Private-label purchases will forge ahead as economy changes, study finds
NEW YORK Private-label purchases and loyalty likely will continue, according to a study conducted on behalf of the Private Label Manufacturers Association.
According to PLMA’s latest nationwide poll of main household grocery shoppers, "Store Brands & The Economy: Are Shoppers Ready to Start Spending Again?" -- conducted by GfK Custom Research North America -- found that 63% of shoppers have changed their food buying habits as a result of economic conditions. Of these shoppers, fully two-thirds report that they are purchasing private label products in categories where they used to buy only national brand items. What's more, 8-of-10 respondents said they will be buying more store-brand products in categories where they previously only purchased the national brand product once the economy returns to normal.
While 1-of-every-5 shoppers believe the economy is improving, the importance of a food's nutritional value remains high. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed are satisfied that product labeling for both store brands and national brands provide them with sufficient information to make decisions about which food products to buy.