Users of Sharing Economy Platforms in Russia: Recent Changes in Consumer Behavior

Abstract

The sharing economy phenomenon has become one of the main trends that influence customer behavior in many markets. The emergence of online service platforms allows individuals and businesses to share their unused or underutilized resources efficiently and expand the locus of value creation through platform ecosystems. The analysis shows that Russian users of the sharing economy platforms for the short-term rental housing find it necessary to have relevant price offers, diversity of hosting proposals, reasonable fees, the web-site quality including booking convenience, availability of feedback and reviews, quick application processing, and contact with the owners of rental property. Aside from the economic, social, and ecological factors mentioned above, the individual factors are proposed to be added to the analysis which will have a substantial impact on specifying target groups of Russian users of the sharing economy platforms.