Cover Story: Making a Name for Itself

With Procter & Gamble's announcement in late May that it was launching an e-commerce site, the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry experienced a seismic shift. The days of manufacturers relying solely on retailers to peddle their goods — at marked-up prices, to boot — were gone, another casualty of the economic downturn. Selling direct to consumers is now a viable option as CPG manufacturers seek out new revenue streams.