Dutch still wary of sharing economy

The Dutch have not yet embraced the sharing economy hype, with just one in 10 saying they have any experience of sharing or borrowing from other people online, according to a survey by Multiscope.

A representative group of over 1,000 people took part in the online survey. Of them, around 10% said they had borrowed, lent or rented something online. They describe the experience as cheap, easy and useful for items which will only be used once.

Those who don’t use such services say they are worried things will get broken or stolen. Making appointments is also an issue, they said.

However, of the people who told Multiscope they might use sharing websites in the future, most said they are attracted by the idea of exchanging skills and expertise as well as borrowing tools.

Ticketswap, which facilitates the sale of unused tickets for events, Thuisafgehaald (meal sharing) and Peerby (sharing items with neighbours) were the most popular services.

Just 5% of those polled had rented a house via Airbnb.