As 2008 comes to a close, the economy continues to make an impact on consumer shopping habits. Many consumers have established new shopping patterns, whether they include cutting back on products purchased, reducing the number of shopping locations or purchasing lower priced or private label products.
One would think the current economy would be beneficial for club store and mass merchandise sales, since both originally were set up to offer value to consumers. This is not exactly the case.

2008 has been something of a watershed year for the bottled water industry. The category that rode a wave of double-digit growth for more than a decade has found itself in the middle of a financial crisis that has consumers cutting back on spending, and in a battle against environmentalists in a bottle vs. tap debate.
Beverage Industry recently talked to Nestle Waters North America President and Chief Executive Officer Kim Jeffery about where the industry is headed and how his company is answering the environmental challenge.