The days of mass customization are upon us, with more and more choices offered to us with each purchase we make. While consumers have always been given choices like brand, color, and size, the idea that they should play a part in designing the products they use is a relatively recent one. With the introduction of Web 2.0, sites like MySpace and Facebook quickly rose to become amongst the most heavily trafficked sites on the internet. Users embraced the ability to create profiles and web pages that reflected their own tastes and preferences, and began to expect the same kind of control over their purchases. Online retailers have recognized this trend, and have begun offering customization on a huge scale. From postage stamps to t-shirts, bedding to appliances, there are more choices available to today's consumer than ever before.
There was a time when you went to your favorite store and picked out a few items off the rack. Of course having something made by a seamstress or designer was always an option, but many lacked the time and funds to do so. Today, all it takes is a few clicks a mouse to design your own t-shirt at Cafepress. Not only do you get to choose from tons of colors and designs, but you can even upload your own images for the ultimate in personalized creations.
Even kids recognize the need to be unique. For years children have been drawing on their shoes and sneakers in an effort to distinguish themselves from friends by achieving a look that's more personalized. As the trend of mass customization continues to grow, this habit once done causally by children has led to profitable business ideas like customizable sneakers from Converse and Nike. Both sites enable you to choose the style of your sneaker, the materials, and from dozens of colors and patterns to make your very own designer shoes.
Accessories can now be customized too. Forget needing the time and skills to make your own jewelry, scarves, and other items, thanks to easy-to-use interactive tools at sites like Timbuk2. Timbuk2 makes having personalized accessories easier than ever and gives consumers an active role in the process. Here, you can customize your own laptop bag, backpack, or messenger bag. Choose the size of your bag and a color or pattern for each part of it.
When shopping for furniture and décor, you might expect to have a few color and pattern choices. With the home furnishings market at the forefront of mass customization however, choosing home décor has gone far beyond deciding between grey, brown, or black. At Inmod.com, for example, you can design your own pillows and bedding by choosing from tons of designs, several fabrics, and nearly every color of the spectrum. Inmod also offers customizable modern furniture, including modern classics like the ball chair and egg chair. Through Inmod's Design Studio, users can customize their own ball chairs and stereo egg chairs with their choice of shell color, upholstery, and speaker package. The home should reflect the style and vision of its owners, and thanks to Inmod it's never been easier.
Mass customization in the electronics industry started with interchangeable face plates on cell phones, and has continued to grow quickly to meet consumer demand. Today at sites like Samsung.com you can purchase both cell phones and digital cameras in a wide variety of colors, and even choose the color of the frame around your flat screen TV. Personalized ringtones demonstrate an even higher level of customization, as the once generally accepted sound of a phone ringing has been almost completely replaced. Gone are the days when all phones sounded the same, further proof of consumers embracing the ability to be unique.
The trend of mass customization has already spread from home electronics to home appliances. At sites like LG.com, you can now get almost any appliance for your home in a multitude of colors. Everything from washing machines and dryers to microwaves and vacuum cleaners now comes with choices far beyond brand and model number. Consumers no longer buy these items based solely on function, but also choose the products that best appeal to them aesthetically. It's this combination of form and function that enables today's consumers to choose items that truly meet their individual wants and needs.
The list of items that have become customizable goes on and on. You can now customize your Google Desktop, order computers to your exact specifications, and even have your own images put on postage stamps. This is a trend that's going to continue far into the foreseeable future. Savvy shoppers should take advantage of all the choices being offered to them, most at little or no additional cost to the more standard options we were once limited to not so long ago.
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