Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Commodities in the Service Sector: Particularities and Implications for Marketing

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Commodity Marketing

Part of the book series: Management for Professionals ((MANAGPROF))

  • 1151 Accesses

Abstract

So far, the focus in the scientific discussion of commoditization has been primarily on products. The standardization of products, which is referred to as “commoditization,” has progressed further in recent years. Commodity offers can be observed in the industrial as well as the consumer sector. The development of new business models, e.g., operator or subscription models, such as IT or software as a service models, is a reaction to the commoditization of products and, in turn, also drives the commoditization of services. The rising degree of automation of basic services with simple, routine-based interactions is additionally reinforcing the trend toward the commoditization of services. The integration of homogeneous products and services into hybrid commodity offers is also expected to gain further momentum. The development of commodities is made possible by higher market and price transparency for consumers, also regarding services, due to the rapid development of comparison portals as well as a generally increasing polarization of purchasing behavior. Transferring and extending the findings of research concerning product commoditization into the field of commodity services appears to be of relevance. The aim of this chapter consists of a structured classification and discussion of the commodity concept in the field of services. In addition to the necessity of a conceptual clarification as well as the description of central characteristics of commodity services, the resulting peculiarities of consumer behavior in the context of this service type are also illuminated, and finally the strategic as well as operational perspectives for service providers are discussed.

This chapter was originally published in German as Bruhn, M. (2014). Commodities im Dienstleistungsbereich, In M. Enke, A. Geigenmüller, & A. Leischnig (eds.), Commodity Marketing. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. Translated and updated with permission.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahmad, R., Fischer, S., Lattemann, C., & Robra-Bissantz, S. (2020). Automatisiert und trotzdem personalisiert – Die Dienstleistung der Zukunft. In M. Bruhn & K. Hadwich (Eds.), Automatisierung und Personalisierung von Dienstleistungen. Konzepte - Kundeninteraktionen - Geschäftsmodelle. Part 1 (pp. 47–73). Springer Gabler.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Avlonitis, G. J., & Indounas, K. A. (2005). Pricing objectives and pricing methods in the services sector. Journal of Services Marketing, 19(1), 47–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Backhaus, K., & Voeth, M. (2014). Industriegütermarketing (10th ed.). Vahlen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baines, T., & Lightfoot, H. (2013). Made to serve: How manufactures can compete through servitization and product service systems. John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beldona, S., Miller, B., Francis, T., & Kher, H. V. (2015). Commoditization in the US lodging industry: Industry and customer perspectives. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 56(3), 298–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beyer, T. (2015). Commodity Services. Vom Segen der Standardlösung. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from https://www.computerwoche.de/a/vom-segen-der-standardloesung,3099912

