Marketers of established brands have even more to worry about now. The consumer product sector of the economy stinks. Customers have changed their purchasing habits, possibly hunkering in for the long haul. On top of that, store brands are crowding national brands, taking sales and share at an unprecedented level.

Wal-Mart’s latest signal, as the world’s largest retailer, in removing national brand SKUs from its shelves, is raising alarm bells with manufacturers.

My take: great challenges also present great opportunities. So instead of being overcome with uncertainty, it’s time to act.