While the circular economy is increasingly recognized as a key element of sustainable development, the utilization of digital platforms in promoting circular consumption remains an under-researched topic. This article discusses how consumer-oriented platforms balance economic and environmental goals, and how platform logic can support the circular economy transition by facilitating changes in consumer behavior. The study draws on a multiple-case analysis of seven Business-to-Consumer platforms in Japan’s food services sector. While the platforms share a societal purpose-driven design, they differ in profit orientations and revenue models. Our findings indicate that platform providers avoid overt sustainability messaging, instead highlighting economic or health benefits to attract consumers. To engage supply-side users, they emphasize instrumental benefits such as increased visibility, surplus revenue, and cost savings. The study illustrates how platforms reduce barriers to circular consumer behavior, but their impact depends on reaching a sufficient user base to leverage network effects. In addition, the study highlights how cultural factors, such as Japan’s emphasis on social harmony, significantly shape adoption and scalability of circular economy platforms. This study contributes to circular economy discourse by deepening understanding of the interaction between platform logic and circular consumption. It offers contextual insights into consumer platforms’ potential to support the circular economy transition.
Using data from China's manufacturing firms (2011–2020), this study examines how digital platform adoption affects profit rates through two opposing mechanisms. The positive “turnover acceleration effect” enhances efficiency and reduces circulation time, while the negative “value extraction effect” reduces margins through platform monopolization and weakened bargaining power. When platform exposure exceeds a critical threshold, the negative effect dominates, causing declining profits. Platforms facilitate value realization but cannot independently create value. By adopting a Marxian framework of value and circulation with firm‐level empirical evidence, this study explains the paradox of widespread platform adoption alongside falling profitability in China's manufacturing sector, highlighting the need for firms and policymakers to balance platform engagement with productive investment.
Fu-Sheng Xie, Ke-Wei Deng, Nan Jiang et al.· Metroeconomica· 0 citations
The authors examine the pivotal roles of individuals and collectives, alongside their embedded socio-economic and technical arrangements, to show the multifaceted dimensions of the rapid proliferation of platforms, burgeoning platform memberships, and the ensuing multidimensional social exchanges in India.
Jillet Sarah Sam, Shriram Venkatraman, Rajorshi Ray· 0 citations
The rapid ascent of e-commerce has revolutionized global labor and economic structures, offering unparalleled convenience while manifesting critical sustainability challenges. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the environmental, social, and economic implications of digital retail, synthesizing current peer-reviewed research to evaluate its holistic impact. Key findings identify significant hurdles in the environmental footprint of logistics, packaging, and data centers; however, the research asserts that optimized supply chains hold the potential to decrease energy consumption and urban congestion (Schultz, 2025; Reinartz et al., 2019). From a social perspective, the paper examines shifts in consumer behavior and labor rights, while the economic analysis explores the e-commerce paradigm's effect on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and market structures (Burt & Sparks, 2003). The study concludes that sustainable outcomes can only be achieved through an integrated framework that interweaves the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—using digital innovations like the SEER rating system to bridge the "attitude-behavior gap" (Islam et al., 2023; Escursell et al., 2021). Furthermore, it provides strategic direction for industry executives, policymakers, and consumers, charting a definitive map toward a resilient and equitable future in the digital retail landscape.
Devansh Vikram Singh, Malvika Maru· International journal of bus...· 0 citations
Platform economies have transformed traditional market structures by creating digital ecosystems that connect producers, consumers, service providers, and third-party developers through technology-enabled networks. Unlike conventional business models, digital platforms generate value by facilitating interactions rather than solely producing goods or services. The rapid expansion of online marketplaces, social media networks, financial technology platforms, and digital service providers has significantly influenced competition, innovation, and consumer behavior. This paper investigates the influence of platform economies on market competition by examining network effects, data-driven strategies, platform governance, and competitive advantages. The study analyzes how platforms reshape industry boundaries, create new forms of market power, and influence the survival of traditional firms. A conceptual research framework is developed to evaluate the relationship between platform characteristics and competitive outcomes. The findings indicate that strong network effects, scalability, data capabilities, and ecosystem control are major factors affecting competitive intensity. Although platforms enhance efficiency, innovation, and consumer accessibility, they also introduce challenges related to market concentration, dependency, and regulatory concerns. This research provides insights into the evolving nature of competition in digital markets and highlights strategies required for sustainable participation in platform-based economies.
Iyengar P K· International Journal of Com...· 0 citations
