Bundling religion and pets

That's exactly what some religious groups are doing these days, according to this Examiner article. As discussed in class, churches can compete in the marketplace by bundling various products. Instead of going one place for religious services, another place for social support, another place for friendships, and so on, a person can go to church to obtain many different goods and services and at a lower opportunity cost. In fact, it seems religious groups have always bundled other-worldly and this-worldly goods. By bundling various goods and services together, a religious group not only competes with other religious groups, it competes with secular alternatives. As churches increase the scope of what they bundle, they can potentially improve their positions in the market.

The churches in this article are expanding the scope of their bundles by holding religious services meant specifically for pet owners who want to spend time with their pets. By combining the more standard religious services with something that seems very secular--taking your dog to the dog park--the religious group can potentially reach out to niche in the marketplace. If some people previously had to choose between going to church or going to the dog park, now they can do both.