The Rise of Collaborative Consumption in EU Member States: Exploring the Impact of Collaborative Economy Platforms on Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Consumption

Abstract

This study identifies a consumption model and consumer behavior patterns in the collaborative economy paradigm. The authors assessed the demand for technical innovation in the online commerce market in EU member states through monitoring, and used a moving average method to highlight the trend of the overall economic effect concerning national conditions. They also analyzed the main sectors of the collaborative economy for 2020–2022 and large online platforms subject to the legal landscape for studying European consumer behavior, establishing a consumption model and characteristic purchasing patterns within the collaborative economy. It has been discovered that collaborative consumption practices in European society are still expanding despite changes in global economic trends. It has been determined that the physical goods sector is the collaborative economy’s priority. It is demonstrated that online platforms of the collaborative economy primarily contribute to the redistribution of consumption centered on the following behavior patterns: economic value quality, social responsibility, and rational consumption. The study’s findings deepen our comprehension of collaborative consumption while also furnishing decision-makers and business leaders with information that can be put into practice to encourage responsible and sustainable consumption behaviors within the collaborative economy.