14 Examples of Product Class

John Spacey, June 18, 2019

Product class is a grouping of products and services that can theoretically substitute for each other. This is generally understood to be far broader than a product category. The following are illustrative examples of a product class.

Transport

All products and services that transport passengers such as a car, bicycle or flight.

Hospitality

All services that host guests such as a hotel, resort, theme park or restaurant.

Fast Moving Consumer Goods

Fast moving consumer goods are consumer products that are quickly used up such that they must be purchased regularly. For example, food, cosmetics and toiletries.

Fashion

Fashion products such as clothing, shoes and accessories.

Finance

Financial products such as savings accounts, credit cards and investment products.

Insurance

Products that offer to transfer risk for a fee.

Consumer Electronics

Devices such as mobile phones, computers and televisions that are sold primarily to consumers.

Consumer Durables

Long lasting machines that are sold to consumers such as a washing machine or air conditioner.

Furniture & Fixtures

Items that are used in the interior of homes and businesses such as a sofa or ceiling lamp.

Materials

Basic materials that are mostly sold to businesses to produce end-products. For example, mining, forestry and chemical products such as plastic.

Telecom

Services for communication including data communications.

Business Services

Services that are sold to businesses such as business process outsourcing and data center services.

Advertising

Advertising services such as television commercials, digital ads and billboards.

Entertainment

Products and services that are entertaining such as movies, music and cultural events.

Notes

It is common for product classes to be more narrowly defined than the examples above. For example, the product class "hotels" as opposed to the broad product class "hospitality." Product categories are even more narrowly defined such as "luxury hotels" or "budget hotels."

As services have become a large percentage of GDP in developed nations, it is now uncommon for marketers to make any strong distinction between products and services. For example, modern products often generate service revenue such that the line between product and service is increasingly blurred. It is also common to refer to services such as financial services as products.

Overview: Product Class
Type	Product Category
Definition	A grouping of products and services that can theoretically substitute for each other.
Related Concepts	Product Category » Substitute Good » Products » Services » Fast Moving Consumer Goods » Consumer Products »