The world’s biggest companies joined forces (part 1)

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) unites 400 leading experts, international organisations and initiatives from 70 countries, representing a turnover of EUR 2.1 trillion.

It has been up and running since June 2009 and its headquarters is in Paris, with offices in Washington and Tokyo. The vision of this worldwide cooperation is simple: better business life, better quality of life. CGF’s activity rests on two pillars, 1. publishing Future Value Chain periodicals; 2. working groups trying to put into practice the theories published. The third report (Future Value Chain 2016, 2018, 2020) was published in January. GS1, the spreading of ECR guidelines and their becoming part of the business practice, data synchronisation and the efforts to globally establish the electronic product code have already sketched up the next step in worldwide collaboration. The explosion in consumer communication – social media and mobile Internet – necessitated the creation of a new approach. Future Value Chain co-chair and Unilever’s industry affairs director Nigel Bagley told that hard times require closer cooperation. New strategies are needed to meet changing consumer demand and the other co-chair, METRO Systems managing director Dr Gerd Wolfram called attention to the influence of new technologies on consumer demand. Consulting company Capgemini provides the working method for the cooperation that involves companies such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Kraft Foods, Henkel, Procter&Gamble, Tesco, Spar, Ahold, Carrefour, Delhaize or Amway. For the next 10 years the Future Value Chain 2020 project identified and analysed 12 global root trends, which would shape future consumer behaviour. Trends interact with each other to give birth to new trends, such as the proliferation of online shopping. The markets of Australia, France, Mexico, the Netherlands and the USA were used to examine the relationship between global trends and to identify their local manifestations. It is evident that actors in the sector need to be cooperative and committed to finding the solutions: steps must be taken today in order to realise the goals in 10 years. (to be continued)