In the product life cycle, which stage comes immediately before Decline?

• A. Introduction
• B. Growth
• C. Shakeout
• D. Maturity

Answer: (D)

In the product life cycle, sales move from launching to growing, then to a period where growth slows as the market saturates. That plateau phase is Maturity, where sales are high but growth is minimal and competition can drive profits down. Decline follows when demand falls due to obsolescence or shifting preferences. So, the stage immediately before Decline is Maturity. The other stages describe earlier phases or market consolidation, not the step right before the downturn.