February 01, 2011

Review: Drawer Max

Description: A drawer organizer
Main Pitch: "Lifts open to give you three times the space in any drawer"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one, just pay S&H
Marketer: Merchant Media
Producer: Blue Moon Studios
Website: www.BuyDrawerMax.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed

I am going to repeat what I wrote when I reviewed Swivel Store, a swiveling spice rack, which was done by the same team. "I believe the mass market is closer to the Oscar Madison end of the spectrum than the Felix Ungar end, and that this sort of product will only get the Ungars of the world excited enough to buy on impulse."

I won't hedge my bet, either. With Swivel Store, I thought it was "possible that when it comes to using spices, the activity is so common that organization is a pressing concern." In other words, I thought spices might be a special case that could prove me wrong. But this time, I look at all the drawer organizers already on the market (Bed Bath & Beyond had 26 in a quick online check), and there doesn't seem to be much of an opportunity here. Sure, this particular organizer has a much better promise and a great demo, but "better than" products are always a tough sell on DRTV.

There's something else bothering me about this product, and I think it has to do with the credibility of the promise. It just doesn't seem likely that most drawers will be deep enough to accomodate a triple-level organizer. If America is like me, people will remember the frustration they experienced the last time a single-level organizer caused a serving spoon or hairbrush to jam a drawer shut, and that will cause them to doubt the product works as easily as advertised. But that could just be me.