The Hellish Era of Product Overload

Before I begin, I don’t hold or intend to hold an education in business, these thoughts

are purely based upon consumer experience of my own. Trust me, my bank account has seen these stores more than it should, oops!

I’m unable to step into Meadowhall now without needing to scream the place down,

specifically when I enter the deepest pits of hell which is Boots. Customer

experience has been overtaken by cramming as many products as possible in (that

all do the same or similar functions), to the point where it's like a miniature village and

it becomes incredibly overwhelming. Gone are the days of leisurely walking around,

basket in tow, with ample space, patience and directions to shop. Instead its become

a task I have to psych myself up for and be in the right state of mind, make a clear

list, check their store stock, run in, scout every isle to find the brand I’m looking for,

weave through people just stood aimlessly in the middle of the tiny isles, wait for

twelve people to finish handling the product, then dive through the stock to find one

that hasn’t been opened, fight the twelve year olds for the overpriced moisturiser that

their skin doesn’t need it but Tik Tok told them to ‘run don’t walk’ and then join the queue with utter relief and exhaustion. Yeah, it's hell.

Don’t fret, I know the whole point of a shop is to showcase its products and have

range to entice more consumers, I get it – but surely there’s a line, no? I feel most shops have now overstepped it.

Especially in the age of online shopping taking the crown, I feel it’s more important

than ever, as a customer to feel the urge and want to step into store and brands

should prioritise this on par with product range. The whole point of online shopping is

to skip the experience of being in store, testing or trying on products, but most stores

now have a ‘grab and go’ layout like online, leaving no encouragement, engagement

or enjoyment for the customer to spend a little more time in store, and maybe even a little more than expected.

Could this be because Tik Tok marketing has taken over? Or because they want

every product to be in physical stores now? They want to appease every focus group

possible? Has their strategy become options over experience?

Overarching this decision is obviously profit, companies will flow with whatever

increase money in the tills, but when I speak to my friends and family, we all have

the same opinion, that especially anything make up or skincare they prefer to get

online, to avoid the experience of most beauty stores. However, this has only been

the case for the past 4 years or so, since the stores were getting crammed with an overflow of products.

The paid partnerships Tik Toks, where they go on a ‘boots haul’, entice viewers to

see the store and show that they physically stock the viral items, but these viral items

become different ones every few weeks or month, it’s a nonstop cycle. Perhaps they

I want to live up to the expectation of stocking everything, but doing so has only damaged the in-store experience.

The beauty market especially is completely overstretched and and oversaturated,

with new miracle products launching all the time, even multiple brands launching

similar products to each other, just different packaging. They see one brand go viral

with a product type; they all bounce on it. I beg and plead every brand to really think

before launching, what is so different to what your launching compared to what the

brand you stocked next to launched last month? They may advertise as being

completely different formula or use, but they are most often copies of the previous.

This vicious cycle is what I believe to be cramming the shelves and therefore the store.

Additionally, since beauty marketing has mainly become social media driven, the

number of brands feels to have tripled, once one person hails it, everyone flocks to

buy it, then the company feels they should stock the whole range. I mean that must be

tiring for the companies to keep on top of too, never having a finalised stock list,

because who knows what Ellie on Tik Tok will rave about next.

What has also been noticeable is the sporadic product placement in stores, of

course to get you to search around, see and hopefully buy more, but from a

customer responsibility aspect, it became concerning. I’m sure you’ve all seen the

videos a few years ago, where Sephora staff in the US were basically harassed and

made to answer to teens and their mums asking for mid to high end products, with

purposes and ingredients not for their sensitive young skin, such as retinal (multi

purpose ingredient-mainly for treating and preventing signs of ageing). It's not just

down to stores stocking these items next to and mixed within teen targeted products,

but the brands themselves for marketing them to appease that audience – as the

younger generation does undeniably run the social media world and perhaps the

directions marketing teams take to launch products, from style and colour of

packaging to who they partner with to showcase it. Beauty stores do hold some

responsibility for consumers, ensuring they find the right products for them, that are

completely safe, fully tested and at a reasonable price. This should include the sale

and marketing of certain products to a vulnerable age group, such as teens buying

anti ageing products or products that will harm their ultra sensitive skin. Not only is it

a waste of money to them (which companies won’t care for) but it will probably

inevitably damage their skin, and maybe even make their problem areas worse – but

hey they saw it go viral on social media, the store stocked it pride of place due to its

popularity and next to their usual teen based skincare. Easy-peasy!

For the unnecessary overwhelm of the stores, a simple strategy would be to scan

every brand and categorise them by pricing- low, low medium, medium and high end.

Then from statistics see which brands from those categories sell the best, then

choose two (three maximum) of them for each, and stock their entire ranges. The

rest, put as online only or a particular branch only, these could be switched out

depending on changing shopping habits. No more of this ‘we stock the brand’, yet it

only stocks two or three items, making the shelves scattered and clogged, just to

announce they stock them. Politely, either fully stock them and every shade, or don’t bother.

I also just want to give an honourable mention to the bottom shelves in these stores,

forgotten, chaotic and inconvenient. Truly, if it's on the bottom shelf I probably missed

it. Some brands pay more to be on eye level on shelves, but please can we get rid of

the bottom shelf being literally ON THE FLOOR. Instead, widen the shelving units

and cut the height by two shelves to ensure no products are scraping the dust.

Especially the smaller isles, squishing products in like sardines, at peak times the

bottom shelf if the last place I as a consumer will look and even bother with.

An example of brilliant customer experience in stores is Oliver Bonas, I’m not bias

from being a previous employee, although it’s in a different league to beauty stores,

It honours the customers who visit the store. Ensuring every item is displayed

clearly, neatly and pleasing to the eye. Instead of cramming shelves, it allows each

product to speak for itself and entice buyers by how its portrayed in store, not only

what they’ve seen by online marketing. The stores have a flow, the space is usually

open and plentiful, so customers aren’t held up by one another, and the store feels

clean and calm – allowing consumers to wander and enjoy their time in store.

I suppose my main point is pleading the high street shops to peel back their ultra

increased product, overloaded shop floors to prioritise the consumer experience. I,

like many, really don’t want the high street to completely die off, I want to see it thrive

and revive but the focus upon appeasing social media pilgrimages will only drive me

and others alike away. If you’re wanting my hard-earned pennies, you need to

I appreciate it. This element is what small businesses have down to a T, involving and

Valuing the people through their doors. Bring back experience!

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and opinions on this! Am I just fussy?

Till next time chicks, Jessie x