List of Consumer Pain Points Without Good Solutions
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Shopping used to be simple, but now every purchase comes with friction. You're decoding sizing charts, dodging hidden subscription charges, and wondering if that furniture will actually fit through your hallway.
We've identified 22 problems where current solutions fall short or don't exist at all. If you're building a product or exploring opportunities, our market clarity reports can help you understand these markets in depth.
Quick Summary
Most lifestyle purchase problems aren't solved because fixing them requires going against the business interests of major retailers, creating cross-platform standards that don't exist, or building expensive infrastructure for relatively niche audiences.
The opportunities exist where consumer pain is high but existing solutions are clunky, incomplete, or require too much manual effort. The winners will be tools that work seamlessly across brands and make complex decisions simple.
The most promising areas involve aggregating data that's currently scattered, automating tasks people forget to do, and creating standards where chaos currently reigns.
Our market clarity reports contain between 100 and 300 insights about your market.
22 Lifestyle Purchase Problems That Need Better Solutions
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1. Online Clothing Sizing Inconsistencies
What is the problem and who it affects
Women's clothing sizes vary wildly across brands, with a size 6 in one brand differing by more than 5 inches from another brand's size 6. This forces online shoppers to order multiple sizes of the same item, creating a return rate above 40% and wasting everyone's time and money.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An AI-powered size prediction app could capture body measurements via smartphone camera and translate sizes across brands based on actual garment measurements rather than claimed sizes. The tool would learn from past purchases and returns to suggest the correct size before checkout, integrating directly with retailer websites.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Current solutions like True Fit, Bold Metrics, and Sizebay require too much manual input and don't account for fabric stretch or style differences. Retailers intentionally maintain different sizing for competitive positioning, and no universal sizing standard exists. The existing tools also struggle with accuracy across different body types, especially plus-size customers.
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2. Finding Clothes for Specific Body Types
What is the problem and who it affects
People with non-standard proportions (petite, tall, plus-size, athletic builds) struggle to find clothes that actually fit their bodies. Standard sizing assumes average proportions that 82% of women don't match, leaving those with flat shoulders, wide rib cages, or short torsos without good options.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A body-type-specific fashion discovery platform could assess detailed body shapes and curate brand recommendations for specific proportions beyond basic S/M/L/XL sizing. The platform would include style guides tailored to each body shape and a community where people with similar proportions share outfit wins.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Competitors like Mys Tyler (now defunct), Stylitics, and ShopLook provide generic advice not tailored to individual proportions. They focus on style over fit, which misses the core issue that brands manufacture for one idealized body type and then mathematically grade sizes up and down. These tools don't actually integrate with shopping, they just show inspiration.
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3. Wardrobe Organization and Outfit Planning Fatigue
What is the problem and who it affects
Working professionals own over 100 clothing items but wear the same 20 pieces repeatedly, spending 15 to 30 minutes each morning deciding what to wear. This daily cognitive load leads to decision fatigue and results in impulse purchases while perfectly good clothes sit unused in closets.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An AI-powered digital wardrobe with one-tap digitization could suggest outfits based on weather, calendar events, and learned style preferences. The app would track cost-per-wear to identify underutilized items and generate packing lists for trips automatically.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Apps like Stylebook, Cladwell, and Whering require time-consuming manual setup where you photograph every single item. The AI outfit suggestions often miss the mark and feel generic because they don't understand personal style preferences or real lifestyle needs. They focus too much on cataloging rather than daily utility.
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4. Sustainable Fashion Discovery and Verification
What is the problem and who it affects
Conscious consumers (66% of Gen Z prioritizes sustainability) want to shop ethically but face overwhelming greenwashing from brands. Shoppers spend hours researching brand ethics and trying to decode confusing certifications like GOTS, Fair Trade, and B Corp, with no easy way to verify sustainability claims while actively shopping.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A comprehensive brand ethics database with barcode scanning for instant in-store lookup could provide detailed sustainability ratings and detect greenwashing by comparing marketing claims against actual certifications. The platform would include style-based discovery to find sustainable alternatives to fast fashion favorites, complete with budget filters and secondhand marketplace integration.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Tools like Good On You, Clear Fashion, and Project Cece have limited brand coverage and focus on major retailers while missing smaller ethical brands. Their verification processes are slow, sustainability scores lack transparency in methodology, and they don't integrate well with the actual shopping experience. Fashion brands also actively resist transparency around their supply chains.
