The German retail market was up in 2008, with A-brand ready meals sales posting gain of 20%. That was well ahead of private label's +8%. But with prices rising, what's next? Higher prices coupled with tighter supplies for numerous raw materials, plusrising costs of production make for challenging times ahead for food producers and consumers alike in 2008. One thing that is certain in today's marketplace is that end users in Europe and around the world will continue to pay more at the store for all kinds of products. By now, the drumbeat of unsettling news about rising commodity prices for everything from wheat and corn to fish and fowl has prepared shoppers for sticker shock in the shop. What remains to be seen is to what extent consumers will change their buying patterns to cope with inflation.
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