Treasure Hunt

In his acclaimed bestseller, Trading Up, Silverstein examined why people choose to pay a premium for luxury goods and services that they passionately care about, like cars and kitchens. Here, in Treasure Hunt, he looks at the equally important countertrend: how middle-income consumers have gotten better at finding cheap products in some categories to free up cash to trade up in other categories. Some companies thrive by playing to either the high or low end while others get trapped in the middle. This guide shows how to avoid being the mediocre middle.