Is there a proliferation of...?

Question

products in the market so that the consumer is too confused to make an educated choice?
From cars to TVs even orange juice and shampoo there are by far too many products to be able to do a diligent research on and reach a decision. Am I the only one perplexed with the market place?

PiggiePa My supermarket has 72 different orange juices and I did not bother with the shampoos- too many. Isn't that overdoing it?

PiggiePa My supermarket has 72 different orange juices and I did not bother with the shampoos- too many. Isn't that overdoing it?

Answer 1

The previous answer is incorrect.

TOO MUCH CHOICE IS AS BAD AS NOT ENOUGH CHOICE.

You are quite right there is no need for 70 different types of orange juice and when retailers start doing this they are normally headed for trouble.
Having that much choice on one product line ties up a lot of cash in stock holding and makes the balance sheet heavy.

Normally the next step would be to reduce the product range down to the top 20 best selling lines to increase customer spend and drive effieciency.

Eg
Orange juices 1 -10 might sell 300,000 units
but Orange Juice number 65 might just sell 5 units.
There is no clear commercial reason for stocking orange juice no. 65 as it is taking up too much shelve space and could be replaced with something more profitable.

If you give the customer TOO much choice they will buy nothing as they are overwhelmed by the choices available and won't be able to take a rational decision in the small amount of time they have to shop.
Remember customers have got other things to do as well as shop!

Too much of one line is very bad, but if the store were to introduce say pear juice (!!) or other types of juices it did not currently stock then that would be fine as it would be offering the customer an increased choice of a DIFFERENT product!

You are right!! Because you are the customer (Although I think you work there as well) and even YOU have noticed that it is TOO much choice, so what must other customers be thinking!!!

Answer 2

The proliferation of products actually provides the consumer more of a choice and allows people to get exactly what they want (or think they want). I wouldn't want to go to the store and find only one brand of organge juice - I have my favorites, as does everyone else. And the competition between products helps keep products fresh and prices competitive. People use their preferences and experiences in making purchasing decisions, and the size of the options available doesn't make it any more difficult.