How Easily Can Johnson & Johnson Regain Lost Shelf Space?

Johnson & Johnson may be a venerable brand name among countless generations, but replacing its lost stature on store shelves may prove more difficult than some may assume. Between the sour economy, which has trained consumers to look for private-label bargains, and the ongoing lack of some J&J products, shoppers may take some convincing before they return to such stalwarts as Tylenol and Motrin, among other brand names. For instance, sales of private-label acetaminophen for adults rose nearly 14 percent last year from 2010, while J&J’s Tylenol was often out of stock. In the children’s pain category, sales of private-label acetaminophen rose more than 30 percent compared to 2010. Meawnhile, competing brands – Pfizer’s Advil, and Bayer’s Aleve and Bayer Aspirin – rose 7.3 percent, six percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, over 2010.