The lighting industry is embroiled in a never ending tit for tat argument over cost vs quality.
While I believe there is a ‘quality’ line that gets crossed in this race to the bottom on price I’ve also seen a large number of sharply priced products that actually provide good quality and good value.
Not all pricey products are guaranteed to be high quality and a big price tag isn’t a mark of quality. Although there is considered to be an epidemic of low quality and low priced products what about the undiscussed epidemic of highly priced average quality products with recognised European branding on that are essentially being bought from china a ‘pushed’ at a premium based on brand value.
Although I believe that brands build loyalty and earn the right to trade off their name there is also a line that gets crossed where quite frankly an abuse of this trust happens and happens often.
Refreshingly there are a growing number of buyers, specifiers and industry leaders who are willing to challenge the status que. The days of products been protected and locked in to specification based on brand alone are hopefully numbered. Value for money is the key for the person ultimately picking up the bill and as an industry we have an obligation to step outside of our existing comfort zones and explore the unexplored.
In the cost of any product is a blend of material costs, labour costs and a percentage of the operational costs of the business. With this in mind a lighting businesses ability to run efficiently, be proactive with its supply chain, not over engineer product and create economies through better production methods can also drive down consumer costs.
There is more than one way to skin a cat as they say and not all price tags should be measured equal. Not all heavy prices should be assumed high quality and not all low price tags should be considered tat. That said, there are plenty of products and brands out there who will happily oblige the stereo type.
Make a decision based on the integrity of the product not the number on the price tag.
