Do you agree or disagree with the following statement People often buy products not because they really need them but because other people have them

In the wake of industrialization, the availability of different products to meet consumer demands is unimaginable. From my perspective, people buy products to meet their personal needs, and this has little to do with whether others have them or not.

First, the assumption that people buy things simply because others have them is biased. Although many people like to buy the same products as their friends, this does not mean seeing other people owning something causes someone to buy it. There are two possible reasons behind this. For one, someone might not be aware of the release of a new product until one of the friends shows up with it. And this indicates the availability of a product on the market, creating potential demand. For another, many people have consulted strangers such as shop assistants. These people do not always align their interests with the customers, which means regrettable purchases always happen. To avoid making similar mistakes again, people would want to know something about a product before buying it. As a result, the feedback from a friend already using a product can help them make informed decisions about if the product is worth buying. Both these reasons are the causes of why friends often have similar things.

Second, most products attract customers for their function rather than other superfluous factors. Most products come with certain attractions to make them worth their price. For example, even though almost everyone has a smartphone nowadays, it is rare to see smartphone manufacturing companies promoting their products by stating that everyone now owns one. The attraction behind a smartphone is the utility it can offer to its users – it makes people’s lives much more convenient by coming with so many needed functions, such as browsing the internet, playing video games, and a lot more. Conversely, if someone sees a friend with a fancy car unable to meet one’s daily commute needs, this person will probably refuse to buy this car. The reason is that most people buy cars for their ability to allow people to travel efficiently. For any that fails to satisfy such a need, potential customers will immediately remove it from their wish list. Therefore, it is clear that people buy a product mainly for its functions.

To conclude, word of mouth explains why friends prefer similar products and people buy things mainly for product functions.