Content about Niche

May 24, 2011
Top 150 Annual Niche Brands Report

Happy days are here again! Consumer confidence rebounded 1.6 points in April from a dip in March, according to the Consumer Confidence Index, despite the fact that high-gas-price stories are dominating the airwaves. That suggests consumers may be willing to try new things again — in other words, to buy something new — and that is excellent news for niche manufacturers. In this annual report, DSN calculates the value of niche brands.

Happy days are here again! Consumer confidence rebounded 1.6 points in April from a dip in March, according to the Consumer Confidence Index, despite the fact that high-gas-price stories are dominating the airwaves. That suggests consumers may be willing to try new things again — in other words, to buy something new — and that is excellent news for niche manufacturers. In this annual report, DSN calculates the value of niche brands.

Click below to download the PDF of the Top 150 Annual Niche Brands Report.

May 25, 2009
The 2009 Annual Niche Brands/Broker Report

The value of niche is in the customer that a niche manufacturer brings through the door. Sometimes it’s measured in incremental opportunity, such as a prophylactic acne offering among a sea of acne treatments. And sometimes it’s measured in what happens if that niche brand is not on the shelf, driving the customer to another retail outlet. That value doesn’t change in a tough economy, but the factors that establish whether or not a niche manufacturer ever gets to the shelf, and stays on that shelf, do. There are two significant challenges for niche in today’s economic climate — SKU rationalization and the availability of capital.

The value of niche is in the customer that a niche manufacturer brings through the door. Sometimes it’s measured in incremental opportunity, such as a prophylactic acne offering among a sea of acne treatments. And sometimes it’s measured in what happens if that niche brand is not on the shelf, driving the customer to another retail outlet.