Includes index.

Today's consumer is on a continuous treasure hunt with the goal of finding the perfect value, every time. As a follow-up to Trading Up (2003), these authors explore the phenomenon of how average consumers make everyday thrifty buying decisions while mixing in lots of upscale purchases. Costco parking lots across the country are filled with BMWs as middle-market consumers search for bargains where they can, all the while indulging in emotionally rich, expensive goods. With more choices of where and how to buy goods, shopping has become a 24/7 activity as consumers cruise eBay, discount houses, dollar stores, and premium outlet malls. The companies that have always provided goods for middle America--General Motors, Kraft, United Airlines, Kroger, and other traditional stores are struggling and, in some cases, failing. Citing numerous case studies, Silverstein and his coauthor lay out in detail what companies must do today to appeal to the "treasure hunt" and examine this paradigm with not only anecdotal evidence but also a considerable amount of data that you would expect from a veteran from the Boston Consulting Group.