One in five overwhelmed by product choice

One in three Australian consumers (36%) feel overwhelmed by the volume of products and choice available when shopping in store or online, according to a new study conducted by customer engagement platform, Emarsys.

The research, which explores the impact of “analysis paralysis” on consumer decision making, also found that over one in five of Australian shoppers (23%) are overwhelmed by choice. When faced with this overload, 32% admit to ‘defaulting’ to their usual brand of choice, while 23% revert to the cheapest option available.

Previous Emarsys Black Friday research revealed a major deterrent for consumers when doing Black Friday shopping was spam communication (31%), in comparison to one of the biggest motivators being the size of discount (56%).

Emarsys’ data provides tips on how consumers would like brands to cut through the noise with 27% wanting brands to prioritise promotions they are personally interested in, 22% want brands to build product lists and save favourites, 19% want brands to only display products that they have previously bought and 16% would like brands to offer less choice and have fewer products on sale.

“Despite feeling overwhelmed with an exceedingly large amount of choice, 31% of Australians trust their gut when making a ‘good purchasing decision’. This approach to combat consumer choice overload highlights the power of brand loyalty – something all retailers must strive for this November,” Emarsys regional vice president for Asia Pacific & Japan, Kristyn Wallace said.

“Nearly one-quarter (23%) of Australians want to receive fewer targeted promotions from brands and 22% are overwhelmed by the number of emails they receive from brands. This demonstrates the need for brands to include personalisation in their marketing strategies.

“Personalisation enables brands to speak to their customers on a one-on-one basis which steers consumers away from the shopper ‘analysis paralysis’ we’re seeing. Consumers are recognising the brands that are committed to understanding how they like to shop and those are the brands consumers are turning towards when faced with choice overload.”