Why Your Online Store’s Core Product Category Is Crucial

Core products are central to the company’s performance and make the most money that sustains the business. Core products are also usually the first products that the company created and sustained itself from its founding like the Windows Operating system for Microsoft, The Macintosh computer for Apple, Inc., the Google Search platform for Google, etc. Therefore there is emphasis placed on the profitability of core products while working on other products hoping that they will become a competency for the company. The products that make the most profit are usually the core products. Other products that are not considered core products are called side projects, side products, and experimental products.
– Wikipedia

In today’s highly competitive business world, every online store is striving to find its unique positioning and competitive advantage. Among them, the core product category is undoubtedly the key. Core products are not only the core pillar of the company’s performance but also an important source to maintain the continuous development of the business and obtain the maximum profit.

Let’s first have a deep understanding of what a core product is. Generally, a core product is the first batch of products that a company has carefully created and continuously maintained since its establishment. These products often carry the company’s core technology, unique ideas and brand value. For example, Microsoft’s Windows operating system has almost become a synonym for personal computer operating systems. The birth of the Windows operating system not only changed the way people used computers but also brought huge commercial success to Microsoft. Through continuous updates and optimizations, Microsoft has always occupied an important position in the field of computer software.

Looking at Apple’s Macintosh computer again, with its unique design, excellent performance and user-friendly operating system, it has attracted a large number of loyal users. Apple has been committed to the research and development and innovation of Macintosh computers. From hardware to software, it has been striving to achieve the best. This focus and investment in core products has made Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world.

The same is true of Google’s Google Search platform. As the largest search engine in the world, the Google Search platform has become the first choice tool for people to obtain information with its advanced algorithms, fast search speed and rich search results. Google has continuously invested resources in technological research and development and user experience optimization to maintain an absolute leading position in the search engine market.

From these successful cases, we can see the importance of core products to the company. It is not only the main source of the company’s profit but also an important manifestation of the company’s brand image and market competitiveness. Therefore, in the process of the company’s development, no matter how many other products are launched, the profitability of core products will be emphasized, hoping to make it the core competitiveness of the company by continuously improving the quality and value of core products.

In the fashion field, the core product category also has extremely important significance. For a fashion brand, the core product category is a concentrated embodiment of its brand image and style. For example, Burberry sells many categories such as fragrances, cosmetics, bags, shoes, etc. on its online store. But it originated from a coat. Burberry’s coat is famous all over the world for its exquisite craftsmanship, high-quality fabric and classic design. For more than 150 years, Burberry has been focusing on the production and innovation of coats and taking it as the core product category of the brand. This insistence and inheritance on core products has made Burberry a globally renowned fashion brand, and its coat products have also become a classic in the fashion industry.

However, many start-up fashion enterprises often encounter various problems in the process of development. One of the most common problems is that they don’t know what the core fashion elements of their brand are or they lose their direction in the changing market situation. These enterprises often pursue short-term interests and market hotspots too much and launch various products blindly, ignoring the attention and investment in core products.

For example, some start-up fashion brands see a certain fashion trend becoming popular and quickly follow suit to launch similar products without considering whether their brand positioning and style are in line with the trend. This kind of blind following behavior may obtain some attention and sales performance in the short term, but in the long run, it will damage the brand image and value. Because when consumers buy fashion products, they not only pay attention to the appearance and price of the products but also pay more attention to the culture and connotation of the brand. If a brand doesn’t have its own unique core fashion elements, it is difficult to leave a deep impression in the hearts of consumers and it is also difficult to establish a loyal customer group.

In addition, some start-up fashion enterprises will also frequently adjust their product strategies because they pay too much attention to market changes and trends in the process of development. When they see the market demand of a certain product category declining, they will immediately stop producing and selling the product and turn to the development of other product categories. This excessive reaction to market changes and trends will not only lead to the waste of enterprise resources but also make the enterprise lose its own core competitiveness. Because only when an enterprise has accumulated enough experience and technology in a certain field can it form its own core competitiveness. If it frequently changes product categories, it is difficult to develop deeply in a certain field and it is impossible to form its own core competitiveness.

So, how to determine the core fashion product category of one’s own brand? First of all, an enterprise needs to have a clear understanding of its brand positioning and target customer group. Brand positioning is the unique value proposition of an enterprise in the market. It determines the product style, price positioning and marketing promotion strategy of the enterprise. The target customer group is the main consumer of the enterprise’s products. Their needs and preferences directly affect the product design and development of the enterprise. Only by deeply understanding one’s own brand positioning and target customer group can an enterprise determine which product categories are most in line with its brand image and market demand.

