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It's called "the paradox of choice": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice There is undoubte

It's called "the paradox of choice": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice There is undoubtedly money to be made here (one way or another - see last reference): the supermarket chain ALDI has invested in a strategy where they provide limited choices of goods (e.g., spaghetti sauces, breads, etc.) thus reducing buyers' anxiety, store size and increasing profits. It seems to be working: "Why I choose to have less choice": https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/18/choose-less-choice-shopping-around https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/18/choose... "Why C[onvenience]-stores Should Consider the Aldi Approach": http://www.csnews.com/product-categories/other-merchandise-services/why-c-stores-should-consider-aldi-approach?cc=8 http://www.csnews.com/product-categories/other-merchandise-s... Finally, there's a debate as to whether the paradox of choice is real or not: "Is the Paradox of Choice Not So Paradoxical After All?" http://freakonomics.com/2009/12/02/is-the-paradox-of-choice-not-so-paradoxical-after-all/ http://freakonomics.com/2009/12/02/is-the-paradox-of-choice-...

codemac 9y ago
The paradox of choice only exists between things with meaningless differences! The difference between these is the price of a single product, there is no paradox here, the user just needs to take over an hour + programming to even get the information out of Amazon.
mc32 9y ago
Hmm. I like having choice in the sense that I can choose what I prefer and someone else can seek their choice as well. An alternative is only having access to the popular product in that segment (maybe I don't like Fujis, or I prefer whole milk over skim). I think the paradox of choice is an issue when you initially don't have prior information on something, but once you know what you prefer, there is no paradox as one is pretty much settled with one's choice.
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cdubzzz 9y ago
Interesting. Thanks for the references. It strikes me that I have recently done this in another area as well - grocery shopping. We used to go to the largest, cheapest grocery store, less than a mile from our house. But now we much prefer a smaller, more expensive place a few miles away. A bigger part of this decision is local/organic options and pricing, but I did recently think about exactly this (the incredible amount of choice and associated anxiety) when I had occasion to get a few things at the big store again.
Broken_Hippo 9y ago
I moved to Norway some years ago, and the grocery stores don't have as much choice. You might have 2 or 3 choices of canned tomatoes, but one choice if you want a can of beans. Sometimes, you just get the selection that store sells, and if you want something different, you have to go to another chain in another location. One of the chains reminds me a lot of aldi, though they tend to carry name brands for many products. This is frustrating to me at times, after being used to the stores in the states. Overall, however, it makes grocery shopping quick. And as a bonus, I can generally stop by a store on my way home from anywhere or take a short walk from home.

codemac 9y ago

The paradox of choice only exists between things with meaningless differences! The difference between these is the price of a single product, there is no paradox here, the user just needs to take over an hour + programming to even get the information out of Amazon.

mc32 9y ago

Hmm. I like having choice in the sense that I can choose what I prefer and someone else can seek their choice as well. An alternative is only having access to the popular product in that segment (maybe I don't like Fujis, or I prefer whole milk over skim). I think the paradox of choice is an issue when you initially don't have prior information on something, but once you know what you prefer, there is no paradox as one is pretty much settled with one's choice.

deleted 9y ago
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cdubzzz 9y ago

Interesting. Thanks for the references. It strikes me that I have recently done this in another area as well - grocery shopping. We used to go to the largest, cheapest grocery store, less than a mile from our house. But now we much prefer a smaller, more expensive place a few miles away. A bigger part of this decision is local/organic options and pricing, but I did recently think about exactly this (the incredible amount of choice and associated anxiety) when I had occasion to get a few things at the big store again.

Broken_Hippo 9y ago

I moved to Norway some years ago, and the grocery stores don't have as much choice. You might have 2 or 3 choices of canned tomatoes, but one choice if you want a can of beans. Sometimes, you just get the selection that store sells, and if you want something different, you have to go to another chain in another location. One of the chains reminds me a lot of aldi, though they tend to carry name brands for many products. This is frustrating to me at times, after being used to the stores in the states. Overall, however, it makes grocery shopping quick. And as a bonus, I can generally stop by a store on my way home from anywhere or take a short walk from home.