Rethinking consumer acceptance of circular services and product-service-systems

Shifting from selling products to offering them as part of a service, i.e. within a product-service system (PSS) is thought to offer viable opportunities for implementing circular economy (CE)-based business models. Yet, although adopting such a model would require changes in daily consumption practices, few studies have examined the consumer reception of novel circular offerings, a gap this article addresses. Data collected in focus groups and interviews present a range of factors that accelerate or inhibit consumer acceptance of CE services. The analysis of factors revealed missing insights in previous studies: a smooth delivery and the technical level of the product to promote acceptance, and consumer’s emotional connections with certain products to hinder acceptance.