Collaborative business models in fashion

  • Mónica Sofia Marques Amaro (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

The 2008 economic crisis brought about the need for more sustainable ways to do business. This led to the emergence of Collaborative Business Models that capitalize on making an overall better use of resources. These have been aided by the current digital landscape with most businesses being conducted primarily online. This trend has received special attention in some industries, with cases such as Uber and Airbnb becoming a worldwide phenomenon. However those have been adopted in other industries as well, such as Fashion. As a recent trend, there still lacks overall literature on the shapes that Collaborative Business Models have taken in Fashion. Therefore the aim of the present research is to identify the types of Collaborative Business Models and their unique features in the fashion industry. A detailed literature review concerning this trend is followed by an analysis of 43 companies operating under it. This revealed that these models mostly appear under the form of renting services or second-hand stores. Therefore, companies capitalize on either use rather than own schemes or on the redistribution of already sold products. What’s more they differed on either being C2C or B2C platforms. Although four Collaborative Business Models were identified in fashion, the discrepancy in number of companies operating in each one, gave rise to the discussion on the likelihood of all of them surviving in the long run. Last, this research ends with an analysis of the potential future implications and industry impact that these models may bring about.
Date of Award21 Jul 2016
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorCéline Abecassis-Moedas (Supervisor)

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão: Programa Internacional

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