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5. Post-Purchase Outfit Coordination
What is the problem and who it affects
People buy individual clothing pieces without considering how they'll coordinate with their existing wardrobe, leading to items that never get worn. This impulse buying creates a closet full of orphaned pieces that don't work with anything else, wasting money and closet space.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A smart wardrobe analyzer could scan your existing clothes and suggest purchases that create multiple new outfit combinations with what you already own. Before you buy something new, the app would show exactly how many outfits it would unlock in your current wardrobe.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Apps like Smart Closet, Pureple, and Acloset require manual wardrobe entry which creates a huge barrier to adoption. They also don't integrate with online shopping to prevent poor purchases before they happen. Our market clarity reports show that coordination tools fail because they address the symptom (uncoordinated closets) rather than the cause (impulse purchases).
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6. Finding Replacement Items for Discontinued Products
What is the problem and who it affects
Consumers find a product they love (clothing item, household good, beauty product) only to discover it's been discontinued when they try to repurchase. Brands constantly discontinue products and change formulations without warning, forcing customers to start their search from scratch each time.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A "find my replacement" tool could match discontinued products with current alternatives based on detailed specifications, materials, and user reviews. The platform would track product discontinuations and proactively alert users before their favorites disappear, with a community-sourced database of verified replacements.
Why no one has fixed it yet
No dedicated platform exists beyond scattered Reddit threads and r/HelpMeFind posts. Services like Find Me A Product are basic directories without sophisticated matching algorithms. The challenge is that brands don't publicly announce discontinuations, making it hard to build a comprehensive database, and matching "dupes" requires nuanced understanding of what made the original product special.
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7. Color Matching Across Online Retailers
What is the problem and who it affects
Online shoppers try to match colors across different retailer websites, but screens display colors differently and product photos use inconsistent lighting. What looks like a perfect match on screen arrives as completely different shades, forcing returns and creating frustration for anyone building coordinated looks or matching existing items.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A color standardization tool could calibrate product photos across retailers to show accurate colors adjusted for your specific screen. Users could upload photos of items they're trying to match, and the app would find products in genuinely matching shades while filtering out misleading listings.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Basic color-matching tools exist like Color Match Tool, but they don't account for screen variations or retailer photo manipulation. Services like Pantone provide professional color matching but aren't integrated with consumer shopping. The fundamental problem is that retailers intentionally enhance product photos, and creating a cross-retailer color standard would require cooperation they're unwilling to give.
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8. Smart Home Device Compatibility Confusion
What is the problem and who it affects
Consumers buy smart home devices only to discover they don't work with their existing ecosystem (Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Samsung SmartThings). The packaging claims compatibility, but functionality is limited, requiring expensive hubs or updates that never arrive, creating a drawer full of incompatible devices.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A smart home compatibility checker could scan your existing devices via Wi-Fi and tell you exactly which new products will work before purchase. The tool would detail specific limitations (like "works with Alexa but can't set schedules" or "requires $50 hub") and suggest compatible alternatives with fuller functionality.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Manufacturer databases like those from Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit only show their own ecosystem. Third-party tools like Home Assistant require technical knowledge to use. The smart home market intentionally maintains ecosystem lock-in to keep customers buying within one brand family, and new protocols like Matter are still rolling out slowly.
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9. Furniture Delivery Date Unreliability
What is the problem and who it affects
Furniture retailers provide vague delivery windows that frequently change, forcing customers to waste entire days waiting at home. Last-minute reschedules happen with little notice, and tracking information is either absent or meaninglessly vague ("your order is being processed"), affecting anyone who has purchased large furniture items.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A furniture delivery tracking aggregator could provide real-time GPS tracking and accurate time windows across all retailers, with proactive alerts about delays. The system would integrate with calendars and automatically reschedule if the delivery window conflicts with your schedule.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Logistics companies like XPO Logistics and regional delivery services handle furniture separately from standard packages and lack the GPS infrastructure. Retailers like Ashley Furniture and Rooms To Go don't share tracking data because delivery problems expose operational issues they'd rather hide. The furniture industry operates on low margins and can't justify the tracking technology investment that Amazon uses for packages.
