Too much choice?

On my return to the UK from New Zealand I had to readjust in many ways to things I had forgotten or just erased from my memory. One of these things is overcrowded supermarkets and the vast amount of choice we face whenever we buy something. Every purchase offers multiple options sometimes with little to distinguish one from another. In design week I was interested to read an article about this, and they predict that driven by recession and consumer confusion this will be rationalised “This will eventually result in about four options per product/ the market leader, the number two, a challenger and a supermarket own-brand”

Given this, which ones will survive? Old favourites… You know the ones. They have been around forever and are consistent in their branding, slow to change. Owned by large often global companies, although priced a little more than the own label option in times of uncertainty they offer reassurance.

As well as these we are seeing a raft of smaller start up brands. They are in most cases niche, local and have more of an element of the hand made and so offer something different that big brands can’t do in a true sense.

Supermarket own brands are also upping there game and moving into the branded territory. This is a Tesco own brand believe it or not. Own brand will always compete on price and now it seems they compete for our affection as well along with all the other brands.

So as choice seems to be expanding it will be interesting to see if, as predicted brands disappear, which ones will survive?