Economy 2.0 Sharing By and For Consumers

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1McKinsey online, 2015
2PwC, The Sharing Economy, 2015
CONNECTIVITY
TRANSPORTATION
SUSTAINABILITY
E-COMMERCE
NETWORK
connectivity, and experience. As
more entrants compete with more
established companies, manufacturers
must find ways of adding value to
the customer experience and view
themselves as providers of mobility,
rather than solely manufacturers of
vehicles.
Offices
The Serviced Office, or Business Centre
was introduced in the 1980s. These
spaces now encompass Coworking as a
design and workspace solution, meeting
the expectations of a young, technology
enabled workforce, giving them a spot
towork from, which can be rented by the
hour, day or week. Sharing workspace
in this way allows businesses to reduce
overheads and increase efficiencies,
leaves them free to focus on their core
business, and provides flexibility in a
period of strong demand for commercial
real estate - all principles which embody
the sharing ethos.
Corporate real estate leaders can tap
into the benefits of Coworking, but must
determine the right mix of dedicated
office to Coworking style spaces
or locations to maximise employee
productivity while retaining a cohesive
corporate culture and brand. Whether
they work with shared office providers
by granting employee membership, or
incorporate Coworking design into their
own offices, engagingwith this trendwill
help reduce costs and increase flexibility.
Sharing Shapes Future
Success
The disruption that sharing has caused
in the retail, hospitality, transportation
and entertainment marketplace is
applicable to any business. Therefore,
it is necessary for all companies to
assess the potential for consumers
and clients to come together in a peer
network. Businesses must evaluate
how they can create value, and if this
‘network effect’ is possible, firms will
have to decide whether to develop
their own sharing economy concept,
feed into a marketplace facilitated
by another company, or partner
with new entrants to capitalise on
sharing economy revenue, all the while
mitigating risk.2
What is certain is that affected
industries will embrace new models of
operational efficiency to benefit both
the business and customer. Cushman
& Wakefield will continue to support
the alignment of real estate strategy
with corporate strategy as the sharing
ethos takes hold.
SOPHY MOFFAT
Associate Director,
Central London
Agency & Investment
ROB PARKER, MRICS
Account Manager,
Global Occupier Services
ALEX BURNETT, MRICS
Director EMEA,
Global Occupier Services
The Occupier Edge | 7