DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS - HIGH-VARIETY STRATEGIES

A proposal is made that one way to compete effectively in the 21st cen tury is to meet customers' needs over time better than the competition by offering a high-variety product line. More variety in a product li ne 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 opt ions over time (variety-seeking strategy). Other issues such as profit ability, cost considerations, how much variety to offer and where in t he delivery chain to offer it, and when does too much variety cause co nfusion or overload are also discussed.