Consumer Goods

Consumer goods is a generalized term for any product or service purchased primarily for personal, family, or household uses. Consumer goods such as clothing, foodstuffs, or toys are intended to satisfy human wants and needs through their direct consumption or use. Industrial goods, in contrast to consumer goods, are purchased by individuals or organizations to produce other products and services that are sold to, or provided for, other individuals or organizations. According to their usage, many goods (e.g., cars, printers, or personal computers) can be categorized either as consumer goods or as industrial goods.

The term consumer traditionally refers to the ultimate user of products, ideas, and services. Strictly speaking, a distinction can be made between consumers and customers. A customer is the person or organization ...