Consumer Choice

Virginia Postrel has an article in the New York Times (registration required) talking about the latest threat to shopper sanity: too much choice. Do you remember when the greatest threat to shoppers was that evil capitalists were taking away choices?

Whether shopping for watches or jeans, salad greens or bathroom faucets, consumers have many more options than ever before. The variety of choices today gives us a much better chance of finding something that exactly suits our needs, our personalities, our activities and our bodies. We don't have to settle for the lowest common denominator or one size fits all.

But those choices can be overwhelming. Sooner or later, every shopper has an experience like my watch-buying breakdown. Our brains lock up, and we just want to go home. The stress is particularly great when we're buying unfamiliar goods, spending a lot of money or picking out something we'll have to live with for years.

I've had that experience myself recently. My desk chair at home finally gave up the ghost after nearly 20 years of service (the tilt mechanism self-destructed so that it no longer "un-tilts"). My wife and I went out to look for a replacement. Have you any idea how many desk chairs are available nowadays? Yikes!

It may seem like a trivial choice, but I spend a lot of time at my keyboard, so a comfortable chair is not a luxury: it's a necessary part of my work environment. It will probably be after the holidays before I can take the time to get a good replacement for the old one. Of course, while I'm waiting, I'm still using the old chair and hoping I don't cause myself damage when I sit down or stand up . . .