SelfBoundBeauty t1_izoj7fq wrote on December 10, 2022 at 5:37 PM

My fav example is with vacuum cleaners. At first, when everyone just beat the dirt out of their rugs, vacuum companies had to convince people to buy it. They had to be easy, effective, and worth having. Once vacuums became the standard, companies didnt need to worry about quality, they needed to worry about a steady flow of customers. Someone who buys 1 vacuum that lasts 50 years isn't going to be as much profit as someone who has to buy a vacuum that craps out every 3 years.

[deleted] t1_izq56ui wrote on December 11, 2022 at 12:34 AM

Counterpoint - old (reliable) vacuums weighed a friggin ton. Grandma would call you up to come over and carry the vacuum upstairs so she could clean the top floor. As houses went multi-story, lighter vacuums became the hot item. They were made out of steel, now plastic.

They are even lighter now, because how else are you going to eat a bag of Cheetos when you vacuum. Consumers drive poor quality through buying behaviors, not manufacturers.