'Value added' - a new definition?

Last week I was following an email conversation between my son, JC and my colleague Nick, about the consequences of the China's phenomenonal economic rise . I also heard a radio debate on the same topic a couple of days ago.

There seem to be two camps; one saying that the Chinese will commoditise everything, leaving Europe impoverished and the other camp countering with the argument that Europe will simply move up the 'value added' ladder.

Whilst I don't share the doomsayers view, I do have difficulty in believing in the 'value added' argument. After all, it was only 10 years ago that the West claimed that its IT services were 'value added', and look how quickly they were commoditised and went East.

Today, I had a small insight into what the future European 'value added' might look like. My wife returned from shopping raving about how helpful the market stallholder had been in recommending how to prepare, cook and serve green bananas. On top of that she was delighted that he'd been pleased to see, her even though she rarely visits that market.

"Can you image the checkout person at the supermarket welcoming me and advising me on the joys and health benefits of green bananas!" She said. "No chance!"

Green bananas are commodities. If she'd bought them from the supermarket, that's what she would have got - commodities. But by buying from the stallholder she got commodities plus a positive personal experience - value added?.

Maybe we Europeans should start selling cornflakes in boxes with "FREE INSIDE - Human experience"