Productive Lifecycle Initiative
a) Patagonia’s prices are about 20% higher than its competitors (e.g., North Face). Why are their
customers willing to pay this premium for their products?
b) Why do other firms in the industry choose to follow Patagonia’s environmental practices?
c) What are some potential problems related to the Productive Lifecycle Initiative (PLI)? How can
PLI make sense from a business (profit) perspective?
d) Is PLI easily imitable by Patagonia’s competitors? Why or why not?
