First: I am finally settled in Rhode Island and mostly unpacked. My job with the Navy as a Human Factors Scientist begins this Monday, June 22. Now that I’m mostly back to normal, hopefully I will be able to post here more often. Thanks for your patience and continuing to read this blog. And now, to the content.

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The recession has hit everyone hard, of course, and the New York Times has an article detailing how big chain stores (Wal-Mart and Target, of course, but also Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s) may drastically change the way they operate in order to respond to how consumers shop these days.

This is a human factors blog, so a majority of the article (while interesting) does not apply here. Except for one snippet that has to do with too much choice, which has been dealt with on this blog here and is the subject of an entire book by Barry Schwartz (The Paradox of Choice). It all boils down to decision making, and anyone who has been overwhelmed by the number of cereal, laundry detergent, or new car choices has experienced this crippling cognitive/decision-making process.

However, due to the recession and the fact that stores cannot keep as much stock on hand at any given time (because money is tied up in unsold products), soon consumers will have less choice. From the article:

Another change is that consumers will have fewer brands from which to choose. Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, and PetSmart are just a few of the chains winnowing their brands. As Home Depot’s executive vice president for merchandising, Craig Menear, put it: consumers are “time-starved” and “looking for simplification in the entire shopping experience.”

That may delight minimalists, because it will be easier to find items on the shelves. But it also limits choice.

In the case of the cereal aisle, fewer choices may not be a bad thing.