H IGHLIGHTS OF FINDINGS

The main Research Question of this study states “From a CCT perspective, what are the different perceived values extracted by Millennials from access-based consumption experiences in comparison to ownership?”. The data analysis revealed that there are different values that either motivate participants to use Swapfiets or arise from the experience of using it.

Through the analysis of the results, four main overall aspects that consumers perceived on using Swapfiets have been found: functional, financial, hedonic and symbolic values. Once each of these values has been discussed and analysed, I have aimed to interrogate their relationship to two of the main dimensions of Consumer Culture Theory: self-identity projects and a feeling of community.

Through the interviews, all participants remarked upon the importance of the perceived functional and financial values in their decision of leasing a bike from Swapfiets. These two values are strongly related as respondents mentioned continuously the importance of paying a low price and being able to have a maintenance service whenever they need it.

In terms of functional value, the service seems to be crucial in this type of PSSs. Consumers do not seem to focus on the product itself, but the service that comes with it. In fact, the convenience of it appears to be the most mentioned and important factor. However, there are some other aspects participants seem to consider important about leasing a bike.

Firstly, temporality seems to play an important role, since most of the respondents are from different countries and might not have definite plans about staying in Copenhagen. Many of them mentioned that, from a long-term perspective, if they decided to stay here, they would consider buying a bike. Additionally, consumers indicated that they value the autonomy and anonymity of using this PSS, in which they are the ones responsible for their bikes, and they do not have to share them with other people or park them in specific parking lots. Finally, in terms of responsibility and consumer involvement with the product, participants mentioned that they take good care of their bikes and treat them as they were theirs. Thus, they felt and behaved as if they were the owners of the bikes.

Focusing on the perceived financial value, participants seem to look for a balance between the price and the practical value of the PSS. They mentioned that they consider themselves cost-oriented consumers. A relevant aspect of the financial value is related to temporality, and the amount of money consumers would end paying if they continued using Swapfiets in comparison to the cost of owning a bike. It was interesting how, on the one hand, some respondents mentioned that they would save money on bike repairs by using Swpafiets. On

the other hand, some respondents suggested that in the end, they might be spending more money by using Swapfiets than if they just bought their own bike. Despite the different points of view regarding the financial value, it appears to be evident that the ownership of the bike does not play an essential role for respondents. In fact, the respondents’ concerns were mostly related to the financial costs of their choices.

The hedonic value extracted by consumers from the experiences of using Swapfiets has been divided into three different subparts: social, emotional and aesthetical values (Rintamäki et al., 2006). It is essential to mention that the perceived hedonic meanings seemed to be broader as they are considered to be more subjective. Thus, the participants of the study might experience the use of Swapfiets in different ways from one another and generate different hedonic values associated with it.

In terms of social value, consumers associated it with feeling part of the Danish cycling culture. However, they mentioned it as something general, not related to Swapfiets users specifically. That means they can identify themselves with other people using the Swapfiets bikes, and they recommended the service to others. Still, they have not developed a strong feeling of community.

Where emotional value is concerned, participants in the study talked about feeling different levels of affection and satisfaction with the brand inspired by the efficient service and ease of use. Swapfiets’ staff were also considered to be very helpful and friendly, increasing consumers’ positive feelings and perceptions of value placed on the service. Moreover, more generally participants also enjoy using their bikes for leisure or find cycling relaxing.

These positive emotional aspects have an impact on the hedonic value extracted from using Swapfiets.

Concerning the attractiveness of the product used, the aesthetical value appeared to be the least relevant one for respondents. Overall while participants mentioned that they liked the way the bikes look, they considered the comfort of the bikes and how well they work more important than the aesthetics of the bikes. However, female participants seemed to appreciate the aesthetics of their bikes more than male interviewees.

Finally, the symbolic value experienced by Swapfiets users is related to the environmental and altruistic motives of consumption. The participants of the research were aware of the severity of contemporary environmental issues like global warming and pollution. However, for many, their decision to use Swapfiets was based on more egoistic reasons like price or convenience. They argued that using a bike for urban mobility has a positive impact on the environment, and they feel right about that and want to show others that they care about the planet. The participants seemed to be familiar and empathetic with PSS like Swapfiets and believe that leasing something instead of owning it is something positive that helps reducing waste or the unnecessary use of resources. However, those facts were not the main drivers of their decision of using Swapfiets.

The main research question has been answered by exposing the different perceived values found on the experience of leasing a bicycle. Moreover, regarding the two sub-questions, it has been found that the perceived hedonic and symbolic values are the ones fostering the consumers’ self-identity projects and their community links with others. These issues will be further explained in the next chapter.