PRODUCT UPDATE; GIVE CONSUMERS WHAT THEY WANT; FEATURES WITH CONSUMER BENEFITS BOOST VACS' DESIRABILITY AND PRICE POINTS.

HFN: The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network, May, 1999 by Hodl, James J.

Vacuum cleaners -- both uprights and canisters -- have become feature-driven products. Give consumers the mix of features they desire, and they will stampede to the stores.

But which features to offer?

"We have one design requirement: that any new feature added to a vac must deliver a real benefit," said Rick Farone, vice president of product development at Dirt Devil. He described such benefits as features and other add-ons that improve a vacuum's performance, make it easier to use or easier to store.

Other manufacturers add to this list of benefits things that eliminate odious tasks, such as changing the vac bag; improving the household environment; or capturing dirt that previously was beyond a vac's reach.

The rewards for...