I get the feeling that there must be a lot of hard thinking going on between category managers, multiple buyers and their marketing departments at the moment. Consumers are being assailed on a daily basis with press articles, not to mention reports from the Bank of England and notable economists, that the country is living on the edge of a recession.

Rising food prices are one outward sign of this, and they are being reflected in the cost of living index. Although it might have been the Olympics coverage, I get the feeling that the high streets last weekend were noticeably quieter. So the question being asked in the retail corridors of power must be how the squeeze is affecting fresh produce sales.

Historically, this sector, representing many basic and comparatively cheap foodstuffs, has usually been able to weather the storm. But in today’s world, where consumers are being spoilt for choice, with new and often exclusive added-value products being introduced to supermarket shelves on a weekly basis, one can only wonder how long this will continue.

This is not to criticise the retail giants for not offering value for money. They already rose to that challenge when the first discounters made their appearance many years ago. But now, they may need to re-focus their image.

Fancifully, we may even be moving into a period where the appeal of that special dish, whelks with hot chocolate sauce, praised by gourmets and cookery writers alike - which in real terms probably only ever had limited appeal, but was a great crowd puller - is replaced by the humble cabbage.

If this proves to be the case, we can expect to see more than simple BOGOF offers or benefits derived from the current fuel price discounts, in a bid to keep up the footfall.

So looking ahead, there could be more loose produce available to reduce the cost of packaging, an even greater emphasis on local produce to further stimulate consumer interest, and retail-defined shorter seasons, when crops are at their peak and, therefore, theoretically cheaper.

What this scenario has done, if the reports hold good, is to focus shopping habits towards discounters such as Lidl and Aldi. Again, in my local experience, for the first time these kinds of stores are attracting more and more members of the public through their doors.

The concept of having to save money after years of plenty may still be seen as a novelty in some quarters, but I can vouch for the fact that many shoppers I know have been agreeably surprised on their first visit to a discounter - even if they may be at first confused by seeing special offers away from the food displays, which change weekly and can extend to everything from toilet seats to crash helmets.

If the discounter habit catches on, it might ultimately even lead to a change in shopping habits, reflecting the long-established pattern in Germany. Instead of going to one single shop, the thrifty German housewife buys her basics from a more limited range at these types of outlets, and then travels on to her preferred store - but bringing less purchasing power, and still with her eyes peeled for a bargain.