subject: The Increased Specialization Of Propane Heaters [print this page] A successful product range will often evolve depending on the nature of the market and what the consumers deem to be important aspects of that product range. The products which go nowhere are the ones which stick rigidly to their own version of a winning formula. The winning formula is only as good as the previous sale. Customers demand and deserve a product that changes in response to the changes in the requirements that are made of it.
Everything has changed
As time went on, people started questioning the existing models of propane patio heaters. They wanted to know how the manufacturers were maximizing the utility that could be got from the propane patio heaters. It was now no longer just a question of heating but also how the heating was generated. Once the basic need for warmth had been satisfied, the inconvenience of fumes became a priority issue. The manufacturer who would be able to resolve this problem would have a great chance of capturing the majority of the market.
With the entrance of many competitors it is no longer a seller's market. Suddenly people start exploring the possibility of turning the retailers against one another. Price deals are introduced to get a competitive advantage and the consumers start taking the attitudes of a young lover who is being mercilessly wooed by a desperate admirer. If there is cutthroat competition within any given market, the power of the consumers rises and they are better able to negotiate for a bargain. The vent free propane heater was a natural response to these changes in the attitudes of consumers.
In comes the environmental protection brigade which is concerned about the air quality. They look at the fumes that are coming out of the vents and immediately start a publicity campaign to put pressure on the manufacturers to reduce the amount of emissions. It is amazing how the environment has moved from being a focus group issue to the mainstream of all manufacturing. It is not surprising to me in the very least that the vent free propane heater has been resurrected in the war with the environmentalists. The manufacturers will eventually lose this war but they try to put up a stiff resistance anyway.
The development of the vent free propane heaters has been one such evolution. The customers increasingly demand that the equipment they use must be as convenient as possible. If you take the example of heaters, in previous times it was acceptable for fumes to emanate from the heater because the priority for the people at that time was to keep warm. The fumes from the vents might have been something of an inconvenience but they were not bad enough to supplant the basic need for warmth. Therefore the manufacturers at that time could pretty much get away with murder given the fact that they seemed to be solving an emergency problem.
