Brown goods are consumer electronics such as TVs and stereos, while white goods are appliances like refrigerators and washing machines. The terms are used for economic tracking and repair purposes. Gray goods are sold outside authorized channels and are often cheaper.
In society and business, electronics and gadgets represent consumer goods that allow consumers to enjoy entertainment or improve their lives. Brown products represent electronic items such as televisions, DVD players, stereos, and home entertainment systems. This contrasts with white goods, which are appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, freezers and washing or drying machines. The definition between brown goods and white goods is necessary for economic purposes. The terms allow economists and other companies to track consumer goods for a specific purpose.
There is an interesting but simple history of these terms for these consumer goods. The brown items get their name because of the traditional televisions that had fake wood. These televisions were typically called floor standing models because they sat on the floor and used the faux wood to make the television more attractive as the central point of focus in a room. White goods get their name from the classic white color of most appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, and washers and dryers.
Economists generally separate consumer items by type and use. Two broad classifications for consumer goods are durable and non-durable items. Durable goods are any heavy-duty, mass-market items that last three or more years. This term applies to second-line products and white goods, including televisions, home entertainment systems, and freezers and refrigerators, respectively. Nondurable goods are consumer items that last less than three years, which can include food and clothing, among other items.
One purpose for using terms to describe brown and white goods is in the repair industry. Companies offering repair services often separate labor charges into these two different classifications. For example, a repair company might charge consumers an hourly rate for repairing brown goods. Another hourly rate applies for white goods repair. In some cases, repairing brown items can be cheaper, as these items are potentially less expensive than their white counterparts.
Another category of consumer goods includes gray goods. Another term for this category is the gray market, which represents the sales environment for these items. Gray products are those items that are sold outside the company’s authorized sales territory or outside the original manufacturer’s authority. Prices for gray products are often cheaper than good brown and white equivalents. Although the items are indeed genuine brands, they are sold outside regular channels.
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