AS SHARED BICYCLES PROVE POPULAR, more companies are copying the model with things such as basketballs and umbrellas. However, some of these self-claimed "sharing" businesses are unlikely to succeed. Beijing News comments:

In economics, there is a strict definition of the "sharing economy". It means people sharing their unused resources with others, so that both sides benefit and the whole society avoids wasting resources.

In this mode, a company provides a platform enabling one person to rent or lease a resource of another. An example of this is Airbnb, which offers a platform for those offering or wanting to rent a room from others. The company in turn makes money by charging a service fee.