A typology of consumers sharing luxury services

The exponential growth of the sharing economy has led to the emergence of new forms of luxury services and experiences challenging luxury’s DNA.. This growth in shared luxury services and experiences has resulted in the emergence of new consumer segments. In this research we aim to answer the following research question: who are these consumers and what are their characteristics, motives, and attitudes? While previous research has hitherto investigated consumers’ perceptions of new forms of liquid luxury, little is known about the types and characteristics of consumers who engage in shared luxury services and experiences. This work delves deeper into the different motivational and behavioral characteristics of 805 US-based consumers in a shared luxury service context. Through a cluster analysis, we draw on sharing economy and luxury consumption motivations and uncover four main clusters of shared luxury consumers: Luxury indulgers, excellence-driven traditionalists, value seekers, and community engagers. We delineate each cluster’s different characteristics, motivations, and attitudes towards shared luxury services and offer theoretical and managerial implications for shared luxury providers as well as traditional luxury marketers who wish to tap into this fast-growing market.