Picture this: A person walks into an electronics store and looks at a number of brand new laptops, studying all the features, capacity, speed, screen visibility, etc. After studying about 10 different models, she settles on one that, cost-wise, is in the middle of the pack. The laptop is purchased and our customer goes home, excited to get started with her new gadget. Once home, she plugs it in and gets it open to the startup screen only to find that the laptop lacks both Internet and printer software. Confused and confounded, our purchaser calls the store and asks: “What is going on?” To which, the sales manager responds: “Oh, you wanted those items? Well, sure, they’re optional but not to worry, as we can install those for an extra charge.”
Is this scenario silly? Or could it be a situation that recurs each day, as manufacturers and sellers look for ways to sell their products for less money and to earn a greater mark-up on their products? One place where the market practice of supplying and selling products with optional equipment is more prevalent is probably the motor vehicle and heavy equipment industries. Examples include the marketing of forklifts with optional rollover occupant protection systems (ROPS) and the sale of motor vehicles with optional stability control and airbag systems.
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