  • Billen, P., & Raff, T. (2014). Kundenbindung bei Commodities – Die Quadratur des Kreises? In M. Enke, A. Geigenmüller, & A. Leischnig (Eds.), Commodity Marketing: Grundlagen - Besonderheiten - Erfahrungen (pp. 253–284). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Böhmann, T., & Krcmar, H. (2006). Modulare Servicearchitekturen. In A.-W. Scheer & H.-J. Bullinger (Eds.), Service Engineering: Entwicklung und Gestaltung innovativer Dienstleistungen (pp. 377–401). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Böhmann, T., & Zolnowski, A. (2013). Grundlagen service-orientierter Geschäftsmodelle. In T. Böhmann, M. Warg, & P. Weiß (Eds.), Service-orientierte Geschäftsmodelle. Erfolgreich umsetzen (pp. 1–32). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bronkhorst, J., Schaveling, J., & Janssen, M. (2019). Commoditization and IT product innovation strategies from an IT firm perspective. Information Systems Management, 36(2), 126–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10580530.2019.1587575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruce, D. L. (2015). Responding to the commoditization of legal services. Law Practice, 41(1), 51–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, M. (2020). “Wo viel Licht ist, ist starker Schatten” – Die zwei Seiten der Automatisierung und Personalisierung von Dienstleistungen. In M. Bruhn & K. Hadwich (Eds.), Automatisierung und Personalisierung von Dienstleistungen. Konzepte - Kundeninter-aktionen – Geschäftsmodelle (Vol. 1, pp. 141–170). Springer Gabler.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, M., & Hadwich, K. (2016). Servicetransformation. Eine Einführung in die theoretischen und praktischen Problemstellungen. In M. Bruhn & K. Hadwich (Eds.), Servicetransformation. Entwicklung vom Produktanbieter zum Dienstleistungsunternehmen (pp. 3–22). Springer Gabler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, M., & Hadwich, K. (2017). Produkt- und Servicemanagement. Konzepte - Prozesse - Methoden (2nd ed.). Vahlen.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, M., & Hadwich, K. (2020). Automatisierung und Personalisierung als Zukunftsdisziplinen des Dienstleistungsmanagements. In M. Bruhn & K. Hadwich (Eds.), Automatisierung und Personalisierung von Dienstleistungen. Konzepte - Kundeninteraktionen – Geschäftsmodelle (Vol. 1, pp. 3–44). Springer Gabler.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn, M., & Hadwich, K. (2021). Künstliche Intelligenz im Dienstleistungsmanagement - Anwendungen, Einsatzbereiche, Herangehensweisen und kritische Würdigung. In M. Bruhn & K. Hadwich (Eds.), Künstliche Intelligenz. Springer Gabler. (in preparation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Burmann, Ch., & Bohmann, T. (2009). Nachhaltige Differenzierung von Commodities. Besonderheiten und Ansatzpunkte im Rahmen der identitätsbasierten Markenführung. LiM Working Paper 39, University of Bremen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burmann, C., Halazovich, T., Schade, M., & Pieler, R. (2019). Identitätsorientierte Markenführung. Grundlagen - Strategie - Umsetzung - Controlling (3rd ed.). Springer Gabler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Büttgen, M., & Ludwig, M. (1997). Mass-Customization von Dienstleistungen, Arbeitspapier des Instituts für Markt- und Distributionsforschung der Universität zu Köln.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, M. C. (2018). Big data and service operations. Production and Operations Management, 27(9), 1709–1723.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collier, J. E., & Kimes, S. E. (2012). Only if it is convenient: How convenience influences self-service technology evaluation. Journal of Service Research, 16(1), 39–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copernicus. (2000). The commoditization of brands and its implications for marketers. Retrieved March 8, 2013, from http://contentmarketingpedia.com/Marketing-Library/Branding/InterBrand_Papers/BrandsBecommingCommodities.pdf

