Economic Definition of product life cycle. Defined.
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Term product life cycle Definition: The four stages that a product experiences during its life, usually illustrated with a curve. All products have a limited life expectancy. Some are very short, like the Beta Recording Systems, and some are very lengthy, like the television. The four stages are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. Each stage has certain characteristics associated with it. The way a business handles each stage determines the long-term viability of the product. An example: During the introduction stage: costs are high, customer familiarity with the product is low, profits are generally non-existent, and competition is limited, if at all. If the business does not deal with these conditions properly, the product may never reach the growth stage.
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