Packaged-food giants also know that once a consumer tries a private-label product, it's hard to get them to switch back to a more expensive brand name, especially during inflationary times. Retailers have shown a willingness to lose access to brand-name products when they don't get the prices they want. Canadian grocery chain Loblaw didn't have Doritos, Tostitos or Lay's chips for two months while it worked out a pricing dispute with PepsiCo's Frito-Lay Canada. The products were replaced with private-label options during that time. In the past, the food company might have held the reins in such a situation. The retailer would want to avoid disappointing consumers looking for brand-name products. But the threat of recession, along with changes to the grocery landscape, are rewriting that narrative. Walmart, the dominant grocery retailer, recently warned suppliers against further price hikes. "We've seen this shift over the last 10 years, where the power had always been with the branded company," says Dave Donnan, president of investment and consulting company Silvertip Management.