In 2000, psychologists Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper ran a simple but well-designed experiment inside an upscale grocery store in California. Two research assistants, dressed as store employees, invited passing shoppers to “come try our Wilkin & Sons jams.”
Shoppers encountered one of two setups:
* **Limited-choice condition:** 6 flavors on the table.
* **Extensive-choice condition:** 24 flavors on the table.
The researchers rotated the displays hourly across two Saturdays to cancel out time-of-day effects. Shoppers could taste as many jams as they wanted, and every participant received a coupon for $1 off a jar. Importantly, regardless of which display they saw at the tasting booth, anyone who decided to buy had to walk to the main jam shelf, where the **full set of 24 flavors** was available. That way, the only thing that varied was the initial presentation — not the ultimate buying options.
Observers quietly tracked how many shoppers passed by, how many stopped, and how many purchased. They even noted age, gender, and ethnicity, though the key measure was purchase behavior.
Here’s what happened:
* With 24 flavors, 60% of shoppers stopped to sample, but only 3% of those who stopped actually bought.
* With 6 flavors, only 40% stopped — but 30% of those who stopped bought.
Do the math, and the small display dominates:
* **24 jams:** 60% stop × 3% buy = **1.8% of all shoppers purchase**.
* **6 jams:** 40% stop × 30% buy = **12% of all shoppers purchase**.
That means the 6-jam display drove **~6.7× more purchases per shopper** — an absolute lift of +10.2 percentage points.
Now let’s look at revenue. Say each jar sells for $5:
* **Large display:** 18 jars sold = **$90 revenue**.
* **Small display:** 120 jars sold = **$600 revenue**.
That’s an extra **$510 per 1,000 shoppers** — a 567% increase just by reducing options.
This is the paradox of choice: having some choice is better than none, but too many options overwhelm consumers, reduce satisfaction, and can stop them from buying altogether.
Now think about your business:
* Too many pricing tiers?
* Too many product variations?
* Too many add-ons, upgrades, or plan configurations?
Every “extra option” feels generous, but in reality, you’re creating friction. Confused buyers don’t buy.
**Takeaway:** make the choice simple. A curated menu beats an endless buffet.
To learn how business owners end up with 24 flavors of jam, and how to start narrowing this down, check out this post: **[Subtract to Multiply]()**
[You can read this full study here.]()
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