Brown Goods - Definition & Meaning

Published in Marketing and Strategy Terms by MBA Skool Team

What is Brown Goods?

Brown goods also known as small appliances refer to portable or semi-portable machines, commonly used on counter-tops, table-tops, or any other platform, to accomplish a household task. They got the name Brown Goods from the colour of the wooden and bakelite cases which were once used to pack them. The white goods or major appliances are difficult to move are generally placed on the floor. They got the name White Goods from their white enameled metal exteriors which were common at one time.


Major appliances include the dishwasher, refrigerator, stove, washing machine, and dryer. Although there is a very thin line and both the categories are commonly addressed as home appliances, the maintenance that goes into them, size and mobility are the major points of differentiation. White goods are considerably larger in size and thus not portable in nature. Brown goods are smaller and can be moved easily from one place to another. The process of repairing an Air Conditioner is a lot different than repairing a toaster. Thus service and maintenance also helps in identifying the white and brown goods differently.


Both White and Brown Goods work on electricity and help us in to tasks that make our life more comfortable and luxurious. In the near future, Internet of Things is expected to connect all our home appliances together and let us operate them remotely. It will be interesting to see how brown goods evolve to develop connectivity or they are left behind.


Refer the images below to see examples of Brown Goods and White Goods



Hence, this concludes the definition of Brown Goods along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

Browse the definition and meaning of more similar terms. The Management Dictionary covers over 1800 business concepts from 5 categories.

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