Saturday, January 27, 2007

if you buy neither feminine hygiene products nor individually-portioned yogurt, you can skip this post

I hate to shop. For anything, anywhere, ever.
But, I have discovered an all-time ultimate hateable shopping experience. And not just one, but two:

Feminine Hygiene Products

"pads" to be specific
Did you ever try to find a specific product in the huge array of items available? Did you try to do it when your perception and judgement were clouded by pms? It's nearly impossible, even for a level-headed and experienced consumer. First you have to locate your preferred brand, which narrows it down to about 18 linear feet of shelf-space. Then you need to make a bunch of other combination and permutation decisions: light, medium or heavy protection? scented or unscented? wings or no wings? long, slim or normal? monogrammed or generic? (I made that one up) and now the latest choice: with or without a personal wipe attached to each pad for a "shower fresh feeling every time." YAAAAKKK! To make it more complicated, the manufacturers change the package and labelling about every 2 months so even if you memorize what colour and what picture, you won't find what you want.

Then there's Yogurt

First you find your brand. Then you choose from: no fat, low fat or "creamy." Then you have to decide on sweetener - natural, sugar, artificial, no sweetener? Then there are the multi-paks of 3 flavours that you or your kids like plus one that everyone hates, thus the heap of "vanilla-pumpkin-loganberry" yogurts at the back of the fridge that came attached to the strawberry, and blueberry and raspberry ones that everyone likes. They all look the same and they all have weird names like "Source" and "Svelte" and "Swoop" and "Sinus" (I made that one up).

By the time I find pads and yogurt and make it home I'm a wreck. Could we possibly just give up on these products and live happier lives?

question: does anyone know why these products are marketed to confuse?

mompoet - not a good shopper at the best of times, terrible when I'm pmsing and needing to buy lunch food for my family

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