One of the 100 things I needed when moving into a new home was a toilet brush. Cruising Amazon, mentally debating whether to purchase one for $7 or $27, I marveled (again) at the absurd number of selections of literally everything in modern times.
I’ve snickered out loud when buying aspirin, noticing the exponential increase of pain reliever options – all targeting the same problem with identical ingredients, just slapped with a different label.
The same holds true for thousands of other items, including a toilet brush.
According to ChatGPT, Amazon alone sells between 1000-3000 different toilet brushes. Actual differences? Not many. Color, size, weight, 2-packs or single packs… some are electric:
We encounter this for items like identical USB cables, made in the same factories but sold at Amazon with unique labels. Men’s dress shirts? Line them up side by side at Macy’s and see if you can decipher which white collar shirts were made in the same factory, yet packaged with different designer names.
Why do we bother scrolling a basic item for hours, maybe days before purchasing? Whatever the reason for sifting through an array of interchangeable choices, there exists an illusion of variety, making us (consumers) indecisive, contemplating whether one option really is slightly “better” than another.
For most household items, it’s marketing vs. information. We’re not more informed after scrolling, but definitely attracted to the item with the catchier reel.
The latest marketing ploy in our shopping selections: “as seen on TikTok”, “TikTok best seller” or fast-reading, dumbed-down reads often labeled, “BookTok Books”.
Bottom line: the most eye-catching marketing reel not only garners the most clicks but ultimately generates the greatest sales. Amazon operates similarly.
Amazon showed me the exact same toilet brush over and over and over as I scrolled tens of other options. Likely the seller paid for their brush reel to be on repeat.
Out of annoyance (and to show them who’s boss of her own purchases), I bought a more obscure brush absent the fancy videos popping up, nor the brush presented on replay.
I know, it’s a silly short story today, but honestly, don’t most of us spend way more time in the decision-making process for daily household items than we did previously? Mostly due to buying online vs. in person?
At the store, I may have too many choices but something is in my cart within two minutes. Online, I’ve spent 40 minutes comparing packs of uncoated paper plates like I’m researching a legal case.
Thank you for sharing your time with me. Have a wonderful week!
Featured photo: Home Depot
Tales from a Mid-Lifer 
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