| ▲ | amanaplanacanal 4 days ago |
| Wow. This is like complaining about going into my local pub for a beer and discovering they have a dozen taps. Well sure, different people like different things, and sometimes I might want a creamy stout, and sometimes a West Coast IPA, and sometimes a light lager on a hot summer day. I guess life was better for those behind the iron curtain that only had one brand? |
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| ▲ | smath 3 days ago | parent | next [-] |
| I think both extremes can be suboptimal (no choice and too much choice). See for example ‘the paradox of choice’ - research done by Barry Schwartz and later by Sheena iyengar
https://modelthinkers.com/mental-model/paradox-of-choice |
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| ▲ | yumraj 3 days ago | parent | next [-] | | > research done by Barry Schwartz and later by Sheena iyengar Per the article, Sheena Iyengar did the study on 2000 and then ”This study became a central example in Barry Schwartz's 2004 book, The Paradox of Choice.” On a related note, this is one of the main reasons we like Costco. Fewer SKUs means less cognitive load and easier shopping. | | |
| ▲ | lttlrck 3 days ago | parent [-] | | Thinking about it, my local Costco has a huge coffee selection... one side of a whole isle. Only coffee gets that treatment! |
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| ▲ | refulgentis 3 days ago | parent | prev [-] | | I'm not sure this imagined scenario, where coffee shops ask where you want your beans from, would apply to this study: "displayed 24 jams in a busy supermarket for tasting...60% of customers stop[ped and tasted], 3% [made] a purchase."..."Next, 6 jam jars....[40% stopped, less than 60%], but...purchases went up [from 3%] to 30%." It reeks of the worst sins of early-TED-era social psychology experiments: tons of obvious confounders. For instance, 24 samples at a table that was 50% busier means I'm thinking I'll come back and wrap up my tryout next week or whenever: it's very busy and I can't afford 15 minutes to sit around trying to maintain tasting notes on something I didn't have intent to buy anyway -- if I did, I wouldn't be sampling! It also means less 1:1 salesmanship contact with the purveyor of samples, and 4x of much investment needed on their part. | | |
| ▲ | xnzakg 3 days ago | parent [-] | | It also depends on how popular the place is, and the customer demographic. Continuing with that example, if it's a small grocery store in a town with a population of a few thousand people, sure, there's definitely no point in having 24 different types of jam. However, if it's a store specializing in jam, in a large city, then having a larger selection makes sense, especially when you have someone working there who you can ask to recommend something. Sadly that usually also implies higher prices. |
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| ▲ | AlfeG 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| This is my problem in every situation. Want a car? Here are thousands of options.
Want a fridge? Good luck in market research.
Want a TV? Nope, I will not help. Too many variables.
Bottle of water? Here are hundreds of options. Let's guess why one bottle can cost x100 times more than another. Sometimes I just want simple things ... Like to drink a cup of coffee. In my student time. There was a shop where we bought "Beer", "Cognac" or "Vodka", with corresponding simple labels. No trademarks, no info on producers. Very easy to choose. |
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| ▲ | Lunatic666 3 days ago | parent | next [-] | | I find coffee very approachable for people without any experience. If you have a good barista they should be able to make a good recommendation for you. Maybe start with something nutty or chocolatey and if you are a bit more adventurous, try a coffee with a berry flavored profile. For me the big surprise was when I started with specialty coffee that I could taste the difference between very small changes when pulling a shot. | |
| ▲ | leapingdog 18 hours ago | parent | prev [-] | | > Want a fridge? Good luck in market research. If paralysed by consumer choice I would lean on Which?[0] magazine which is run by the Consumers' Association charity. Perhaps there is something similar in your geography. > In my student time. There was a shop where we bought "Beer", "Cognac" or "Vodka", with corresponding simple labels. This reminds me of the grocery store in the film Repo Man[1] which had a few digs at consumerism. I prefer to know where my alcohol is from & who made it but I pass no judgement. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Which%3F
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repo_Man_(film) |
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| ▲ | TacticalCoder 3 days ago | parent | prev [-] |
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