Dynamic Relationships with customers: High-Variety Strategies

A proposal is made that one way to compete effectively in the 21st century is to meet customers' needs over time better than the competition by offering a high-variety product line. More variety in a product line can make it more likely that each consumer finds exactly the option he or she desires (customization strategy). In addition, more variety in a product line can allow each consumer to enjoy a diversity of options over time (variety-seeking strategy). Other issues such as profitability, cost considerations, how much variety to offer and where in the delivery chain to offer it, and when does too much variety cause confusion or overload are also discussed.