Comments on: When Products Splinter

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:16:00 +0000

do I really need to link the picture of the bread isle I took the other day? The only things I can think of that really match this are soft drinks and laundry detergents, where they will stock a large variety and large percentage of the producer’s catalogue. And, of course, with beverages you have Pepsi saying I’ll be damned if Coke gets an inch more than we do” and working against it. Want to bet on finding similar parity in the bread isle across brands?

. And Arnold or Safeway, from what I saw, was more interested in pushing their Italian with the space they did have than their variety.

By: beren

beren — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:25:00 +0000

It’s foolish to credit the opinions of people who pay no price for being wrong, and it’s downright dangerous to let them anywhere near the levers of power.

By: Hal Duston

Hal Duston — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:22:00 +0000

Just the other day I ventured into the grocery store for the first time in quite a while. I was only picking up some milk, some bread, and some cheese. Since I normally get the non-refrigerated items first, I went to get the bread. There were so many to choose from I was paralyzed with anxiety. ‘100% whole wheat, 12 Grain, 7 Grain, German Dark Wheat’, my palms began to sweat. ‘Health Nut, Healthy Multi-grain, Honey Whole Wheat’, my heart rate increased. ‘Oatnut, Country Oat Bran, Country Wheat, Country White’, my breathing became labored. ‘Country Whole Grain White, Healthfull 10 Grain, Healthfull Flax and Fiber’, what if I get the wrong one?!? ‘Healthfull Hearty Wheat, Healthy Nutty Grain, Double Fiber, Double Protein’, the aisle was starting to spin. ‘Grains & More Flax and fiber, Triple Health, Dutch Country 100% whole Wheat’ the loaves looked like they might leap from the shelf at any moment. ‘Butter Split Top, Extra Fiber, Premium Potato, Premium White, Rye Everything’, I’m never going to make it out of here! Just at that moment a young mother with two small children came down the aisle between me and the shelf, glanced at me oddly, grabbed two loaves of ‘Soft Family Whole Grain White’, placed them in her cart as was gone as quickly as she had appeared. I managed to catch my breath, collect myself, and placed a loaf of ‘Soft Family Classic White’ in my basket and fled while I still could. Next item, the cheese. Do you know how many choices for cheese there are? … … …

By: dwbudd

dwbudd — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:15:00 +0000

William, your question: “Is there really anyone in this world who loves the Arnold 10-grain, but can’t stand the 7-grain or 12-grain” is really not the right one. In a consumer market place, a better one is: ” Is there really anyone in this world who is OK with Arnold 7-grain or 12-grain bread, who prefer a Vermont Bread Company option and buy it, but who would love the Arnold 10-grain version?”

Arnold is a company in business to make money, and if their customers can differentiate, or even if they think they can, then there is unmet need in that area.

I personally am not a bread snob, and am pretty happy with my Orowheat potato bread.

On the other hand, wander into a wine shop, and you’ll find orders of magnitude more choices of wine varietals, regions, years, and labels. Some people are happy with Two Buck Chuck, and consider claims that people can distinguish years and labels pure pretension.

In the end, Arnold will either make money or lose it, and I doubt that a shelf-space power play is the malevolent force behind the scenes you imply.

By: D.C. al Fine

D.C. al Fine — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Your guess? Your guess? Bakeries, other manufacturers, and retailers don’t guess. They survey. They test. They measure. They research. They demand or provide data. They analyze. They do NOT guess. You obviously have no idea how they make their decisions if you believe that increasing the number of products automatically increases a brand’s shelf space.

By: Nachum

Nachum — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:13:00 +0000

In reply to Anonymous. Sara Lee's bakery products are owned by the same company as Arnold's, which also owns quite a few other well-known names. And they market them all! Horrors!

By: Ejohnson

Ejohnson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000

There was not a even a crumb of evidence whatsoever brought up to support the bloggers half baked speculation. Most suppliers to the grocery stores pay for shelf space (also called “slotting fees”). They then work with retailer to determine what items will be slotted there. Just because a vendor has 40 skus doesn’t mean the retailer will stock them.

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000

By: backyardfoundry

backyardfoundry — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:18:00 +0000

One solution to the problem of choice-engendered anxiety would be for sufferers to shop at a store like Aldi which offers so few options. But how will they choose the right no-frills store in the crowded marketplace? Maybe the communists are on to something with the simple life they offer.

By: backyardfoundry

backyardfoundry — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:17:00 +0000

“He says consumers have too many products to choose from and that it causes a paralyzing anxiety.”

Maybe for some purchases, but not for food, which is too cheap for a “mistake” to be very meaningful.