Shoppers Switch to Private Label in a Downturn and Stick | EP Consumer Pulse: The Crisis Series Ep.3

🛒 When budgets tighten, shoppers don’t just trade down, they trade away. And many never come back. In a downturn, grocery is resilient: shoppers eat in rather than out. So the real question isn’t whether people keep buying, it’s who they buy from. The third episode of Consumer Pulse: The Crisis Series is now live. Professor Jan-Benedict Steenkamp (Knox Massey Distinguished Professor of Marketing, UNC Kenan-Flagler) joins Richard Herbert to unpack the rise of Private Label and why it sticks. 🎥 In this episode, Jan-Benedict explores: · Why Private Label gains share during high inflation and holds onto it long after prices settle · The mistakes manufacturer brands make in a downturn: cutting the very innovation and advertising that set them apart · Why switching stores to the hard discounters is far harder to reverse than switching brands within a store 💡 The takeaway? Much of the damage is self-inflicted. When national brands cut innovation and advertising to protect short-term margin, they erode the differentiation that justifies their price. This hands the advantage to Private Label, which always wins on price. As Jan-Benedict puts it, it’s a false economy. When the next squeeze comes, will your brand defend what makes it worth paying for, or quietly close the gap to Private Label? 📩 Get in touch: understand@europanel.com 👉 Follow @Europanel for more shopper insights and brand growth inspiration. #ConsumerPulse #FMCGInsights #PrivateLabel #ShopperBehaviour #BrandGrowth #CategoryManagement