The Illusion of Choice

[skeptical.platypus]

That brings up an interesting point. If an employee's only method of doing anything is spend money, and their money is controlled by their employer, the employer effectively governs their life. They are the real government as far as that person's life goes. Everything else has limited significance in comparison.

Except that choosing to believe that someone else controls your money is as dangerous an illusion as believing anyone's only method for doing anything requires money, and far, far less dangerous than the illusion you have a choice between clamato and mountain dew. In the case of believing someone else controls your money -- that's  confirming one's bias to absolve themselves of personal responsibility. Personal Responsibility -- everything else has limited significance.

[airboy]

I agree there is more choice in terms of products. The visual may still be correct in bringing attention to lack of choice in terms of who gets the money. It is probably true (hard to prove) that over time more money is being funneled to fewer entities.

No.  More money is going to the big retailers who have store brands and less to the national brands themselves.  The Wal-Mart brands, the Kroger brands, the Walgreens brands etc...... have been growing in market share and revenue for more than a decade.

This information is actually measured quite carefully - as you would expect given the amount of money at stake.

I teach this stuff, read about it all of the time, and have conversations with other people about this sort of thing all of the time due to my job.  Look at information in places such as the Wall St. Journal, Advertising Age, Business Week much less any current marketing, product management, or retailing textbook.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I agree there is more choice in terms of products. The visual may still be correct in bringing attention to lack of choice in terms of who gets the money. It is probably true (hard to prove) that over time more money is being funneled to fewer entities.

No.  More money is going to the big retailers who have store brands and less to the national brands themselves.  The Wal-Mart brands, the Kroger brands, the Walgreens brands etc...... have been growing in market share and revenue for more than a decade.

This information is actually measured quite carefully - as you would expect given the amount of money at stake.

I teach this stuff, read about it all of the time, and have conversations with other people about this sort of thing all of the time due to my job.  Look at information in places such as the Wall St. Journal, Advertising Age, Business Week much less any current marketing, product management, or retailing textbook.

Walmart was exactly what I was thinking of. I do most of my grocery shopping there. Other big box retailers like Home Depot, Costco, Best Buy are also examples of entities concentrating money flows.