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10. Measuring Doorways for Large Furniture Delivery
What is the problem and who it affects
Customers order sofas or mattresses that can't physically fit through doorways, hallways, or stairwells, discovering the problem only on delivery day. Professional movers charge hefty fees to hoist furniture through windows or disassemble pieces, and returning oversized items costs even more, affecting anyone purchasing large furniture for apartments or older homes.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An AR pathway measurement tool could map your entire delivery route (front door, hallways, stairs, room entrance) and calculate whether furniture will fit through each point, accounting for angles and pivot space. The app would simulate the furniture moving through the actual path, not just measuring doorway width.
Why no one has fixed it yet
IKEA Place only visualizes furniture in rooms and only works for IKEA products. RoomPlanner focuses on room design rather than delivery logistics. Manual measuring requires understanding complex geometry for corners and angles, and no existing solution actually simulates furniture moving through tight spaces. The technical challenge of accurately modeling 3D pathways on consumer phones hasn't been solved yet.
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11. AR Visualization Limitations for Furniture
What is the problem and who it affects
Retailers promote "View in Your Room" AR features, but 87% of users avoid the technology because it's clunky and inaccurate. Poor lighting simulation, missing shadows, and unrealistic scale make AR generate doubt rather than confidence, affecting online furniture shoppers who want to visualize items before buying but find the technology feels gimmicky.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A next-generation furniture AR platform could render real-time lighting adjustments based on time of day, display multiple furniture pieces simultaneously with accurate shadows and reflections, and work across all retailers rather than being brand-specific. The tool would verify scale accuracy using AI object recognition and match materials to actual room lighting.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Apps like IKEA Place, Wayfair View in Room, and Houzz View don't handle lighting well, can't visualize complete rooms with multiple items, and have high user abandonment rates. Research from our market clarity reports and Baymard Institute shows users actively avoid these features. Each retailer maintains separate AR systems, and the underlying technology hasn't reached the point of being more useful than misleading.
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12. Quality Assessment from Online Furniture Photos
What is the problem and who it affects
Professional staging and wide-angle lenses make furniture look dramatically different than reality, with colors shifting under different lighting and no way to assess actual construction quality from photos. Furniture appears much larger or smaller in person due to "spatial blindness syndrome," affecting all online furniture shoppers who get deceived by photography tricks.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A crowdsourced real customer photo platform could aggregate unedited images from actual homes rather than staged settings, with calibrated color accuracy verification and texture videos from real owners. The tool would include quality ratings based on visible construction details, professional inspector assessments for popular items, and size comparison with everyday objects.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Reddit r/furniture has unorganized discussions without systematic product-specific photo aggregation. Consumer Reports requires expensive subscriptions and has limited furniture coverage. Amazon and Wayfair reviews are retailer-controlled with often fake photos, and there's no dedicated platform for standardized quality assessment of real customer furniture photos.
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13. Free Trial Amnesia and Unwanted Charges
What is the problem and who it affects
Users sign up for free trials intending to cancel but forget, resulting in unwanted charges of $5 to $50+ per trial when they delete apps without canceling subscriptions. Charges appear months later as surprise debits, and getting refunds after forgetting to cancel is nearly impossible, affecting anyone trying free trials of apps, streaming services, or software.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An automatic trial tracking system could detect trials via bank account integration and send calendar alerts three days before, one day before, and two hours before trials end. The platform would offer one-tap cancellation without hunting for hidden cancel buttons, plus a "safe trial mode" creating virtual credit cards that auto-cancel.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Rocket Money charges $6 to $12 monthly and takes 40% of negotiated savings, making it expensive for trial-specific needs. Bobby requires completely manual entry with no automatic detection. Trim was acquired and merged into OneMain Financial. None offer safe trial modes with automatic cancellation or virtual cards specifically for trial protection.
