Choice overload in makeup foundation

Abstract

The cosmetic industry has grown exponentially, offering products for every taste, in a society that values beauty. In 2017, Rihanna launched one of the most inclusive colored foundations with a range of 40 colors. This launch revealed that the industry lacked options for darker-skinned women and men. Such discovery prompted brands to review their offer and soon they started to have more extensive sets of foundations available. This dissertation aims to study how this adaptation to the market has impacted consumers. The focus will mainly be to learn if consumers’ attitudes and behaviors changed with the increase of options available. Thus, understanding whether the market was reaching a choice overload problem and knowing if this was working toward a positive or negative result when reaching a purchase decision. The findings of this study have shown significant results in both choice overload and difficulty choosing when the number of options increased. The study fosters further brand consideration about the need to follow trends and avoid bringing additional choice overload problems to the market.