Last December I asked in the upcoming recession whether beer would be the affordable luxury. Turns out ever if it isn't a luxury, it will be bought according to the Nielsen Company's research:
According to Nielsen’s analysis of macroeconomic variables, historical trends and consumer behavior, products such as seafood, dry pasta and candy are most immune to a recession. Beer and pasta sauces also show some level of immunity to recessionary times. Those products among the most vulnerable or recession-prone include carbonated beverages, eggs, cups/plates, food prep/storage items and tobacco.I knew beer had it all over eggs. You know how it feels at the store - eggs or beer, eggs or beer. I always go for beer. The news was announced at Neilsen's Consumer 360 conference held over the weekend, though I really can't find any great discussion about beer on the website. One loves, however, to find backing for one's ungrounded gut reactions within the consultant community.
Comments
Buttle - June 10, 2008 3:01 PM
People will just trade down from the $60 Foster's to the $1.50 cans.
BTW, why are eggs vulnerable?
Jonathan - June 10, 2008 6:10 PM
Eggs are vulnerable because of their fragile shells. Zing!
I know I've often gone to the grocery store and waffled between beer and a cup/plate. Usually I phrase it as a "cup/plate" too, not a "plate/cup."
Alan - June 10, 2008 10:24 PM
Eggs are vulnerable because no matter how hard things are no one ever says "damn, I just wish I had an egg instead of this beer."
Knut Albert - June 11, 2008 5:36 AM
I could survive for a long time on beer, seafood and pasta.
As for cups/plates, if worst comes to worst we can drink from the bottle. But I suspect most of the readers of this blog has a few spare beer glasses in the attic or basement liberated from a pub in a distant past.