Bottom of the Pyramid

bottom of the pyramid = BOP

Concept and movement which proposes that the world's poor are an effective market that can be both beneficial for companies and for the poor themselves.

Critique

Here's a critical approach to the movement and the concept:

Kareen Karnani writes that:

"Poor people – at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) – represent a very attractive market opportunity. The 'BOP proposition' argues that selling to the poor can simultaneously be profitable and help eradicate poverty. This is at best a harmless illusion and potentially a dangerous delusion. This paper shows that the BOP argument is riddled with fallacies, and proposes an alternative perspective on how the private sector can help alleviate poverty. Rather than focusing on the poor as consumers, we need to view the poor as producers. The only way to alleviate poverty is to raise the real income of the poor."

More Information

BOP developments can be monitored at the Nextbillion.net blog.