🫙 Why More Jam Options Sold Less Jam

The Tasting Table With Too Many Jams

In a 2000 study, researchers Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper set up a tasting table at an upscale grocery store, alternating between two versions: one offering 24 different jams to sample, and one offering just 6. The large display drew more browsers — 60% of passersby stopped, compared to 40% at the smaller table.

More options felt appealing but made deciding harder, and a harder decision often means no decision at all. Researchers call this choice overload — worth knowing that later attempts to replicate the exact effect have had mixed results, so treat it as a real tendency to watch for in yourself, not an ironclad law of shopping.

🫙 Shrink the Menu on Purpose

1. Before comparing options (insurance plans, subscriptions, service providers), cut the list to your top 3 by one clear criterion first.
2. Set a decision deadline for yourself — open-ended comparison shopping is where choice overload does the most damage.
3. If you're offering someone else a choice (a client, a family member), trim your own options list before you show it to them.
4. Remember that "good enough, decided" usually beats "possibly perfect, still undecided."