Classic Consumer Brands Gain New Luster

With the carefree days of unchecked consumer spending behind us, budget-conscious consumers are switching from more expensive foods and are discovering the difference they’ve been paying for that fancy gourmet cheese vs. Kraft cheddar might no longer be worth it.

There's a new consumer ethos in the aisles.

Say goodbye to costly gourmet meals and hello to traditional dishes like that green bean casserole made with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup as consumers report buying more products like basic food ingredients.

The growing power of middle-brow meal items was also apparent in a decision on Monday by Condé Nast to close the more upscale of its two food magazines, Gourmet, and keep publishing the more mainstream Bon Appétit.

“Gourmet was a tough sell to packaged goods advertisers,” said George Janson, managing partner at the GroupM Print unit of GroupM, a division of WPP devoted to helping marketers make media decisions. “People are now looking for recipes and ingredients that are more accessible."

Read the full New York Times article here