Rental is an emerging business model based on sharing fashion goods instead of their individual ownership. With the increased public awareness of the environmental and social impacts of fashion, co-ownership initiatives and sharing economy that have already disrupted other sectors are also gaining popularity in fashion. Rental can increase the use rates of under-used items and it potentially delays their premature discarding and depositing in landfills. In this way, rental alignes with with one of the main principles of circular economy – keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible. Fashion rental offers a broad scope of possibilities, including more traditional occasional wear like suiting or costumes, designer pieces or limited-edition garments and clothing used during a clearly defined life period, such as maternity wear or childrenswear. Fashion rental includes on-line and off-line peer-to-peer sharing initiatives, specialized fashion rental services by established companies and recently emerging rental options introduced by high street brands. While the rental economy could significantly contribute to extending clothing lifetimes, its effects on reducing overproduction and overconsumption of clothing are so far unconfirmed. Additional environmental impacts also need to be considered, as in comparison to single-purchase products, rental items require more cycles of packaging, laundering and distribution. Research has also shown significant cultural and geographical differences in user acceptance of new business models such rental.(1-3)
RENTAL
