Bundlings

Bundlings is the plural form of bundling, the act of combining two or more items, services, or concepts into a single unit. In business, bundlings describe the creation of bundles, such as product bundles or service bundles, where items are sold together at a combined price rather than individually. The goal is to enhance perceived value, increase sales, and reduce transaction costs for buyers.

In media and software, bundlings often take the form of suites or packages, such as office software suites or streaming service bundles that include multiple channels or features.

Economics and competition: Bundlings can improve efficiency and can be beneficial for consumers when bundles align with complementary goods. However, bundling can raise antitrust concerns if dominant firms use bundles to foreclose rivals or reduce consumers' true choice. Regulation may require fair pricing, clear terms, and the option to purchase items separately (unbundling).

Applications: telecom bundles (phone, internet, TV), software bundles (operating system plus applications), media streaming bundles, game bundles on digital storefronts.

Variants: pure bundling requires consumers to take the bundle, mixed bundling offers both bundle and individual items.

History: Bundling has a long historical presence in trade, from packaged goods to modern digital bundles.