Is planned obsolescence good for companies?

Planned obsolescence is a business strategy where products are intentionally designed with a limited, artificial lifespan or to become unfashionable, forcing consumers to replace them sooner.

While companies may benefit from it through revenue and consumer consumption, it causes waste and may frustrate consumers who love trends. For planned obsolescence to be effective, companies should consider their target audience. The youth love trends and may likely patronize new products, but the older people rarely consider trends and they don't shop often. So planned obsolescence works best when companies know their consumer.

Is planned obsolescence good?
Planned obsolescence is good, but if the lifespan for their products are too short or too long, it impacts the consumers negatively. People may become tired of changing products after a short time and would likely switch to another if the product stays out too long.

Image generated using Gemini AI

Imagine 2 million of certain T-shirts are printed and only 1 million of those T-shirts are sold before another trend is out. The 1 million T-shirts remaining may likely not be sold leading to waste, but on the other hand, they gain revenue and have higher demand for the new products.

How long should a product remain fashionable?
For me, 2-3 years is okay. It would give middlemen enough time to sell their products and also help increase the desire for a new product. But this depends on their consumers. Youth and the aged varies when it comes to taste, and a product lifespan can be flexible based on their target audience.

Finally, companies should practice planned obsolescence. Consuming one product runs out of fashion even for the consumers. People desire change but such change should come with certain considerations like their target audience, competitors, and demand. It helps keep a company relevant for long as long as its product meets the consumers' needs.