Specialty equipment, even when it gets used relatively frequently, still spends the majority of the time sitting around unused, so Fat Lama helps people to make more out of their gear. The online platform is a crowdsourced rental marketplace, allowing people with gear to lease it on a day-by-day basis and preventing those in need of equipment for short-term projects from having to shell out for a full priced item.
Fat Lama was started as a source for photographers and videographers, and indeed those two niches are the largest on the site. However, it includes everything under the sun, from bicycles to musical instruments to oddities like mascot suits and motor homes.
For lessors, Fat Lama makes it easier to earn back the costs on an expensive piece of equipment. For renters, the online marketplace is a great way to save money on short-term projects.
Crowdsourced Rental Platforms
'Fat Lama' Lets Users Lend and Borrow Each Others' Possessions
Trend Themes
1. Crowdsourced Rental Marketplaces - Fat Lama is a successful example of a crowdsourced rental platform, indicating a trend towards such marketplaces.
2. Renting Specialty Equipment on a Short-term Basis - The success of Fat Lama shows that there is a growing trend of people renting specialty equipment for short-term projects.
3. Sharing Economy of Possessions - Fat Lama and similar platforms are indicative of a trend towards a sharing economy of possessions, where people can borrow or lend their belongings to each other.
Industry Implications
1. Photography and Videography - Fat Lama's largest niches are photographers and videographers, presenting a disruptive innovation opportunity in the equipment rental industry for these fields.
2. Musical Instruments - Fat Lama includes musical instruments on their platform, demonstrating a potential for disruption in the instrument rental industry.
3. Outdoor Recreation - Fat Lama also rents bicycles and motor homes, indicating an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the outdoor recreation rental industry.