Article at a glance:

New strategies for consumer goods

Consumer goods companies thrived in the past decade's tough climate thanks to a focus on strong brands and big productivity improvements. But mounting pressure from thrifty consumers and powerful retailers, combined with diminishing returns from efficiency efforts and heightened competition in emerging markets, is forcing companies to rethink their strategies for future growth.

The take-away

Most consumer goods companies can still improve some of their operations, but a few of them will look for innovative new strategies, such as outsourcing production, building new service businesses, or developing neglected product categories.