The law of Oreo's.

The grocery part of the grocery store hasn't been doing as well as perimeter perishables in recent years. One of the reasons for its failure to do well is that products that once seemed so very convenient no longer do. When products do become more convenient, it's in retailers' interest to make sure their shoppers know about it. This should be just as important to food retailers as it is to manufacturers like Nabisco. When big brands flood the retail shelves with profit-building extensions, it's up to retailers to uphold the Law of Oreos so that shoppers who want the old original can find it.

Many retailers including Wal-Mart and Tesco are considering smaller stores that would attract shoppers on the basis of making shopping easier. Differentiating original from new products would do that in traditional formats. There are dozens of product categories, including orange juice and ice cream where consumers have trouble finding the original. In recent months, we've heard a gaggle of complaints about Coke, Pepsi, Crest, Colgate, Heinz, Olay, L'Oreal, and more.

Since extending brands has become an almost surefire way of increasing brand profitability for manufacturers, it behooves retailers to take the Law of Oreos seriously and to make sure that original products weren't hidden in the variations. Many shoppers love new products, many others want the classics. Vive la difference! Both customers need to be satisfied for retailers to win.

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