But in the end, everyone has their priorities
The world of travel has not been able to avoid it. It was one of the first to fall into the attractive network of the collaborative economy and there are more and more projects that give our trips a new approach **based on the philosophy made fashionable by pages like BlaBlaCar**.
If sharing a car thanks to this platform has become one more alternative when traveling, the first option that comes to mind when sending a package tomorrow may not be the typical courier company : arrives the_ crowdshipping _ _ _and he does it to stay.
This new branch of the collaborative economy is useful in many situations and, basically, consists of taking advantage of the trip of a person to carry (or bring) a package to (and from) anywhere in the world without having to pay a large company for shipping.
Everybody wins. Maybe on your last trip to Berlin you left a camera behind at the hotel and having it brought back involves a significant outlay. Thanks to crowdshipping platforms, now you will be able to contact a traveler who is going to visit the capital of Germany so that he can bring you your camera . In return, depending on which platform you use, the traveler will receive some money or anything else that they previously negotiated with you.
THE 'BOOM' OF CROWDSHIPPING
Despite the recentness of the concept, in recent months there are several platforms that have emerged in the shadow of crowdshipping. All of them with the same objective: connecting travelers with users who need someone to transport a package for them.
Companies like Jwebi , Sheaply , PeerShip or PiggyBee are just some of those that are fighting to dominate the newly born crowdshipping market. The keys that will tip the balance, not in favor of one of these platforms, but of this branch of the collaborative economy, are trust between users and, of course, the cost.
As in collaborative economy platforms such as BlaBlaCar, mutual trust between users is essential. In the end, you leave in the hands of a total stranger a package that has to reach the other side of the world . So that you can do it calmly, all the crowdshipping websites have developed some system in which, through the evaluation of other users, anyone can know in advance how reliable a traveler is when transporting something.
Crowdshipping, a matter of trust?
AND IS THERE BUSINESS IN ALL THIS?
For now, everything indicates that crowdshipping will be useful for travelers and users but it will not be profitable for the platforms: while in some of them -such as Jwebi or Sheaply- payment to the traveler can only be made with money and the platform itself charge a small commission , others -such as PiggyBee- leave users totally free to agree on what the payment of the postage will be and, in addition, they do not charge any commission.
Faced with such a scenario, it is difficult to think that collaborative transport can be a business as such for platforms. At least, charging users directly, who are the main beneficiaries, since they will be able to enjoy the collaborative economy without paying a single intermediary. Companies will have to look for complementary ways to make money, whether they are based on advertising or some kind of agreement with local establishments . Like everything, it is a matter of imagination (and some market analysis).
From there, it will be the users who decide which platform ends up taking the lead in this small and, for now, unprofitable sector that could become the biggest enemy of messaging companies. They may demand bans like taxi drivers and bus companies if things get interesting. Ladies and gentlemen, with you the next Uber.
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The suitcase, that flowery hell