  • Corsten, H. (1985). Rationalisierungsmöglichkeiten in Dienstleistungsunternehmen. Jahrbuch der Absatz- und Verbrauchsforschung, 31(1), 23–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curran, J. M., & Meuter, M. L. (2005). Self-service technology adoption: Comparing three technologies. Journal of Service Research, 19(2), 103–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cushing, P., & Douglas-Tate, M. (1985). The effect of people/product relationships on advertising processing. In M. Linda & F. Alwitt (Eds.), Psychological processes and advertising effects: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 241–260). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabholkar, P. A., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2002). An attitudinal model of technology-based self-service: Moderating effects of consumer traits and situational factors. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(3), 184–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donabedian, A. (1980). The definition of quality and approaches to its assessment. Explorations in quality, assessment, and monitoring (Vol. I). Health Administration Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enke, M., Geigenmüller, A., & Leischnig, A. (2014). Commodity Marketing - Eine Einführung. In M. Enke, A. Geigenmüller, & A. Leischnig (Eds.), Commodity Marketing: Grundlagen - Besonderheiten - Erfahrungen (pp. 3–26). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fisk, R., Grove, S., & John, J. (2013). Interactive services marketing (4th ed.). South Western Educational Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giovanis, A. N., & Athanasopoulou, P. (2014). Gaining customer loyalty in the e-tailing marketplace. The role of e-service quality, e-satisfaction and e-trust. International Journal of Technology Marketing, 9(3), 288–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greff, T., Gugler, K., & Werth, D. (2018). Consulting 4.0 – Skalierbarkeit der Digitalisierung für eine Unternehmensberatung. Konzept, Ansätze und Kundenakzeptanz. In J. Hofmann (Ed.), Arbeit 4.0 – Digitalisierung, IT und Arbeit, IT als Treiber der digitalen Transformation (pp. 53–78). Springer Vieweg.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Grönroos, C. (2007). Service management and marketing: Customer management in service competition (3rd ed.). J. Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadwich, K. (2008). Entwicklung und Implementierung von technologiebasierten Serviceinnovationen. Konzeptionierung eines Wirkungsmodells und empirische Befunde aus Anbieter- und Kundenperspektive. Habilitation Thesis. University of Basel (unpublished).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadwich, K., Georgi, D., Tuzovic, S., Büttner, J., & Bruhn, M. (2010). Perceived quality of E-health services: A conceptual scale development of E-health service quality based on the C-OAR-SE approach. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 4(2), 112–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haenlein, M., & Kaplan, A. (2019). A brief history of artificial intelligence: On the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence. California Management Review, 61(4), 5–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, U., Hennig-Thurau, T., & Schrader, U. (2001). Produktpolitik: Ein kunden- und gesellschaftsorientierter Ansatz. Schäffer-Poeschel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilke, W. (1989). Grundprobleme und Entwicklungstendenzen des Dienstleistungs-Marketing. In W. Hilke (Ed.), Dienstleistungs-Marketing: Banken und Versicherungen – Freie Berufe – Handel und Transport – Nicht erwerbswirtschaftlich orientierte Organisationen (pp. 5–44). Gabler.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hilton, T., Hughes, T., Little, E., & Marandi, E. (2013). Adopting self-service technology to do more with less. Journal of Services Marketing, 27(1), 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., & Bruhn, M. (2017). Kundenbindungsmanagement – Eine Einführung in die theoretischen und praktischen Problemstellungen. In M. Bruhn & C. Homburg (Eds.), Handbuch Kundenbindungsmanagement: Strategien und Instrumente für ein erfolgreiches CRM (9th ed., pp. 3–39). Gabler.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kasper-Brauer, K., & Enke, M. (2016). Commoditization as a driver for service transformation. In M. Bruhn & K. Hadwich (Eds.), Servicetransformation: Entwicklung vom Produktanbieter zum Dienstleistungsunternehmen (pp. 123–142). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kauppinen, I. (2014). Different meanings of ‘knowledge as commodity’ in the context of higher education. Critical Sociology, 40(3), 393–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kroeber-Riel, W., & Gröppel-Klein, A. (2019). Konsumentenverhalten (11th ed.). Vahlen.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. (2002). A key to marketing financial services: The right mix of products, services, channels, and customers. Journal of Services Marketing, 16(2–3), 238–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manno, J. P. (2019). Privileged goods: Commoditization and its impact on environment and society. CRC Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Meffert, H., Bruhn, M., & Hadwich, K. (2018). Dienstleistungsmarketing. Grundlagen, Konzepte, Methoden (9th ed.). Springer Gabler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meuter, M. L., Ostrom, A. L., Roundtree, R. I., & Bitner, M. J. (2000). Self-service technologies: Understanding customer satisfaction with technology-based service encounters. Journal of Marketing, 64(3), 50–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom, A. L., Fortheringham, D., & Bitner, M. J. (2019). Customer acceptance of AI in service encounters: Understanding antecedents and consequences. In P. P. Maglio, C. A. Kieliszewski, J. C. Spohrer, K. Lyons, L. Patrίcio, & Y. Sawantani (Eds.), Handbook of service science (Vol. II, pp. 77–103). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozdemir, G. (2016). Commoditization in health care: Can we afford the effects of cheap health services? QIHI Journal of Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety, 1(1), 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). Servqual. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Malhotra, A. (2005). E-S-QUAL. A multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research, 7(3), 213–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piccoli, G., & Lui, T.-W. (2014). The competitive impact of information technology: Can commodity IT contribute to competitive performance? European Journal of Information Systems, 23(6), 616–628.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pick, D. (2016). Churn Management. WiSt - Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Studium, 45(2), 60–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piller, F. T., & Meier, R. (2001). Strategien zur effizienten Individualisierung von Dienstleistungen. Industrie Management, 17(2), 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pine, B. J., Peppers, D., & Rogers, M. (1995). Do you want to keep your customers forever? Harvard Business Review, 73(2), 103–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rennhak, C. (2014). Konsistent, hybrid, multioptional oder paradox? – Einsichten über den Konsumenten von heute. In M. Halfmann (Ed.), Zielgruppen im Konsumentenmarketing (pp. 177–186). Springer Gabler.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rifkin, J. (2000). The age of access: The new culture of hypercapitalism where all of life is a paid-for experience. Penguin Putnam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russel, S., & Norvig, P. (2016). Artificial intelligence. A modern approach (3rd ed.). Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rust, R. T. (2020). The future of marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(1), 15–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salomann, H. (2008). Internet Self-Service in Kundenbeziehungen: Gestaltungselemente, Prozessarchitektur und Fallstudien aus der Finanzdienstleistungsbranche. Gabler.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Salvador, F., De Holan, P. M., & Piller, F. (2009). Cracking the code of mass customization. MIT Sloan Management Review, 50(3), 71–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • ServiceXRG. (2008). Influencing the online experience. Maintaining customer mindshare and loyalty through superior web-based service. Retrieved January 4, 2021, from https://www.mycustomer.com/resources/servicexrg-report-influencing-the-online-experience

