Retail as Habitat

The retail environment is a hothouse for national brands

Hub, December 15, 2008 — We now stand at the crossroads of perhaps one of the greatest economic declines in recent American history. It is fitting to reassess one of the more volatile questions faced today in the retail landscape: do store brands pose a significant threat to traditional brands in new ways, and if so, are brands destined to accelerate their decline, disappear in their current form, or evolve with new strategies?

Yes — this is a controversial discussion, but it is even more important now because of changes in the underlying market foundation and because of strategic implications for manufacturers in their approach to being seen by shoppers at retail.