The Sharing Economy in the Slovak Republic: Trends and Development Perspectives
The Sharing Economy in the Slovak Republic: Trends and Development Perspectives

Summary/Abstract: Research background: The sharing economy has emerged as one of the key phenomena of the digital era, transforming traditional business models and reshaping consumer behaviour across Central and Eastern Europe. In Slovakia, the rapid expansion of digital platforms across transportation, accommodation, gastronomy, and services has created new market dynamics; however, empirical evidence on consumer adoption patterns and socio-demographic determinants remains limited. Understanding these micro-level consumer behaviours is critical for platform development, regulatory framework design, and economic policy formulation in transitional economies. Purpose of the article: This paper aims to determine and evaluate the impact of sharing economy sectors on consumer behaviour patterns in Slovakia, examining socio-demographic influences on platform adoption and identifying sector-specific preferences. The study contributes to the literature by providing comprehensive empirical evidence on consumer engagement with collaborative consumption in a post-transition economy context, linking individual-level behavioural patterns with broader economic and social implications of platform-mediated consumption. Methods: The research employs a quantitative approach based on a comprehensive questionnaire survey of 400 Slovak adults, administered through digital platforms in February 2025. Data analysis incorporates descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square tests of independence, Cramer's V association measures, and correspondence analysis to identify multidimensional relationships between socio-demographic characteristics and engagement patterns in the sharing economy. The methodology ensures robust statistical validation while providing a graphical representation of consumer behaviour clusters across different sharing economy sectors. Findings & Value added: The study reveals that 42.2% of Slovak consumers utilize sharing services pragmatically when superior to ownership alternatives, with significant gender-based adoption differences: women demonstrate cautious, experimental approaches (21.4% occasional use) while men exhibit greater polarization between frequent adoption (14.2%) and ownership preference (23.5%). Correspondence analysis identifies four distinct consumer clusters: affluent women associate sharing with leisure activities, high-income men prefer transport platforms, middle- to lower-income women integrate sharing into their everyday consumption, while low-income men remain largely disengaged. The value-added lies in providing sector-specific micro-level evidence from Slovakia, revealing intersectional socio-demographic patterns that challenge universal adoption narratives and inform targeted platform strategies and policy interventions for transitional economies.

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