The One with Occam’s Razor

Okay, I am exaggerating. This one is just about electric razors, and a kind of Seth Godin/Malcolm Gladwell problem, less of Occam. About variety and choices.

Yesterday at the store I passed the shelf with electric razors and had to stop and ponder: 40+ electric razers in all shapes, colors and even sizes. Some closer to a regular wet razor, some close to a fullly grown blow dryer.
(I came from the isle of microwaves, waiting 15 minutes for a clerk to explain to me the difference between two models which were 10 bucks apart but seemed be identical otherwise. He never materialized of course.)

Now back to the razors. How on earth can I decide between 40 different razors without help and without testing them all? Facing the same situation in the yoghurt isle I can say, “let’s try this one” – if I am wrong I can throw it away or feed it to the cats, 50 cents wasted.

But those electric razors range from 20 to 200 bucks and I practically cannot make a decision without prior research or a personal recommendation. But that’s not even my point.

I’d be willing to bet that the store would sell more electrical razors in less time if only five different models/makes were on display. And the customers would be happier as well, spending much less time on a purchase and more likely, much less frustrated and worrying whether he bought the razor he needs. I just don’t see electrical razors as a long tail item.

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