Is too much choice an issue and how do you decide what to buy?

Posted by: looklively

22nd Mar 2017 11:05am

Coles and Woolies are following Aldi's lead and cutting the number of product lines they stock as a result of customers finding that too much choice is stressful. So what do you think? - How do you feel about having less choice in the supermarket? What would you do if your usual brand was no longer available? Would you prefer more or fewer brands to choose from? Does having too many brands to choose from make it harder to decide? When you are faced with a wide range of products to choose from, how you make your decision?

Nita

23rd Mar 2017 04:08pm

I have only been thinking about this topic throughout the past week. I know that over the years, I have come across a situation where my favourite product was no longer going to be stocked, I was so annoyed at this decision and voiced my opinion to a Coles worker, who also agreed with me. I can understand if a brand stops making a specific product but when a Supermarket, especially the giants like Coles & Woolworths, start taking it upon themselves to decide what to sell us....that really gets my goat! I refuse to shop at Aldi....I walked in one day, intent on doing my shopping there but couldn't find my favourite brands, I ended up walking back out through the checkout with NO products at all.
I have no idea who the Supermarkets spoke to when they came to the idea that customers were bamboozled by choice....I know myself, I love having choice, I love being in control of my shopping and what I decide to buy for the family...what I decide to consume myself and I don't want to lose this control. Coles & Woolworths have me feeling rail-roaded, when ever they decide to stop stocking a product or brand, which is happening more & more as they both bring in more lines of their own home brands, I am fed up & completely frustrated by their ignorance and their lack of thought for the customer.
If I'm shopping and I'm faced with a variety of choices for a particular product, I will try them all, until I find the brand that tastes the best to me, the one that my family prefer. I also take into consideration where the product is made and may also check the nutrition panel for salt, sugar and fat content.
I love having the opportunity to make my own choice. How boring would the weekly shopping trip be if we only had 1 or 2 brand choices available for all lines of products?

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