Many times, people walk into a store in search for a specific product, but nothing on the shelves is exactly what they wanted, so they settle for a product which is similar to what they originally desired. The solution to this problem is customization where customers tell the producers precisely what they want so that it can be made especially for them. Customization intrigues many businesses as customized products can be sold at a premium price, but to make customized items on a large scale is very costly. Production lines have to be very complicated in order for mass customization to be feasible, and economies of scale will not be reached due to the demand of many different factors of production. Mass customization, though, is not impossible. Companies such as Dell and NIKEiD have been quite successful in implementing such a strategy.
In the future, I predict the more companies will become successful in mass customization. There will be a day when consumers no longer walk into a store to search for a product. They will be able to tell producers what they want, and the products will come to them.