Technology ConnectionsApr 25, 2023
One thing I'm noticing here on Mastodon (mostly through observing experience of others, to be fair) is that there seems to be a point at which catering to people with, let's call it, overly-particular needs seems to embolden those people to foist those needs onto others and it devolves into a mess of opinions real fast.
Show threadTechnology ConnectionsApr 25, 2023

One of the reasons Trader Joe's is successful is that they limit choices.

Do you really need to have two dozen varieties of peanut butter? Probably not. So they just stock a few. Gets people in-and-out very quickly, makes the stores smaller, and it's a very enjoyable experience for many despite being objectively quite limited.

Choice-overload is a real thing, and I think those steering this ship need to sit with that for a while.

Show threadPaul McGraneApr 25, 2023

@TechConnectify Do you ever visit grocery stores that have *only* the house brand? Aldi in USA is what I'm thinking of, but maybe Whole Foods is a bit like that too.

The choices are simpler, but the brand I am used to is surely not there.

Show threadTechnology ConnectionsApr 25, 2023

@pmcg Trader Joe's is basically that! I rarely shop at Aldi but I'm never one to be brand loyal.

I will happily buy the generic version of almost any product (I only have a few exceptions), and TJ's has a ton of variety when it comes to frozen foods.

But when you drill down to one specific food item, particularly commodity products like flour, sugar, butter, they'll have just a few choices. And gosh does it make shopping easy.

Show threadJersey Gryphon
@pmcg @TechConnectify
It makes me laugh when you see those “I moved to Germany but why don’t shops have the same choice as the US” YouTube videos.
In Europe, the choice is often between the biggest of all (say) Cornflake brands and the stores own-brand one … beyond a certain point, choice leads to unhappiness.
Also, if I want good bread, I’m going to the boulangerie, not the warehouse.
Apr 25, 2023 at 1:17pmWeb
Show threadPaul McGraneApr 25, 2023
@jerseygryphon @TechConnectify that may be the case but not for me. I live near Raleigh and I believe the host lives sort of near Wisconsin.