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Planned obsolescence- Products are deliberately designed to wear out in a planned duration so that the consumer has to buy a new one !!

Planned obsolescence- How products around the world are deliberately designed to wear out in a planned duration so that the consumer has to buy a new one !!
 
 
 
From- The Economist:
Planned obsolescence is a business strategy in which the obsolescence (the process of becoming obsolete—that is, unfashionable or no longer usable) of a product is planned and built into it from its conception. This is done so that in future the consumer feels a need to purchase new products and services that the manufacturer brings out as replacements for the old ones.
Consumers sometimes see planned obsolescence as a sinister plot by manufacturers to fleece them. But Philip Kotler, a marketing guru (see article), says: “Much so-called planned obsolescence is the working of the competitive and technological forces in a free society—forces that lead to ever-improving goods and services.”
A classic case of planned obsolescence was the nylon stocking. The inevitable “laddering” of stockings made consumers buy new ones and for years discouraged manufacturers from looking for a fibre that did not ladder. The garment industry in any case is not inclined to such innovation. Fashion of any sort is, by definition, deeply committed to built-in obsolescence. Last year’s skirts, for example, are designed to be replaced by this year’s new models. The strategy of planned obsolescence is common in the computer industry too.
From: http://www.economist.com/node/13354332

 
Also see:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/light-bulb-conspiracy/

A light bulb made to last 25 yeras:
Official site:
http://www.pharox-led.com/cms/us/home

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