Consumers know germs are everywhere and they want antibacterial products to fight off the evil onslaught. But where they turn for such products, and specifically what they think about private label offerings, is becoming an open question.

You can expect a woman to give up a lot of things during an economic downturn. But great looking hair isn’t one of them.

No matter how you slice it, or maybe because of how you slice it, consumers are buying private label packaged meats at a rapidly rising pace these days.

Most of the economic news you hear is bad: Unemployment is high, the country’s debt continues to climb and the housing market struggles to recover. At least we’ve got our cheesecake.

Officials at Ellis Island served ice cream to newly arrived immigrants, ensuring that they received the quintessential all-American welcome. Today, even as the American electorate grows increasingly divided, Americans stand united in one firm belief: when it comes to ice cream and frozen novelties, they want to be indulged.

Thomas Jefferson once famously said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” Jefferson may be on to something there-the harder retailers work at bringing customers into the private label fold, the more luck they seem to have at increasing profits and gaining a bevy of new consumers.

Ever since women joined the work force in large numbers three decades ago the question, “What’s for dinner?” has prompted many a mad scramble for family cooks. Today’s busy shoppers, though, have a lot more options than that first wave of harried two-earner households who could count on little besides Hamburger Helper to save the day.

Consumers are becoming more educated about solutions for gastrointestinal discomfort. Retailers are on the trend, contracting with private label manufacturers of constipation, diarrhea and fiber aids to increase their offerings of PL digestive aids.