Choice overload: what we can learn from a pot of jam
It’s perhaps the most famous study on choice overload; in a study first published in 2000, Iyengar and Lepper set up an experiment to test how limited choice versus extensive choice effected consumer’s decision-making process. And the product they chose? The humble pot of jam.
A tasting booth of Wilkin & Sons jams was set up in an upscale grocery store in Menlo Park, California. There were a few reasons for these decisions by the researchers:
- The store already sold over 300 types of jam; an extraordinary selection which did not mark the study as unusual
- In-store tastings were a frequent event; consumers were used to in-store promotions, and therefore potentially more comfortable with the product sampling process
- Wilkin & Sons produced a large variety of jams; this removed variables around packaging and advertising
- Researchers chose a lesser-known brand; by not going for a ‘big name’ brand, consumers had no inherent preferences (think Pepsi vs Coca Cola)
- Traditional flavours were excluded; more popular flavours such as strawberry and raspberry were removed, to prevent choice being skewed by known taste preferences
- It was an inexpensive product choice; as the experiment involves purchasing behaviour, researchers chose a product with a price point of $4-$6
There were two displays set up, in rotation over two non-holiday Saturdays. One had six different types of jam, and the other had twenty-four. Consumers were allowed to taste as many as they wished, and all consumers who approached the table were given a $1 discount coupon for the Wilkin & Sons jam (enabling researchers to track the impact on purchasing decisions).
The results were fascinating:
Attraction: For the 24-jam booth, 60% of consumers who passed the booth stopped, whereas this drops to 40% when only six jams were on display.
Engagement: Surprisingly, there was not a huge difference in the number of flavours sampled. When there were 24 jams, consumers sampled an average of 1.5 jams. When there were six, consumers sampled an average of 1.38.
The part where it gets really interesting is when it comes to subsequent purchasing.
Conversion: For the extensive choice (24 jams) option, only 3% of consumers subsequently purchased a jar of Wilkin & Sons jam. This jumps to 30% for the limited choice (6 jam) display.
The conclusion feels simple; too many options can create choice paralysis.
Whilst having a large array of options is initially appealing to browsing consumers, the setup actually reduces their propensity to buy.
Additional considerations — such as an inference that the jams were special, or there were a higher proportion of maximising tendencies in the extensive-choice (24 jam) group — were explored in further studies. One of these studies — a similar concept, but this time using chocolate — even showed that people enjoyed selecting chocolates from a wider array (but also found the process more frustrating and felt greater dissatisfaction with their selection).
So how can marketers help prevent choice overload and reduce choice dissatisfaction?
- Filters are your friend.
If you handle a huge product catalogue, make sure that is well structured and easy to filter with conventional options (or unconventional, if that fits your product and consumer better)
2. Provide reassurance
There are a few techniques which can provide some much-needed reassurance; product reviews, a live chat-box or even some simple persona-driven labels (“great for couples” vs “great for families”)
3. Positively affirm choices
When users are at the checkout stage or in the post-purchase email, reaffirm that they’ve made a great decision in the choice they made — everyone loves confirmation of their enduring wisdom
Originally published on psykkd.com
