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How rental ‘libraries of things’ have become the new way to save money (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 6 months ago by Aatube@kbin.melroy.org to c/technology@lemmy.world

223 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The theory is simple: instead of buying a household item or a piece of clothing or some equipment you might use once or twice, you take it out and return it.

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[–] abhibeckert@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago (2 children)

How would that ruin it?

[–] nyan@lemmy.cafe 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Modest profit isn't an issue, but most businesses of more than a certain size accumulate MBAs like some kind of parasitic fungus. They then proceed to wring out as much money as possible in the short term while destroying the business in the long term.

If it's just a local guy making 5% or so a year off his one rental shop, that's no problem.

[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 3 points 6 months ago

Yeah pretty much. There are behaviors that are profitable but not good for the community.

[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Competition solves this.

[–] nyan@lemmy.cafe 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The problem is maintaining competition. Another thing those MBAs salivate over is the idea of buying out the competition, and their squeeze-the-company-dry method can give them just enough money for just long enough to buy a competing business to run into the ground when the original one starts to give out. Like I said, parasitic fungus: move to a new host as the old one dies. Keeping them from spreading can only be accomplished by stronger government regulation than many people seem willing to see in place, alas.

[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 1 points 6 months ago

Government regulation is needed for a healthy capitalism country yes.

[–] Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

In a purely profit business, you price things based on how much people are willing to pay for them.

That translates into things never being priced as being “worth it”, but almost worth it, and definitely not worth it for people with tighter budget