Choice Overload

In today’s marketplace, consumers are bombarded with more choices than ever – yet they are increasingly less satisfied. Whether they are buying a car, choosing a cell phone plan, ordering a beverage at Starbucks, or selecting a breakfast cereal at the supermarket, Americans are finding that simple decisions have turned complicated, time-consuming, and confusing.

One hundred years ago, customers clamored for more choices. Their lack of options was famously summed up in Henry Ford’s quip about the Model T: “Peopl.....