It had to come I suppose.
First, Boris Bikes, Uber, Airbnb, now Rent’nTrim - or whatever Husqvarna decide to label their new system for hiring cordless power tools should the trial in Stockholm be a success (see today's new story).
The old adage of Pride of Ownership is fast disappearing. We want cars, bikes, homes or kit when we want them, not stuck in a shed gathering dust for long periods of the year.
The Husqvarna project only really extends the popularity of ‘click and collect’. No longer do we have to wait around for stuff to be delivered, we can choose a delivery option to suit - and that can often be from a container at a 24hour convenience store with no connection to the source of the goods.
Many dealers already have safe containers to receive urgently required parts ‘over-nighted’ to their premises and dropped off out of hours.
What will be interesting is the way that Husqvarna decide to roll out the initiative in the future. How will it involve the dealer network? Could, and should, containers by incorporated into dealerships - either internally or externally? Will dealers be involved in the restocking of products in non-traditional locations?
Who will be responsible for the safety of the product - and who will the renter ring when things go wrong?
It is inconceivable that major suppliers like Husqvarna would handle all these issues centrally. The dealer must be involved.
These concept ideas are always exciting. They are a pointer to the ways in which retailing is changing.
I've heard talk of this 'sharing culture' being predicted as a possible next big thing in outdoor power equipment from various sources over the past little while. In the commercial sector for example it is starting to happen with the upkeep of parks and open spaces - with more enthusiastic volunteers wanting to get involved with local projects.
And with the proliferation of cordless machinery making once quite intimidating tools more accessible for all, one can see how these products can naturally lend themselves to this kind of use.
My guess is that if the products fly out of the ‘trial’ Battery Box at a Stockholm store, that will however only throw up more questions than answers.
