Private Labels of the DIY Retailers Against the Romanian Post-Recession Environment

AbstractThis study provides an empirical examination of the private label roles and market advantages, against the product strategies in the Romanian Do-It-Yourself market. The seductive advantage of the brands, the plain packaging of generic products seem to vanish under the scrutiny of the new somewhat bleak economic perspectives; yesterday's private labels are today's new brands and consumers seem to cannot have enough of them, in the new post-recession economy, as their level of penetration is considered to be as high as 40% in certain markets. After the shock of the recession following the financial crisis of 2008-2010, as the consumers slowly return to spending, it is hardly expected that they will behave as they did before the crisis. In the Romanian DIY retail, a sector severely affected by the current recession, different players attempt to identify and implement product strategies that would bring competitive advantage and stop the decline in turnover and market share. Our objective is demonstrated how the implementation of private label strategies may be one of the key answers for the retailers operating on the Romanian market