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Marketing

The product life cycle

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

Product life cycle, what happens to sales during the introduction stage and maturity stage.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is meant by the product life cycle?

Process

Name the stages of the product life cycle in order.

Process

Describe what happens to sales during the introduction stage.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is meant by the product life cycle?

    Model answer

    The product life cycle is the pattern of sales a product achieves from its launch to its withdrawal from the market, normally shown as a curve of sales plotted against time.

  2. 2

    Name the stages of the product life cycle in order.

    Model answer

    The stages are development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline.

  3. 3

    Describe what happens to sales during the introduction stage.

    Model answer

    Sales are low and grow slowly, because few customers know the product exists and distribution is still limited.

  4. 4

    Why is a product usually loss-making at launch?

    Model answer

    Development costs have not been recovered, output is too low for economies of scale, and promotional spending is at its heaviest while sales are at their lowest.

  5. 5

    Describe the growth stage of the product life cycle.

    Model answer

    Sales rise rapidly as the product becomes known and distribution widens, unit costs fall and the product usually becomes profitable, but competitors are drawn into the market.

  6. 6

    What happens to competition during the growth stage?

    Model answer

    Rivals see the profits being made and enter with their own versions, so the market as a whole grows while the original firm's share of it may begin to fall.

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