Why Do We Need Different Shaped Coat Hangers?

I am packing to move to Vancouver and while packing the empty white plastic clothes hangers I noticed we have 4 different shapes. The first frustrated thought to pop into my mind is why do they make more than one shaped white plastic coat hanger?

Thing is my prospects on occasion ask me "why do we need more than one phone book?". I guess for the same reasons we need more than one shaped white plastic coat hanger.

Preference of Who makes it? Not really, I don't care who made the coat hanger I just grab a bundle off the Wal Mart shelf to add to my collection. Users of phone books don't care who made the book, just that it has the information they want when they want it.

Preference of Product? No, I didn't know the coat hangers were different 'til now. Although I have a list of features and benefits that differ from the competition, let's face it a phone book is a phone book.

So why more than one coat hanger company or more then one phone book? Because competition is good for all industries and all consumers. In a monopoly the company reaps all the benefits and calls all the shots. In an open competitive economy the consumer reaps the benefits and calls the shots. Even when it comes to white plastic coat hangers and phone books.