  • Shankar, V., Berry, L. L., & Dotzel, T. (2009). A practical guide to combining products and services. Harvard Business Review, 87(11), 94–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H., & Fassnacht, M. (2019). Price management: Strategy, analysis, decision, implementation. Springer International Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Teichert, T., & Trommsdorff, V. (2019). Konsumentenverhalten (9th ed.). Kohlhammer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weigel, S., & Hadwich, K. (2019). Erfolgsfaktoren von Dienstleistungsnetzwerken im Kontext der Servicetransformation – Eine qualitative Analyse. Schmalenbachs Zeitschrift für betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung, 71(1), 1–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiedmann, K.-P., Walsh, G., & Klee, A. (2001). Konsumentenverwirrtheit: Konstrukt und marketingpolitische Implikationen. Marketing ZFP, 23, 83–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. (2016). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wirtz, J., & Lovelock, C. (2018). Essentials of services marketing (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woratschek, H. (2001). Zum Stand einer “Theorie des Dienstleistungsmarketing”. Die Unternehmung, 55(4), 261–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wüstenhagen, R. (2004). Umweltverträgliche Stromprodukte in Europa: Status und Schlüsselfaktoren der Marktentwicklung. Zeitschrift für Energiewirtschaft, 28(1), 17–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zagel, C. (2016). Service fascination: Gaining competitive advantage through experiential self-service systems. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Manfred Bruhn

  2. Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Luzern, Switzerland

    Anja Zimmermann

Authors
  1. Manfred Bruhn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anja Zimmermann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manfred Bruhn .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany

    Margit Enke  & Alexander Leischnig  & 

  2. TU Ilmenau, Ilmenau, Germany

    Anja Geigenmüller

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Bruhn, M., Zimmermann, A. (2022). Commodities in the Service Sector: Particularities and Implications for Marketing. In: Enke, M., Geigenmüller, A., Leischnig, A. (eds) Commodity Marketing. Management for Professionals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90657-3_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation