Global food and consumer goods retailers and manufacturers, including the likes of Wal-Mart and Nestlé, today (18 June) put their weight behind the formation of a new global joint trade and industry body, named The Consumer Goods Forum.

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The merger of CIES and the Global CEO Forum and the Global Commerce Initiative created the Forum, which will be headquartered in Paris. It will have an equal number of manufacturers and retailers on its board.


The Forum will represent the world’s leading consumer goods retailers and manufacturers, as well as many regional specialists and independents.


The organisation will be co-chaired by Pierre-Olivier Beckers, president and CEO of Delhaize, and AG Lafley, CEO, president and chairman of Procter & Gamble.


Its objective is to develop common positions on key strategic issues, to focus on non-competitive collaborative process improvement and to provide a network for thought leadership and knowledge exchange.

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“The global consumer goods industry is facing multiple challenges. We must address issues of environmental, social and food supply sustainability. We must continue to deliver affordable, safe food and useful, exciting products to consumers in an uncertain economic climate. We will continue to prioritise our industry-leading initiatives on food safety and social responsibility. We will continue to provide thought leadership and cutting edge business intelligence. But we will do so with a united focus,” Beckers commented.


The unified approach represents a “radical change” in the way retailers and manufacturesr are about to meet “the demands of the global supply chain and is a true global network for serving shopper and consumer needs,” Lafley added.

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