50 basis points expected today.
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Analysis Without Paralysis
Has your company deployed BI? Is is it all a load of BS? Microsoft’s Marcy Larsen says it works best in companies driven by KPIs.
