Page 326 - (DK) The Business Book

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THE DESIRE TO OWN

SOMETHING A LITTLE

BETTER, A LITTLE SOONER

THAN NECESSARY

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE

IN CONTEXT

FOCUS To maintain profits,
Maintaining sales Products are more companies have to find ways
durable than they were
KEY DATES in the past. to encourage replacement
purchasing.
1924–39 Lightbulb makers
Osram, Phillips, and General
Electric form a cartel, working
together to prevent any product
development that would
produce lightbulbs that could
burn for more than 1,000 hours.
1932 Bernard London writes New versions of
...to create products
a leaflet titled Ending the that existing owners existing products are
Depression through Planned will want to buy. regularly restyled and
Obsolescence, urging the given added features...
UK government to pass laws
to limit the useful lives of
products to increase demand.

1959 Volkswagen uses the uilt to last may sound like In the past, items such as
tagline: “We do not believe in an essential in any form lightbulbs or stockings were made
planned obsolescence, we B production, yet some to fail sooner rather than later.
f
o
don’t change a car for the sake manufacturers produce items that Nowadays, items such as printer
of change,” to criticize rival car they know will become obsolete ink cartridges, batteries, and
manufacturers who allegedly in just a few years. This policy components for appliances can
did not build cars to last. ensures that customers continue be difficult or expensive to replace,
to buy new goods. Products are making it tempting to buy a new
2013 Apple declares that the
replaced either because their version of the product instead.
original iPhone, launched in
components wear out or because Many goods, such as pens or
2007, is now obsolete.
they are surpassed by products razors, have become disposable—
with new features. cheap to make and easy to replace.