> The Tide example here makes me feel a little bit weird, because Tide pods in particular are a pretty bad deal for laundry detergent.

For my wife, the pods are a lifestyle upgrade over the regular powdered pour out detergent. The convenience and effort saved justifies the more expensive packaging.

I'm a firm believer in adopting new processes or products that reduce the amount of time required to perform my daily functions. They pay off in the long run.