Lynn Celmer is the managing editor of PL Buyer magazine, a sister publication of Beverage Industry. This article originally appeared in the magazine’s May 2011 issue. For more information on the private label retailing industry, visit PL Buyer online at privatelabelbuyer.com.
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.
