Why is diaper purchasing so complicated???
Last week I went to the grand opening of a new supermarket. I was so excited for the shiny floors, impeccable organization, and clean shelves before consumers ruin it all. I went down the aisles in amazement at the number of goods until I got to the end of the store and realized my cart was completely empty. I went back to the start of the store and with my shopping list in hand focused on what I actually needed and not the rows of unopened bags of pasta. I got to the baby aisle and went to check off size 2 baby diapers from my list. When I got to the spot however I was stunned. There were 11 different kinds of size 2 baby diapers. My babies 4 months old and just needs a simple diaper. How can there possibly be 11 different kinds? Are they all the same? Are the prices the same? What can be so different that makes one 2$ more per pack?
After breaking it down I realized each diaper is meant for a different group of customers. One is the high-end $18.99 pack which uses ultra absorptive and comfortable material. This is for the customer who’s on no budget, has one or two kids that are always perfectly clean and smiling all over Instagram, and has tons of childcare. This person reaches for the top quality, top-priced goods. The next was the super cheap diapers called cloth diapers priced at $4.99 a pack. And guess what you NEVER have to buy diapers again once you buy them once. These have to be washed after each time they’re used and basically don’t work. This is speaking to the mother who’s counting each penny she spends and understands having a child is hard work and huge time investment. The middle-of-the-road diapers were the ones I grabbed, the basic, disposable, comfortable diapers that do the job without adding any element of luxury to something that isn’t supposed to be luxurious. If you’re wondering what happened to the rest of the 8 diaper types, to be honest, I have no clue what’s special about them.
I can’t take you to the supermarket with me but have a look on Amazon at what I’m talking about.
After my 10-minute diaper choosing saga, I realized the other 8 types were completely unnecessary. Are they there just to get me confused about what to choose? A high, middle, and low quality are more than enough choices for consumers! Any more just confuses the heck out of us. We’ve gotten used to a world filled with segmentation where we have ample choices about everything we’re purchasing. Marketers divide the market into groups of gender, age, needs, priorities, common interests, and much more. This seems like a luxury but ends up disabling us by causing us to spend too much time and money investing in which type of computer we need. It also gives customers a mindset to always expect ample choices. This obviously is debilitating when it comes to other areas in life where you get what you get and don’t get upset. Why do we have to be put into a box? Why can’t I live in harmony with my poor neighbor and fancy Instagram influencer boss? Stop putting me into such a specific category and let me float wherever I want.
