CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--There is no question that private label products became more popular as consumers looked for new ways to save on everyday purchases during the economic downturn. In fact, U.S. consumers spent $120 billion on private label products during the past year, marking a year-over-year increase of 2.1 percent. However, this growth seems to be leveling off, and this small uptick was largely driven by price increases. The latest IRI Times & Trends report, “Private Label and N