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Fall 2015
The basics
of sharing
So just what is the sharing
economy? If you've ever
used Zipcar to explore a city,
contributed to a campaign
on Kickstarter, hired some-
one to run an errand through
TaskRabbit, or bought
something on eBay, you've
participated in the shar-
ing economy. It's all about
making something you have
available to others. Sharing
has always existed, but what's
new are the technology
platforms facilitating it.
Millennials have different
attitudes about ownership
than previous generations
— they're less likely to buy a
house or prioritize having a
car than their predecessors.
Also, they're comfortable
with digital technologies,
making them perfectly suited
to peer-to-peer systems. Add
in their sheer size of 92 mil-
lion, and it's easy to see why
this movement has taken off.
Total revenues for five shar-
ing economy sectors could
hit $335 billion by 2025,
according to an analysis by
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
