Stephen Dubner

Iyengar followed up her JAM study with a look at employee participation in retirement savings plans.

Iyengar followed up her JAM study with a look at employee participation in retirement savings plans.

Iyengar followed up her JAM study with a look at employee participation in retirement savings plans.

This phenomenon has come to be called the paradox of choice. But Iyengar doesn't think that's quite right. It's not that more choice is always worse and that less is always better. She argues that choice is both a limiting and a powerful tool. Every context is different.

This phenomenon has come to be called the paradox of choice. But Iyengar doesn't think that's quite right. It's not that more choice is always worse and that less is always better. She argues that choice is both a limiting and a powerful tool. Every context is different.

This phenomenon has come to be called the paradox of choice. But Iyengar doesn't think that's quite right. It's not that more choice is always worse and that less is always better. She argues that choice is both a limiting and a powerful tool. Every context is different.

You can imagine that a huge choice set is particularly welcome in the digital realm, where you can search for exactly what you want with a few keystrokes, assuming that is you know what you want.

You can imagine that a huge choice set is particularly welcome in the digital realm, where you can search for exactly what you want with a few keystrokes, assuming that is you know what you want.

You can imagine that a huge choice set is particularly welcome in the digital realm, where you can search for exactly what you want with a few keystrokes, assuming that is you know what you want.

But in the analog world, in the world of a grocery store, for instance, the size of a choice set matters, not just because of the cost of real estate and transportation, storage and labor to stock the shelves, but because of how we, people, make decisions. Envision a shelf in a typical supermarket.

But in the analog world, in the world of a grocery store, for instance, the size of a choice set matters, not just because of the cost of real estate and transportation, storage and labor to stock the shelves, but because of how we, people, make decisions. Envision a shelf in a typical supermarket.

But in the analog world, in the world of a grocery store, for instance, the size of a choice set matters, not just because of the cost of real estate and transportation, storage and labor to stock the shelves, but because of how we, people, make decisions. Envision a shelf in a typical supermarket.

And having just a few choices per domain is more likely to lead to action. Imagine yourself standing in an aisle in Trader Joe's and you come across their five-seed almond bars. And your lizard brain says, well, there are no four-seed almond bars or six-seed almond bars. I don't even know why I need seeds in my almond bars, but sure, I think I'll get some of those.

And having just a few choices per domain is more likely to lead to action. Imagine yourself standing in an aisle in Trader Joe's and you come across their five-seed almond bars. And your lizard brain says, well, there are no four-seed almond bars or six-seed almond bars. I don't even know why I need seeds in my almond bars, but sure, I think I'll get some of those.

And having just a few choices per domain is more likely to lead to action. Imagine yourself standing in an aisle in Trader Joe's and you come across their five-seed almond bars. And your lizard brain says, well, there are no four-seed almond bars or six-seed almond bars. I don't even know why I need seeds in my almond bars, but sure, I think I'll get some of those.

Trader Joe's understands less is more. It understands, to use a word of the moment, curation.

Trader Joe's understands less is more. It understands, to use a word of the moment, curation.

Trader Joe's understands less is more. It understands, to use a word of the moment, curation.

There is a story, probably not true, about Michelangelo. Someone supposedly asked him how difficult it had been to sculpt his famous David. And he said, it's easy. Just chip away the stone that doesn't look like David. I am not saying Trader Joe's is quite on Michelangelo's level, but you get the idea. There is great value in clearing away the clutter.

There is a story, probably not true, about Michelangelo. Someone supposedly asked him how difficult it had been to sculpt his famous David. And he said, it's easy. Just chip away the stone that doesn't look like David. I am not saying Trader Joe's is quite on Michelangelo's level, but you get the idea. There is great value in clearing away the clutter.