French share their way through recession

Published 26 December 2012 23:08

The French are responding to Europe's stagnant economy by sharing rather than consuming. People have seen that statistically, most people with a power drill use it for 12 seconds each year, so now they are wondering: why bother buying one? The same principle is being extended to a widening range of goods and services - from children's toys to commuting - saving billions in the process. And advocates for collaborative consumption describe it as a revival of the old way of doing things -- sharing, renting, swapping - but for the internet generation. Al Jazeera's Charlie Angela reports from Paris.