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Over in the bicycle industry, we often refer to the bicycle shaped object or the BSO. You can usually find these hanging out in the big box stores, and often times, at the lower price points at Performance Bike.
After taking a stroll through retail stores this last weekend with my wife, I’ve noticed that the mid-market of apparel and fashion seems to be occupied by what seem to be brand-shaped-objects. That is, entire runs of retail brands that sell endless variants of the same poor quality clothing. There’s nothing behind a brand with no quality or identity to set it apart, and there’s little that can be done with infinite marketing dollars to fix that.
A good place to play this game is thrift stores after the holidays. Thumb through the racks and try to discern any difference in production quality from any mid-market brand after a few wears.
Of course, it gets complicated because you can’t simply spend your way out of the problem unless you’re willing to put in the legwork to learn the difference between luxury (expensive brand-shaped-objects) and premium (genuinely well-made) products. Often times, you’ll see a premium product of higher quality sell for less than a similar luxury item.
Is any wonder consumers are confused and fatigued?