What is a product line stretch?

• A. Adding new offerings up market, down market, or both.
• B. Reducing product lines to focus.
• C. Creating a single product line.
• D. Merging with competitors.

Answer: (A)

A product line stretch happens when a brand broadens its existing range by adding new offerings that go beyond the current endpoints, either moving into higher-end options (up-market), lower-end options (down-market), or both. This expands market coverage, can attract new customers, and leverages the brand's existing equity. That’s why adding offerings up market, down market, or both is the best description. The other options describe different strategies: reducing product lines to focus is shrinking the portfolio, creating a single product line is narrowing scope, and merging with competitors is a merger/ownership move, not a line-stretch strategy.