Store brands have come a long way, and they’re paying off for grocers. There are a myriad of reasons for the store-brand offensive. First, supermarkets reap higher gross profit margins on their own brands compared with name brands — about 8 to 10 percentage points higher, said Jim Hertel, a managing partner with food retailing consultant Willard Bishop.
Additionally, because private-label products are less expensive, a robust private-label program can improve a traditional grocer’s “price image” to cost-conscious shoppers, Hertel said.
“Consumers are worried about their financial state,” Hale said. “They’re worried …

Action News KSBY. “Gas prices are down, food prices are not.
And with the economy struggling, surviving the recession could come down to being able to keep food on the table.
The average gallon of regular unleaded in California is going for $1.79. That’s down from an average of $4.61 on June 19.
In the meantime, for the last nine months or so a dozen eggs sells for around $3.50, and a loaf of whole-grain bread averages around $4.00 at the store.
Baking, making, and buying bread: three facts of life that can’t be …

Gourmet Retailer: “Given the extreme volatility in current financial and employment markets, buying on deal will increasingly become the norm for cautious shoppers trying to balance the household budget, according to Nielsen’s Consumer Insight Magazine.
Promotions already represent a universally popular marketing tactic, with some $129 billion of promoted dollar sales rung up across all categories in food, drug and mass merchandise outlets (excluding coupons), according to Nielsen, in the year ending July 2008. Fully 35 percent of dollar sales were sold on promotion — temporary price reductions (TPRs) accounted for …

From the Green Bay Press Gazette: As economy dips, local customers choose to clip
“Coupon use typically rises as the economy slows, said Matthew Tilley, director of marketing for Winston-Salem, N.C.-based CMS, a coupon-processing agent for grocery brands.
The last boom in coupon use was during the tough economic times of the early 1990s, Tilley said.
In 2007, shoppers redeemed 2.6 billion grocery manufacturer coupons, he said. But shoppers could have done much better. Manufacturers distributed 302 billion coupons, worth an average of $1.28 each. Coupon values also increased an average of 10 …

From The Evening News and Tribune: Cutting costs in your cart: Save money, stay healthy at the grocery
“Robert Friedmeyer knows how to save money on groceries. Not only do he and his wife, Tammy, clip coupons every Sunday, they look for discounts, sales and comparison shop for everything from flour to toothpaste.
The economy is forcing shoppers to save in every way they can, including using an old technique that has been updated for the digital age — coupons.”