Private Labels Help to Spur Pantene Revamp

Feeling the heat from private labels and new shampoo upstarts, the P&G shampoo powerhouse, Pantene has undergone a transformation. BusinessWeek reports, “The company is hoping the third revamp since 1999 of its biggest beauty brand will restore sales in the U.S., where competition from cheaper rivals—including private-label alternatives—has intensified with the recession. Two-thirds of Pantene shampoo varieties saw sales declines in the 52-week period ended Apr. 18, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based research firm. P&G, like other big consumer-products companies, also has been under pressure from big-box retailers and drugstore chains that are trying to cut down on brand clutter.”

We encourage you to check out more information about Pantene’s strategy here.

What do you think? Will other powerhouse brands revamp as private brand and labels hone in on their territories?