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14. Dark Pattern Cancellation Difficulties
What is the problem and who it affects
Companies deliberately make subscription cancellation extremely difficult with multi-step processes, hidden cancel buttons, retention tactics requiring phone calls, and confirmation emails that never arrive. This affects anyone trying to cancel recurring charges, with some services forcing users to call during business hours or threatening to lose all saved data upon cancellation.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A subscription cancellation concierge service could handle the entire process on behalf of users, documenting dark patterns for consumer protection agencies and providing instant cancellation for participating companies. The platform would maintain a database of exact cancellation steps for every service and offer legal template letters for companies that require written requests.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Services like Truebill (now Rocket Money) offer cancellation help but charge high fees or commission cuts. Justuno and similar tools work for companies, not consumers. The fundamental issue is that dark patterns are intentional business strategies, and companies benefit financially from making cancellation difficult. New regulations are emerging, but enforcement remains weak.
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15. Grocery Store Stock Checking Before Shopping
What is the problem and who it affects
Shoppers drive to stores only to find specific items out of stock, wasting time and gas. Store websites show items as "available" when they're actually sold out, and no easy way exists to check real-time inventory across multiple stores, forcing people to call stores (where staff don't have accurate information) or visit multiple locations.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A real-time grocery inventory checker could aggregate stock levels across all local stores, with crowdsourced verification from recent shoppers confirming availability. Users could create shopping lists and see which store has all items in stock, with automatic alerts when out-of-stock items are restocked.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Services like Instacart show inventory but only for delivery orders and charge markups plus fees. Walmart and Target apps show their own inventory but are often inaccurate. Grocery stores resist sharing real-time inventory data because it would expose how often they're out of stock, and the cost of implementing accurate tracking systems is high for a low-margin business.
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16. Product Expiration Date Tracking
What is the problem and who it affects
Consumers waste money buying duplicates of products they already own (batteries, medications, pantry staples) and let items expire unused because they forget what they have. Checking expiration dates requires searching through cabinets and drawers, and people rarely know what needs to be used soon, affecting anyone managing household inventory.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An expiration tracking app could scan barcodes or receipts to automatically log purchase dates and expected expiration, sending alerts before items expire. The system would organize by location (bathroom, kitchen, garage) and create shopping lists excluding items you already have in stock.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Apps like Eat Safe, No Waste, and Kitchen Pantry Tracker require extensive manual entry of every item and expiration date. They don't automatically detect products from receipts or integrate with grocery apps. The high barrier to initial setup means most people abandon these apps after a few uses, and maintaining the database feels like more work than the problem it solves.
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17. Price Drop Notifications After Purchase
What is the problem and who it affects
Consumers buy items at full price only to see them go on sale days later, missing out on savings and feeling frustrated. Many retailers offer price adjustment policies, but shoppers don't know about them or forget to check, and manually monitoring prices across purchases is impossible to maintain.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An automatic price protection tool could track all purchases, monitor subsequent price drops, and automatically submit price adjustment requests on behalf of users. The system would work across retailers, know each store's policy, and handle the claim paperwork without user intervention.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Browser extensions like Honey, Capital One Shopping, and Earny (shut down in 2020) attempted this but struggled with retailer blocking and policy changes. Retailers have shortened or eliminated price adjustment windows because these tools made it too easy to claim refunds. Credit card price protection benefits have largely disappeared, and building relationships with enough retailers to automate claims is technically and legally complex.
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18. Online Reviews Authenticity Verification
What is the problem and who it affects
Consumers can't distinguish genuine reviews from fake paid reviews, competitor sabotage, or bot-generated content when researching purchases. Review manipulation has become sophisticated, with fake reviewers building credible-looking profiles over months, and verified purchase badges are routinely gamed through return schemes.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A review authenticity analyzer could use AI to detect patterns in fake reviews, analyze reviewer history across platforms, and score review trustworthiness in real-time. The tool would highlight suspicious patterns like multiple reviews posted in quick succession, generic language, or coordinated timing, and aggregate only verified authentic reviews.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Browser extensions like Fakespot (acquired by Mozilla), ReviewMeta, and Trustpilot analyze reviews but struggle as fake review tactics evolve. Our market clarity reports show that platforms like Amazon actively fight third-party review analyzers because exposing fake reviews reveals how widespread the problem is. The arms race between fake review creators and detectors means any detection method becomes obsolete within months.
