Garmin Needs to Keep Things Simple

But having so many variants of the GPS device can also leave some customers who have already bought the product dissatisfied, says Gloria Barczak, professor of marketing at Northeastern University, as they could be left wondering if they bought the right model for their needs. Too much choice also leads to too much complexity in decision-making, she adds.

Even Garmin's Web site lets users compare only five of the 30 flavors it has available.

Winer acknowledges there are some advantages to having multiple variations of a single product. Customers can have a greater choice and it helps in a fast growing market to offer a product that can satisfy every segment.

And in the early years of the products, it may have been the right strategy. "The early ideal then is to fill the channel, get as many shelf spaces as you can in retail and build demand for the product," he says.

But experts say Garmin may have to reconsider its strategy with increasing competition and growing pressure on pricing and margins.

There is no ideal number of variations that a company can offer customers but there is a risk to offering too many. "The downside is confusion and lack of differentiation among the products," says Barczak.

Garmin could learn a lesson or two from other successful consumer electronics players, say experts.

Take Apple(AAPL Quote). which reinvented the MP3 player genre with the iPod.