4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief 

        I believe that consumers are constantly surrounded by too many options.  Every time they go somewhere as simple as the grocery store, their brains are put into overdrive mode just to try and figure out what they need/want.  For example, the other day I went to Publix to purchase some paper towels.  I wanted something that was absorbent, but cost efficient.  When I arrived, I noticed that there was a plethora of options to choose from.  I ended up spending close to 15 minutes examining all of the different options before deciding on my solution.  I thought to myself what a stupid waste of time.  If there were fewer options, I would be able to find the correct one for me right away.

      While I realize that asking big name corporations to limit their influence on the market is probably unrealistic, there could be a way that consumers had less to worry about when making good selections.  My idea is to invent an app that can take the tough thinking out of deciding what works for you.  It would work by having consumers enter what they are shopping for (paper towels) and then enter the characteristics they are looking for (absorbent, cost efficient).  The app would then sort through data on its own and generate a brand that it believes the consumer should try.  This process would not only take the thought out of mundane shopping, but also save the consumer research time in the long run. Everyone needs more time and brain energy! This app could be utilized by anyone looking for an easier experience.  This is a fairly unexplored idea up to this point.  Companies are always excited to put new goods on the market, but very rarely do they think about how the consumer feels with so many choices to pick from. I believe there is about a 75% that this opportunity exists in the market.

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Interview 1:

Who? 50 Year Old Woman - Married 

Occupation? Homemaker

1. How many times a week do you go to the grocery store?'

Two to three times a week depending on what my family has going on that week.

2. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of options at the grocery for one particular product, for example toilet paper?

Sometimes, but because I have been doing it [grocery shopping] for so long I know what my family likes.

3. Would you be inclined to use a service that would take the thinking out of grocery shopping, and instead just provide you with a suggestion on what to buy when there are multiple options?

Possibly! It would all depend on how easy it was to use.

4. Do you currently use or know of any services like this one?

I do not.

Interview 2:

Who? 28 Year Old Woman - Single

Occupation? Teacher

1. How many times a week do you go to the grocery store?'

Once or twice depending on the week.

2. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of options at the grocery for one particular product, for example toilet paper?

I used to, but now that I know which products I want/use the most, I go in getting what is on my list.

3. Would you be inclined to use a service that would take the thinking out of grocery shopping, and instead just provide you with a suggestion on what to buy when there are multiple options?

Yes, especially if I could set presents on brands I like.

4. Do you currently use or know of any services like this one?

I currently use Grove Collaborative for buying my home goods and a lot of my toiletry type products. Its online and ships monthly and recommends items based on what I have previously bought.

Interview 3:

Who? 20 Year Old Male - Single

Occupation? Student

1. How many times a week do you go to the grocery store?'

1 time a week maximum.

2. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of options at the grocery for one particular product, for example toilet paper?

No, I like to have options.  Depending on my financial status at the time, I might choose a product of higher quality.  Or if times are tight, I might settle for an item of lower quality with a cheaper price. 

3. Would you be inclined to use a service that would take the thinking out of grocery shopping, and instead just provide you with a suggestion on what to buy when there are multiple options?

No, because I believe capitalism places the choice in the consumer's hands.  If there was a service that eliminates that choice, big corporations will use it to take advantage of the consumer and possibly corner the market.

4. Do you currently use or know of any services like this one?

I know of similar services like subscription services that send outfits to people who have trouble dressing themselves.

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     While I do believe an opportunity still exists for this service, I think it is less than what I originally imagined.  I believe only about 40-50% of the market would use a service like this, as opposed to the original 75%.  Instead of marketing this idea towards any consumer, I would want to narrow the scope to focus on young, busy millennials.  

     Doing this activity helped me to realize that entrepreneurs should be willing and able to adjust their original ideas.  Some ideas will be a hit straight out of the gate, but others will need to be workshopped and adapted based on consumer need.  Ultimately, entrepreneurs are creating a good or service that they want customers to purchase, so they need to be adaptable to what their customer wants.