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19. Insurance Coverage Gap Identification
What is the problem and who it affects
Consumers purchase home, auto, or health insurance without understanding exactly what's covered until they file a claim and discover gaps. Insurance policies use intentionally complex language, and people don't realize they're underinsured for specific risks (flood, earthquake, jewelry, electronics) until it's too late to add coverage.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An insurance policy analyzer could scan policy documents, translate coverage into plain English, and identify specific gaps based on user assets and location risks. The tool would provide personalized recommendations for additional coverage needed and comparison shop across insurers for the best rates.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Services like PolicyGenius, SuranceBee, and Lemonade help buy insurance but don't thoroughly analyze existing policies for gaps. Insurance companies benefit from coverage gaps because they collect premiums while minimizing claims. Policy language is intentionally obtuse to make gap analysis difficult, and insurers guard their coverage formulas as proprietary algorithms.
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20. Moving Cost Estimation and Vendor Comparison
What is the problem and who it affects
People planning moves receive wildly different quotes from moving companies and can't determine fair pricing or identify which companies are reliable. Hidden fees appear on moving day, and comparison shopping requires getting multiple in-home estimates that take hours, affecting anyone relocating who wants to avoid moving scams and overcharges.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A moving quote aggregator could use AR scanning to automatically inventory belongings and distance calculations to provide instant accurate quotes from multiple movers. The platform would include verified reviews focused on actual move experiences, transparent pricing that identifies common hidden fees upfront, and insurance options explained clearly.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Sites like Moving.com, Moving Company Reviews, and HireAHelper collect quotes but sell lead information to movers who then spam users with calls. Moving companies resist transparent pricing because their business model relies on low initial quotes with hidden fees added later. The industry has low barriers to entry and high fraud rates, making reputation verification difficult.
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21. Contractor Background and License Verification
What is the problem and who it affects
Homeowners hiring contractors can't easily verify licenses, insurance, or past work quality, leading to fraud, subpar work, and abandoned projects. State licensing databases are hard to navigate, reviews are often fake, and verifying insurance coverage requires calling insurance companies directly, affecting anyone doing home repairs or renovations.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
A contractor verification platform could aggregate license information across all states, verify active insurance coverage in real-time, and provide work history with photos from past projects. The system would include escrow services releasing payment only when work is verified complete and flag contractors with complaint patterns or license suspensions.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Sites like Angi (formerly Angie's List), HomeAdvisor, and Thumbtack verify basic information but prioritize contractors who pay for leads rather than those with best credentials. State licensing boards don't share data effectively, and insurance verification requires real-time API access that insurers don't provide. Our market clarity reports show that these platforms make more money selling leads than providing accurate verification.
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22. Prescription Medication Price Shopping
What is the problem and who it affects
Prescription drug prices vary wildly between pharmacies, with the same medication costing $20 at one location and $200 at another, but patients have no easy way to compare prices before filling prescriptions. Insurance coverage adds complexity, and using GoodRx or similar discount cards sometimes costs less than using insurance, requiring complex calculations most people don't have time for.
How it could be solved with an app/tool/SaaS
An automatic prescription price optimizer could integrate with doctor prescriptions to show real-time prices across all local pharmacies including insurance coverage calculations. The tool would automatically apply the best discount card or insurance option, compare mail-order versus retail prices, and identify therapeutic substitutes that cost significantly less.
Why no one has fixed it yet
Apps like GoodRx, SingleCare, and RxSaver show prices but make revenue from pharmacy referrals, creating incentive to steer users to specific chains. They don't integrate seamlessly with electronic prescriptions or insurance systems. Pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers actively resist price transparency because their profits depend on customers not price shopping. Insurance formularies change constantly, making automated comparison difficult.
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