ECR Europe Forum & Marketplace

Debating session 1

DB1.1 - Sustainability: an issue for innovation in mass market distribution

How to transform the problem of pack refusals into an opportunity for the manufacturing industry and retail; what is the solution to the problem of “food miles”; what opportunities are there for alternative energies in supermarket networks? All these questions are issues for our future. Participants debated some innovative examples with a view to stimulating more innovation.

Debate opened by: Emanuele Plata, Crai Società Cooperativa; Marco Settembri, Nestlé; Paolo Ricotti, Planet Life Economy Foundation
Facilitated by Crai Società Cooperativa

Debating session 2

Tuesday 8 May (13.00-15.00)

DB2.1 - Value creation through price: options to improve pricing decisions

Participants discussed options to improve the pricing process and pricing intelligence, and to apply innovative techniques and tools borrowed from other industries. Retailers broadened their views on the pricing process and the use of this neglected ‘P’ in category management. Manufacturers increased their understanding of the pricing process in retailing and of manufacturer-retailer interaction in pricing decision-making.

Debate opened by: Antonella Altavilla, Maurizio Castello, KPMG Advisory Italy
Facilitated by KPMG Advisory Italy

Debating sessions 3

DB3.1 - Implications of performance-based trade terms

Performance-based trade terms have become increasingly important because of diminishing consumer loyalty, ongoing retailer internationalization, and ever-growing margin pressures. In this session, participants had an opportunity to debate the implications for the industry and the key aspects of designing, implementing, and managing an optimal trade terms architecture for specific countries as well as for Europe as a whole.

Debate opened by: Eva Berneke, Jens Weng, McKinsey
Facilitated by McKinsey

DB3.2 - Understanding cost-to-serve: negotiating tactic or a route to win-win?

Knowing and optimizing the cost to serve the consumer across the entire value chain carries ample potential to take cost out and invest in top-line growth, and ultimately up the profitability of both retailers and manufacturers. What does it take to make this concept come to fruition?

Debate opened by: Joerg Koesters, SAP
Facilitated by SAP

DB3.3 - Self-scanning – the pros, the cons and the future

Self-scanning check-out is an emerging technique in retailing. This session discussed experience with some of the most up-to-date techniques and introduced experts involved in introducing and developing this solution in many stores, debating advantages and disadvantages, and lessons to be learned from different applications.

Debate opened by: Hansa Andersson, IBM; Birgitta Olsson, Stockholm University
Facilitated by School of Business, Stockholm University

DB3.4 - Next generation EAS solutions: are they the answer?

It is increasingly important for manufacturers and retailers to respond to the expectations of their consumers for more open, self-service shopping while simultaneously implementing adaptable shrink management solutions to protect and improve their businesses. Are next generation EAS solutions and RFID the ways forward to fulfil consumer expectations as well as smarten up logistics in-store, fight shrink and win new customers through improved service and merchandising?

Download the flyer.

Debate opened by: Jean-Claude Coutant, Carrefour; Per Levin, Checkpoint Systems; Sébastien Spangenberger, GfK
Facilitated by Checkpoint Systems