ACHR News
search
Ask ACHR NEWS AI
cart
facebook twitter instagram linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
ACHR News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • New HVAC Products
    • Featured Products
    • Manufacturer Reports
    • HVAC Data
    • Legislation
    • ACHR NEWS Centennial
  • RESIDENTIAL
    • Air Conditioners
    • Furnaces
    • Residential Heat Pumps
    • Ductless
    • Residential IAQ
    • Testing, Monitoring, Tools
    • Components & Accessories
  • COMMERCIAL
    • Air Handlers
    • Rooftop Units
    • Chillers and Cooling Towers
    • Commercial Heat Pumps
    • Boilers and Hydronics
    • VRF/Ductless
    • Commercial IAQ
  • REFRIGERATION
    • Refrigerants
    • Refrigerant Regulations
    • Leak Management
  • CONTRACTOR PRO
    • Geothermal
    • Homeowner Study
    • VRF and VRV Ductless
    • Unitary Trends
  • EDUCATION
    • Training and Education
    • Business Management
    • Service and Maintenance
    • Continuing Education
    • Market Research >
      • HVAC Brand Awareness Report
      • VRV, VRF, VRVZ Report
      • Unitary Trends Report
      • Water Heat Professionals Report
    • Webinars
    • Sponsor Insights
    • eProducts Info
    • White Papers
  • EVENTS
    • HVAC Contractor Forum
    • Industry Events and Webinars
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
    • AHR Expo 2025 Videos
    • Podcasts >
      • ACHR News Podcast
      • HARDI Podcasts
      • AHR Expo Podcasts
      • ACCA Podcasts
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Quizzes
    • eBooks
    • HVAC Talkback
  • HVAC GROUP
    • ACHR NEWS >
      • Current Issue
      • Digital Edition
      • Subscribe
    • Distribution Trends
    • SNIPS NEWS >
      • Join SNIPS NEWS
    • Engineered Systems News >
      • Join ES News
    • HVACR Directory
    • Contests
    • Newsletters
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • My Account

Murphy's Law: Trading Up

By Mike Murphy
May 16, 2008

You can get a good cup of coffee a lot of places, but how many of you would prefer to go to Starbucks? People don't want just an iPod; they want the iPod Nano. They don't want just a hamburger; they want what Five Guys offers. You may not have heard of them yet, but Five Guys is an 87-store fast food franchise on the East Coast that is changing the way people think about hamburgers. You could get a sandwich thousands of places, but people go to Panera Bread instead.

All of these examples have one thing in common - they are more expensive.

There is a marketing phenomenon called trading up, which is typically thought to include purchases of high-priced goods. In an environment where people are trading up, everything from food to HVAC is affected.

People are willing to pay more for good hamburgers or good HVAC solutions.

Ray Isaac, president of Isaac Heating and Air Conditioning of Rochester, N.Y., and current Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) national chairman thinks that his company’s growth and huge backlog is due to the fact that homeowners tend to nest during times of economic uncertainty. In other words, they put even more importance on their homes during a slowdown. They aren’t going to move soon, and they want to take care of what they have. They want to make sure they’re getting a good value.

Give real value to those people who want to pay more.

Share This Story

Mike murphy

Mike Murphy has more than 30 years’ experience in HVACR manufacturing, product development, marketing, sales, and publishing. Murphy holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration & Marketing.

Recent Comments

Positive Reviews are worth their weight in SOLD

Water, Water, Water

If we analyze last 10 years, then we...

I'm glad you liked the tips in "Celebrate...

Owner

Subscription Center
  • Create an Account
  • Start a Subscription
  • Manage My Account
  • Sign Up for Newsletters
  • Visit Customer Service
  • Update Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to The News audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The News or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Piggy Bank
    Sponsored byWatercress Financial

    Energy Prices, Inflation, and HVAC: What Today’s Homeowners Care About

  • Refrigerated Food
    Sponsored bySolstice Advanced Materials

    R-455A Refrigeration: A Cold Storage Solution for the Future

  • Airex Rooftop Units
    Sponsored byAirex Manufacturing Inc

    Consolidating Roof Penetrations: A Growing Trend in Multifamily HVAC Design

Popular Stories

Refrigerants-and-gauge.jpg

HVAC Industry Warns of Counterfeit Refrigerants Entering U.S. Supply Chain

U.S. Supreme Court building

95% Furnace Efficiency Rule to Get New Hearing

Data_Center_facility.jpg

HVAC Manufacturers Respond to Growing Data Center Backlash

Midea-training.jpg

HVAC Workforce Crisis Expands Beyond Technicians to Instructor Shortages

HVAC Minute retail refrigeration system

EPA Final Rule’s Impact on R-410A Deadlines

View The ACHR NEWS
Centennial Anniversary Timeline

The ACHR News Timeline Chart
Submit a Letter
Submit a letter to our editors.

Events

November 6, 2025

Next-Gen Data Center Cooling: HVAC Innovation and Real-World Solutions

On Demand As AI workloads and high-density computing push traditional cooling methods to their limits, the data center industry is accelerating the adoption of next-generation HVAC technologies.

June 23, 2026

HVAC Duct Sealing Mastics: Why Selection Matters

In this webinar we will detail what HVAC material buyers and technicians need to know when selecting duct mastics, including matching mastic to substrate, alternatives to liquid mastic, and where UL 181 Listings fit into real world installations.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Summer Staff

Are you fully staffed for the summer season?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

BNI Mechanical/Electrical Square Foot Costbook, 2026 Edition

BNI Mechanical/Electrical Square Foot Costbook, 2026 Edition

See More Products
HVAC Duct Sealing Mastics: Why Selection Matters - Free Webinar - 6/23/2026
×

Sign Up. Stay Informed.

The #1 trusted source for the HVACR industry since 1926

SUBSCRIBE
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Advisory Board
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Letter
    • Directories
    • Store
  • ACCOUNT CENTER
    • Create an Account
    • Start a Subscription
    • Manage My Account
    • Sign Up for Newsletters
    • Visit Customer Service
    • Update Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing