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Monday, June 09, 2008

Beer: It Not Only Tastes Good, It's Recession Proof

So let's say gas prices keep going up, the stock market slides further, inflation really kicks in and job cuts grow. What will you do to ride out the recession?

According to Nielson Co. most Americans will cut out tobacco, eggs, soda pop, food storage bags, and paper plates and cups. Among the items that will not come off the grocery list: beer.

Presenting to a crowd of 1,000 consumer packaged goods executives in Arizona at Nielsen’s Consumer 360 Conference, the company said consumers would cut other spending before they give up beer, seafood, candy, dry pasta and pasta sauce.

Nielson said it used sales results from previous recessions to predict what might happen this time around.

The fact of the matter is that beer is one of those little rewards that most working men and women hold near and dear. You can force them to conserve in many areas, but at the end of the day a cold beer is one of those things they feel they deserve for enduring all of the other garbage that is tossed their way.

Sure, they blanch at paying $4.00 a gallon for gasoline, but they will gladly pay $5.00 for a pint of IPA.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I disagree with your closing statement. You and I and people like us will pay $5 for a pint of IPA, but most Americans will be paying $17.99 for a 30-pack of cans. And I'll bet they'll also be further economizing, exchanging Budweiser for Old Milwaukee, for instance.