I would like to know if the threat of substitutes refers:
1. to the same products offered by a competitor (eg nike vs adidas shoes) 2. a similar but better product (e.g. a mopr was has to be manually wrung while mopping as opposed to one which can be wrung by an apparatus in the bucket)
Certainly not 1 and not really 2. You are looking for more radical differences where the same outcome is achieved by different means.
So, to keep windows clean, you have window cleaners. A substitute would be a coating on the glass which meant dirt and dust didn’t stick. So, you have,clean windows by a very different technology.
Similarly, high speed trains are a substitute for air travel over short distances.