Secondly, an enterprise needs to conduct in-depth analysis of market trends and competitors. Market trend refers to the direction and trend of market development. It will affect consumers’ needs and purchasing behavior. Competitors are the main challenges that an enterprise faces in the market. Their products and marketing strategies will have an impact on the market share of the enterprise. By analyzing market trends and competitors, an enterprise can understand the market demand and competitive situation and thus determine its own core fashion product category.

For example, if a fashion brand is positioned as high-end fashion and the target customer group is consumers who pursue quality and individuality, then its core fashion product category may be customized clothing or high-end leather goods. Because these product categories require higher production technology and quality requirements and can meet the needs of consumers for individuality and quality. At the same time, an enterprise also needs to pay attention to the dynamics of market trends and competitors and continuously optimize its product design and marketing strategy to maintain its competitive advantage in the market.
After determining the core fashion product category, an enterprise also needs to focus on product production and display. On the one hand, an enterprise needs to continuously improve the quality and design level of products to meet the needs and expectations of consumers. On the other hand, an enterprise also needs to display products to consumers through effective marketing means to attract their attention and purchase.

In terms of product production, an enterprise needs to pay attention to details and quality. Fashion products are not only a commodity but also a work of art. It needs to show unique design and style through exquisite craftsmanship and high-quality materials. Therefore, an enterprise needs to invest enough resources and energy to cultivate a professional design and production team to ensure that the quality and design level of products reach the leading level in the industry.

In terms of product display, an enterprise needs to make full use of various marketing channels and means to display products to consumers. For example, an enterprise can display its products and brand image through channels such as fashion magazines, social media and fashion shows. At the same time, an enterprise can also provide consumers with more convenient and personalized shopping experience by combining online and offline. For example, an enterprise can set up virtual fitting rooms, personalized recommendations and other functions in the online store to let consumers better understand and choose the products they like.

The benefits of focusing on the fashion core product category are obvious. First of all, the fashion core product category is an important doorway for a fashion brand to attract new customers. When consumers are looking for fashion products in the market, they often pay attention to the brands with unique brand images and core product categories first. If a fashion brand can show its advantages and characteristics in the core product category, it can attract more new customers to pay attention and purchase.

Secondly, the fashion core product category can help a fashion brand penetrate and build market share. By continuously improving the quality and design level of core products, a fashion brand can meet the needs and expectations of consumers and thus win the trust and loyalty of consumers. As consumers recognize the brand and the word-of-mouth spreads, the market share of the fashion brand will gradually expand.

Even if other non-core categories perform poorly, the fashion core product category can also help the fashion brand make a profit. Because the core product category is the core competitiveness of the brand, it has a high profit space and market demand. Even in the case of poor market environment, the core product category can still maintain stable sales performance and bring profits to the enterprise.

In addition, the fashion core product category can also keep the fashion brand always in touch with customers. Excellent products never go out of fashion. They will continuously develop and evolve over time. A fashion brand can keep in close touch with customers by continuously innovating and improving the core product category to meet the changing needs and preferences of consumers.

However, we must also admit that focusing on the core of a fashion brand is not as attractive as fashion brand expansion (selling a large number of categories on an online store). In today’s market environment, many enterprises hope to expand product lines to meet the needs of different consumers and thus achieve rapid business growth. However, this expansion strategy also has certain risks.

First of all, expanding product lines requires enterprises to invest more resources and energy. Enterprises need to develop new products, establish new supply chains and conduct new marketing promotions, etc., which all require a large amount of funds and human resources investment. If an enterprise doesn’t have enough resources and abilities to support the expansion of product lines, it is easy to lead to waste of resources and operation difficulties.
Secondly, expanding product lines may lead to the blurring of brand image. When an enterprise launches too many different types of products, consumers may have confusion about the brand positioning and image. They may think that the enterprise lacks core competitiveness and is just blindly following the trend and pursuing short-term interests. This blurring of brand image will have a negative impact on the long-term development of the enterprise.

Therefore, although it is important to keep experimenting with new product categories on an online store, never forget your core category. An enterprise needs to expand product lines carefully on the basis of maintaining core competitiveness. Only in this way can an enterprise achieve sustainable development.

In conclusion, for a fashion online store, determining and focusing on the core product category is crucial. An enterprise needs to have a deep understanding of its brand positioning and target customer group, analyze market trends and competitors and determine its own core fashion product category. Then, an enterprise needs to focus on product production and display, continuously improve the quality and design level of products and display products to consumers through effective marketing means. At the same time, an enterprise also needs to expand product lines carefully on the basis of maintaining core competitiveness to achieve sustainable development.

Please remember that if you are too vulnerable and too reactive to market changes and trends, you can’t create a strong and sustainable fashion brand. Don’t let market conditions determine the product decisions of your fashion brand. Know the fashion core product category of your fashion brand and stick to it forever. Only in this way can your fashion online store stand invincible in the fierce market competition and win the trust and support of consumers.