Useless waste and necessary waste．1.2.1.2 Function bubble and creation of waste (2)

Returning to the main subject, products with functions not to be uses or difficult to be used are financially useless. It is mere a waste of resources and energy during production. The function that will eventually become garbage is nothing but a waste. Since consumers know the functions are in vain, they demand discounts and the seller must respond to it. Products and services the customers cannot use are subject to discounts.

Please look at the electric appliances currently in your surroundings and count the waste of functions that you do not use. There should be many products discarded without using their functions at all. You can see how much money you have wasted. However, do not forget that this wasteful responsibility is also on the consumer’s side. It is because the consumers often feel as if they were profited by unusable many functions and services after the slick sales talk or explanations by sales staffs or manufactures.

At the end of the year, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun will summarize the hit products of that year and announces "OO Year Hit Item Numbering". In 2002, "Marubiru (a building near Tokyo Station)" is ranked as the Yokozuna (grand champion) of the east and mobile phones with cameras "Yokozuna of the West". Brands of city blocks, innovation of communication tools are reflected as a trend of the times.

　Looking at the numbered products in the list, you can see the bipolarization of consumption. "Sanuki Udon (Sanuki noodle)", "180 yen sneaker", "March and Ist (small cars)" were hit with a sense of cheapness and their price appeal. Meanwhile, "PDP (plasma display panel) television", "top open drum (drum type washing and drying machine with the door opened from above"), "healthy econa mayonnaise" were on the list. If there is something sufficiently convincing in terms of safety and health, they can become hit products.

　The year of 2002 was in recession and deflationary tendency and consumption stagnation continued. However, the consumption trend seen from hit products showed evaluated for quality and price. The positive attitude of consumers was seen in purchasing somewhat luxurious ones if they fully agree with the added value. In other words, products that firmly captured the consumers' needs were bought even in the time of recession.

　The origin of new product development exists in the ability to find out what consumers want from the consumers' lifestyle behaviors and attitudes. We should use wisdom and ideas there. It is easy to say though.