When do materialistic consumers join commercial sharing systems

Commercial sharing systems (CSS) evolve to a relevant business concept that provides access to product benefits without ownership. A series of three studies delivers new knowledge on how to target consumers who still refrain from sharing to widen the market potential of CSS. Study 1 demonstrates that materialism's sub dimension. possessiveness is the dominant inhibitor of sharing. Study 2 then confirms that this negative impact of materialism diminishes with elevating levels of the desire for unique consumer products. Study 3 reveals that this interaction effect is further qualified by the ownership of a product if the product category has a strong product-need-fit. This research outlines implications of how marketers can design CSS so that they are also attractive to the critical target segment of materialistic consumers. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.