Abstract
Planned obsolescence has become a strategy adopted by large corporations, for products to be produced with surprisingly short useful life spans. These shorter than expected product life spans ensure that consumers make regular repeat purchases of their favorite items. The monopoly of obsolescence of products is no longer the producers’ prerogative and this by itself leads to unplanned obsolescence basically led by the consumers choice. This research study looks into consumer’s attitudes and perceptions of their favorite lifestyle brands. This is on the basis that less is known on unplanned obsolescence, which arises from the consumers conduct. This work also investigates why consumers replace products, even though these products are most often still seen as fully functional. This social constructivism study has adopted a quantitative approach through the use of self-administered questionnaires. The 300 participants of the study on which this article is based were selected from the Durban of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and were chosen through stratified random sampling. The study was further cross generational, in order to examine how consumers attitudes change as they become older. It was found that despite knowing the truth relating to the phenomenon consumers were willing to remain loyal
Highlights
Product life or usefulness has often been determined, to a small or large extent, by producers
Steven’s expression, does indicate the idea that it is always the producer in control of the change of the desire of the consumer’s ability to move to a new product, small the modification of the features of the new item is. This does not refer that the product life is necessary coming to an end as indicated that ‘living in the end times’, as portrayed by Zizek (2011), but a motive by the producer to move the desire of the consumer
As indicated in the abstract, planned obsolescence is a strategy adopted by large corporations
Summary
Product life or usefulness has often been determined, to a small or large extent, by producers This statement is in harmony with understanding planned obsolescence. Steven’s expression, does indicate the idea that it is always the producer in control of the change of the desire of the consumer’s ability to move to a new product, small the modification of the features of the new item is This does not refer that the product life is necessary coming to an end as indicated that ‘living in the end times’, as portrayed by Zizek (2011), but a motive by the producer to move the desire of the consumer. Literature as recorded below has noted the role of planned obsolescence with much emphasis than unplanned obsolescence which is
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