253 Section 10.1 Product Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Products are generally organized into product lines. A product line is the group of closely related products within the product mix. For example, a shoe store may sell several different lines of shoes, such as athletic, dress, and casual shoes. A product item is the specific model, color, or size of products in a line. For example, the shoe store’s product items include the different styles, colors, and sizes of shoes. Perhaps the store has five identical, size-nine brown shoes. They are not considered different items, but the quantity (five) of one item (size-nine brown shoes). The product width is the number of product lines a company offers. Product depth is the number of product items in a product line. Product management is a function of marketing that determines the product mix a business should offer to meet customers’ needs. Activities can include developing a new good or service or improving an existing one. Other decisions must be made about which brands, quantities, colors, sizes, features, and options to offer. Effective product management contributes to both customer satisfaction and business profits. Product Elements All products have certain elements that may be changed to meet customer needs. These elements can be organized into three categories: • features • usage • protection Understanding these elements can enable a business to more effectively achieve customer satisfaction. These three product items are in one product line of men’s shirts. Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock.com