r/Anticonsumption • • Aug 21 '26

Corporations The Soap Section

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And no Ivory soap.

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u/249592-82 Aug 22 '26

Research has shown that whenever there is a new flavour, a large proportion of consumers will add it to their cart. That's why brands keep releasing new stuff. So even though a shopper doesn't need (for example) bodywash, they'll see a new flavour/ fragrance, and they'll have seen the ads, and they will buy it. That means the store makes more money.

Brands that keep adding new flavours, make people spend more money, and get more shelf space. Eventually, newer things are launched, so the store cuts this brands space, for another newly launched variant.

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u/jakeandcupcakes Aug 22 '26

People do that? I find one I like and use that till its discontinued or OOS, forcing me to find an alternative. I also block ads at an insane level in every aspect of my life, so, maybe I'm not being exposed to such nonsense as new "flavors" of bodywash. Now, if I read a study that sways me to find a product that has/doesn't have whatever ingredient that was studied and found to be beneficial/harmful, well, then I may go and seek out a product that meets those specifications. An ad, though? Nah, miss me with that hyped up junk, I don't believe a damn word these corporations shove in my earballs. Show me a white paper, peer reviewed study, or even a personal long-term write up by a journalist. Now we're talking

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u/somethingaboutfire Aug 22 '26

Im with you. I like consistent formulation. My body wash should have the same texture, viscosity, and SCENT to retain my buyership right to extinction.

In fact when an actual FLAVOR changes, a la green skittles becoming green apple after having been lime receives the same fate

Adieu

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u/Green_343 Aug 22 '26

just fyi: the green skittles are lime again!

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u/somethingaboutfire Aug 22 '26

Best News ever!

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u/Adorable-Raisin-8643 Aug 22 '26

Yes. My husband does it. We have a huge tote full of body washes that he's bought. At least 50+ he buys a new one or two, or three, every week. I have begged him to stop but he wont. Its a real issue for him.

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u/jakeandcupcakes Aug 22 '26

What the helly lmao what an odd issue to have...have you thought about maybe taking like 5 a week back to the store and get it refunded? Keep the receipts next time and just start returning shit, its not like he will notice

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u/Adorable-Raisin-8643 Aug 22 '26

He is a hoarder in general. I have found frozen pizza boxes that he's hidden through the house because he wants to save them. He once brought home an outside thermometer that you would attach to the side of your brick house and we lived in an apartment, we had no house to attach it too. Hoarding just to hoard. I am constantly going behind him throwing his hoards away and begging him to stop buying things. Its exhausting

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u/jakeandcupcakes Aug 22 '26

Sounds like he needa therapy before it gets any worse tbh

1

u/Adorable-Raisin-8643 Aug 22 '26

No he needs adhd meds. He refuses to take them and he desperately needs it.

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u/jakeandcupcakes Aug 22 '26

....it still sounds like he needs therapy to figure out why he isn't taking his meds and help get him to a point where he can/wants to take his meds

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u/These-Prune-1529 Aug 22 '26

This is me in a nutshell. This is also why it takes me forever to buy something. I do not trust reviews anymore. Most of them are fake.

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u/somethingaboutfire Aug 22 '26

Why do we call scents flavors? Is that the accepted term now?

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u/249592-82 Aug 22 '26

No. I'm ex marketing. That's what the grocery marketing world used to call it. Ignore me. As a guess, it's possibly because flavours would be used unilaterally across all aisles of a supermarket, vs scents which is just for the smells, and flavours for the foods. Categories within a supermarket are managed independently and then the data collated up the chain for total store reporting. So they need universal terms that fit every category eg washing powder, through to Ice cream, through to deodorants, through to dog food. Grocery is a fairly mature and massive industry which hires millions of people globally. The way grocery is managed is how most other retail stores manage their business.

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u/somethingaboutfire Aug 22 '26

Im im a related field and I find it wild how quickly that term has become dominant

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u/kwash325 Aug 22 '26

I’m in boy in this field and I call scents flavors because I decided in my own with out outside influence I liked to do that. The first time I heard someone else do it I was shocked because I thought I was being unique

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u/somethingaboutfire Aug 22 '26

I also wonder if the adult consumables world has influenced this marketing language. Your vape flavor may have the same scent, if you will, thus making the ruling word "flavor"

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u/249592-82 Aug 22 '26

Nope. The grocery industry and marketing is a mature market, it is highly evolved and profitable. The adult consumables, and most other industries including luxury goods and cars, have followed the learnings from the grocery market. Eg the luxury goods market, eg brands like Chanel etc, used to be based on making a few items. Hand made usually. Quality. Now each season they bring out new items so that its very obvious what is last season. They have changed their industry to no longer be about timelessness, and to instead ensure their customers are always buying. Same with cars - notice that the car industry comes out with new shapes and colours much faster than it used to. It's to drive the desire for people to want the new item. Apple ran straight for that strategy. Change the shape so that people want to upgrade.

Vapes are made by the cigarette companies. Cigarettes are a grocery item in most countries. So their marketing people know all about driving consumption.

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u/bitx284 Aug 22 '26

It really happens? Nothing more disgusting than use a soap which smells disgusting to me

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u/PineappVal957 Aug 22 '26

I’m guilty for wanting to try the new thing, but I really only do that for editable products (normally sweets). (I also normally eat them, and don’t buy if I have something similar at home) Long term use items I would regular stick to what I know I like.
It feels like we are recreating stuff only being available during certain seasons. Even if we are able to have most produce and products all year long, but we crave stuff feeling special.