Retail markets continue to defy economists warnings of a recession.  Despite rising global tensions and complaints of ‘higher prices in the supermarket’, consumers still found ways to pay for those things they really wanted.  

The emphasis is on ‘really wanted’ because too often poor sales are blamed on ‘the weather’, ‘inflation’, an ‘economic downturn’ and so forth.  While those things can certainly impact retail sales, we can’t help but ask “if some brands are doing well and others are not – and they are all operating in the same market, then is it ‘the market’ or ‘the brand’ that is the problem?”

This can be a painful question, but it has to be considered.