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Rent Instead Of Buy 40#

The customer does not buy a product, but instead rents it. This lowers the capital typically needed to gain access to the product. The company itself benefits from higher profits on each product, as it is paid for the duration of the rental period. Both parties benefit from higher efficiency in product utilization as time of non-usage, which unnecessarily binds capital, is reduced on each product.


Apply this pattern to your own business and create your next innovative business model!

Examples: Iconic Cases

How they do it: Mobility’s value proposition is to have a model of shared car ownership. Hence, individual customers can avoid purchasing and maintaining a car but join the cooperative and thus get the right to use a car as they need it. As a lot of cars that are privately owned have significant downtime, the model of shared ownership increases the utilization of the individual car and thus lower the cost for everyone.
Learn more about Mobility Carsharing →

How they do it: Dropbox file hosting space is not owned by the customer, but he can utilize it to store his files online. This eliminates the need for a physical hard drive.
Learn more about Dropbox →

How they do it: Blockbuster leveraged exclusive agreements with publishers in order to pass on cost savings to customers. Customers paid a monthly fee for video rental. In addition to benefiting from a lower initial price, Blockbuster also capitalized on the fact that movies were generally not available for purchase at affordable price points during initial release periods. Thus customers had a choice to rent, wait, or buy the film on tape at the much higher manufacturer’s suggested retail price targeted at other rental chains and film enthusiasts, which at that time ranged between $70–$100 per title.
Learn more about Blockbuster →

How they do it: The Home Depot offers a range of vehicles and tools for rent at over 1,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada, providing value and convenience for both our Pro and DIY customers. Customers do not need to purchase specialized equipment, but can rent them for a specific project’s duration.
Learn more about The Home Depot →

How they do it: On Spotify, users are unable to purchase individual songs or albums. Rather, they gain access to all songs on their platform for a flatrate, monthly fee. Access is granted based on the membership and not via a purchase, making music consumption more flexible for customers.
Learn more about Spotify →



Apply this pattern to your own business and create your next innovative business model!