However, is it always for the better of us as consumers? I am not so sure. Any new launch, particularly products, comes with a highly attractive media campaign which creates the ‘want’ to supplant the ‘need’ and influences a purchase decision by way of maybe a trip to Miami or requesting a friend/family member to ship the product or even, perhaps, accessing the grey market. And worse, end up with a product which serves no purpose and brings no value. A recent example – the hoverboards (really??) which did not even require a media campaign but appealed to one and all (how lazy have we become).

Having said that, I must add, if a product or service brings value to our local population in pursuit of better life quality, every effort must be made to adopt the same and bring it to the local shores, legally. The need is to be judicious!!