Excerpt from Planning the Product

We might conceive of an economy in which consumers determined the exact characteristics which they wished 1n products, that 18, in which consumers did all the work of designing, they, in turn, ordering these products from distributors and the latter, in turn, ordering from the manufacturer. All manufacturing would then be done on advance orders, and the merchandising work of manufacturers would be entirely Shifted to the consumer. These conditions are in part approximated when a lady selects a pattern and cloth and then engages a dressmaker to produce the finished product. Even in this case, however, the design ing was done by others. In some instances consumers may actually determine the form which the product will take, but they rarely do so. They have neither the ability nor the willingness to determine their wants before production takes place. In most instances they have only vague, half-formed ideas in regard to the products which will suit their fancy or fill their needs. Ability effectively to aid in the design of new products or product improvements would be limited to a very few lines, if any, on the part of any one individual consumer. This does not deny that the consumer can be helpful in giving ideas about product in use _to producers, but it does suggest that the initiative must come from other parties. What the consumer wishes, particularly 1n such products as clothing and house furnishings, 15 the privilege of inspecting a wide variety of merchandise before selection is made. Desire for a certain type or pattern is, therefore, the fruit of comparison and na the result of lengthy premeditation. Moreover, consumers do not wish' to wait for products during the period of manufacture. Instead, they want imme diate satisfaction of wants. If they ordered in advance of manufacture, their desires might well change in the meantime, and the product, when delivered, might not be acceptable to them. Thus the burden of quali tative adjustment of product to demand is thrown upon the manufac turer or upon distributing intermediaries.

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