In business literature,
commoditization is defined as the process by which
goods that have
economic value and are distinguishable in terms of attributes (uniqueness or
brand) end up becoming simple
commodities in the eyes of the market or
consumers. It is the movement of a market from differentiated to undifferentiated price competition and from
monopolistic to
perfect competition. Hence, the key effect of commoditization is that the pricing power of the manufacturer or brand owner is weakened: when products become more similar from a buyer's point of view, they will tend to buy the cheapest.