A container exhibiting superior resistance to unwanted or uncontrolled sidewall deformation has plurality of vacuum responsive panels, generally uniformly spaced around the sidewall periphery, including a panel surface portion radially inset from the sidewall. A post or land is provided between each nearest neighbor pair of vacuum panels, the posts having upper and lower ends joined together upper and lower sidewall edge portions. A margin is located at least at the upper and lower edges of each vacuum panel and extending between the panel surface and the sidewall. At least one of the upper and lower margins of each vacuum responsive panel includes an axially offset portion, which in response to decreasing pressure focuses any initial deflection of the panel surface to that portion of the panel contiguous to the axial offset portion.