Following years of growth, total consumption of private-label products has softened as of late, says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y.

It is a myth that Hispanics only buy name brand products and don’t buy private label or store brands.

 Whether it’s because of private label’s added value or perceptions of comparable quality to name brands, consumers have found favor with private label consumer packaged goods (CPGs).  

 Private label continues to be a top seller in bottled water, bagged tea, ground coffee, juice and dairy alternatives, according to sales data from Chicago-based market research firm SymphonyIRI Group cited in this month’s State of the Industry 2012 report. 

 Murry Brand redesigned the labels for Walmart’s Great Value juices, which are made and bottled by Cott Corp.  

Store brands capped a decade of growth by posting sales increases across all three of the major retail channels in 2010, and pushing dollar share to new all-time highs in supermarkets, drug stores and total outlets, according to PLMA’s 2011 Private Label Yearbook. The PLMA Yearbook tracks private label sales and market share trends based on data from The Nielsen Co., Schaumburg, Ill.

No matter who you ask or which study you read, consensus suggests that constraint and resourcefulness are the new norms in grocery shopping. Given the still less-than-robust economy, a tight consumer credit market and sluggish consumer confidence, Americans have changed the way they shop. Moreover, many agree that these new behaviors are here to stay. The so-called new consumer — one who is slower to spend and always looking for ways to make $2 buy what $4 once did — is still out there.