In the product life cycle, which stage follows growth?

• A. Introduction
• B. Maturity
• C. Decline
• D. Evolution

Answer: (C)

In the product life cycle, after growth the market reaches a point of saturation and sales begin to level off. This stage is maturity. During maturity, the product is well established, demand is steady, and profits tend to flatten as competition intensifies and the market becomes fully penetrated. The focus shifts to maintaining market share, improving efficiency, and extending the product through line or feature updates.

For context, the introduction stage comes before growth, when awareness is low and sales start small. The decline stage comes after maturity, when demand drops due to market saturation, obsolescence, or shifting preferences. Evolution isn’t a standard formal stage in the basic PLC.