The product used to be the literature and it still is. Some of us may remember when we actually purchased magazines and books to place in the ministry. I think I was in high school when we stopped that arrangement and went to the voluntary donation scam.
First, the donations to the World Wide Work were to be used to pay for the Bethel homes/factories and travelling brothers (i.e. agents of the evil empire aka Circuit/District Overseers). So, we were paying for the property, equipment, materials and personnel required to print the literature. Then we paid for the literature. If we placed the literature with a person we were to ask them for a voluntary donation as well.
Cost to manufacture 1 set of magazines = $1.00 (for the sake of this argument)
You donate $1.00 for each set you pick up at the magazine counter.
You donate $1.00 to the World Wide Work to help support the ministry (which includes the printing of that set of magazines).
The householder you place that set of magazines with donates $1.00, as well.
So, in theory, the evil empire is potentially raking in 200% in profits and never had to front any money. Oh, by the way, 100% of those profits are tax exempt because it is a religious organization.
All the "simplification" we have seen in the past 2 decades has allegedly been done to lessen the burden on the brothers. I envoke the ancient Roman rite of Taurus Feces on that one. Once the whole voluntary donation thing kicked in profits went down. So, this "simplification" is just corporate downsizing.
Remember this folks; work hard and make lots of money. Thousands of welfare recipiant(Bethelites, COs, DOs) are depending on you.