Blog Post #6: Analyze Experiences

 Mini Refrigerator Purchase and Evaluation

Background: For a little over a year, I have been thinking about purchasing a mini fridge to have in my bedroom. I suffer from chronic migraines and having various remedies easily accessible to me is something I have been considering, as having to go into the kitchen of my shared apartment was inconvenient at times. 

Time of Purchase: I found the mini fridge I wanted to purchase (and did) at the beginning of this month. 

Expectations: For this product, I needed the mini fridge to be large enough to store various energy drinks, high sodium snacks, water, and most importantly ice packs (in the freezer section). I also needed a mini fridge that did not generate a lot of noise as sometimes I become overstimulated when having a migraine. I knew these were necessary expectations due to the reason for wanting/needing this product. Everything about this mini fridge and the products inside needed to assist in nursing my migraines. 

Store: Prior to finding the mini fridge I ended up purchasing, I was looking at a variety of stores, Amazon, Walmart, and Target. The products I found ranged in both price and size, making it difficult to determine which product was going to be best. I knew I was going to be purchasing a mini fridge, it was just a matter of finding one that made sense in both capacity and cost. During the beginning of October Walmart had a huge sale on various products, including a 4.4 cu ft mini fridge for $128. This item was originally priced at $199, making this item a little less than 40-percent off. In analyzing my purchase of this mini fridge, I noticed that I prefer purchasing products when they are on sale rather than paying full price. I knew this product was an awkward size so I was not going to go to the store to pick this item up, however, prior to purchase I went to Walmart to determine if this product was one I wanted, and then I ordered it online for delivery. Ordering this item for delivery may show that I value convenience, however, because I went to the store to view the product prior to purchase, I think this shows that I was being logical, in knowing that this item may not fit in my car and may be awkward for me to get from the store to my apartment. 

Packaging: At first glance of the packaging of the product, I was annoyed. The box had one side covered in stickers, that all appeared to be the same barcode. There were also a lot of zip ties on the box, making it appear as if Walmart was attempting to keep the product secure in the box. However, this felt unnecessary. While the box was quite large, it fit the size of the product very well, i.e. there was not a lot of empty space in the box. Because of the lack of space between the box and the product, it took me a while to get the mini fridge out of the box. And, when I finally got it out of the box, there was a bunch of tape on the product. The door was taped shut, the directions were taped to the inside of the fridge which did not make sense in my opinion. There was also tape all over the drawers and shelves. I thought there was just way too much packaging. The product itself was very shiny and was very spacious and looked similar to the image on the box. 

Usage: In my mini fridge, I currently have both Dr. Pepper and Red Bull cans, hard boiled  eggs, cheese sticks, a Brita filter, and homemade cake pops. In the freezer section, I have ice packs and ice makers. Usually when I open the mini fridge, I do have a migraine so I do not necessarily have the best thoughts and feelings when using the product, however the products inside the mini fridge do nurse my migraine, so my overall opinions on the fridge are positive. 

Consumer Insight & Recommendation: The key to understanding my experience is best understanding why I chose to purchase the mini fridge and how I use it. Based on the reasoning behind my purchase and the usage of the product, I would say a recommendation for marking this product could be that a mini fridge is a good product to have in a comfortable space for this individuals who are easily overstimulated in certain situations.