PRODUCT
MIX by Sreeram
Product mix is a combination of
products manufactured or traded by the same business house to reinforce their presence in the market, increase
market share and increase the turnover for more profitability. Normally the product mix is within the synergy of other products for a medium size organization. However large groups of Industries may have diversified products within core competency. Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Godrej, Reliance in India are some of the examples.
One of the realities of business is that most firms deal with multi-products .This helps a
firm diffuse its risk across different product groups/Also it enables the firm to appeal to a much larger group of customers or to different needs of the same
customer group .So when Videocon chose to diversify into other consumer durables like music systems ,washing machines and refrigerators ,it sought to satisfy the needs of the middle and upper middle income group of consumers.
Likewise , Bajaj Electricals.a household name in India, has almost ninety products in i8ts portfolio ranging from low value items like bulbs to high priced consumer durables like mixers and luminaires and lighting projects .The number of products carried by a firm at a given point of time is called its product mix. This product mix contains product lines and product items .In other words it’s a composite of products offered for sale by a firm.
Product Mix Decisions
Often firms take decisions to change their product mix. These decisions are dictated by the above factors and also by the
changes occurring in the market place. Like the changing life-styles of Indian consumers led BPL-Sanyo to
launch an entire range of white goods like refrigerators , washing machines, and microwave ovens .It also motivate the firm to launch other entertainment electronics. Rahejas, a well-known builders firm in Bombay, took a major decision to convert one of its theatre buildings in the western suburbs of Bombay into a large garments and accessories store for men ,women and children, perhaps the first of its kind in India to have almost all products required by these customer groups Competition from low priced washing powders (mainly Nirma) forced Hindustan Levers to launch different brands of detergent powder at different price levels positioned at different market segments .Customer preferences for herbs, mainly shikakai motivated Lever to launch black Sunsilk Shampoo ,which has shikakai .Also ,low purchasing power. and cultural bias against shampoo market made Hindustan Lever consider smaller packaging mainly sachets , for single use .So, it is the changes or anticipated changes in the market place that motivates a firm to consider changes in its product mix.
‘Sreeram’ is the pen name of the above abstract writer. His name in the professional field is V.Sree Rama Rao, B.E. ( Mech ), MIMA, M.I.E. is a Techno- commercial business consultant based at Mumbai the financial capital of India. He can be cotacted on
e-mail : vsramarao1@rediffmail.com
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