For over 20 years, the ECR Europe organization has been connecting suppliers and manufacturers of consumer goods in Europe and developing their cooperation for the benefit of the customer. It will now continue its activities under the name ECR Community.
ECR Community is governed and managed by ECR National Associations, which includes local ECR associations in Europe and the international ECR Shrink and On Shelf Availability group. These organizations are supported by over 1,800 retail chains, manufacturers, and service providers.
– Changes in ECR were necessary to streamline the organization’s work. Many companies participate in the activities of national ECR organizations and engage at the global level through the Consumer Goods Forum. Thanks to the new approach, we will focus with greater energy on activities aimed at building and strengthening cooperation – explains Declan Carolan, CEO of ECR Ireland and co-chair of ECR Community.
The mission of ECR Community is: We develop cooperation to meet customer needs – better, faster, and at a lower cost. As part of ECR Community, local associations implement numerous programs and publish materials, such as the recently released guide Best practices for VMI implementation. It presents both theory and practical tools, developed based on experience and research conducted across Europe. It is available for free at: www.gs1.ch/ecr.
ECR Community activities also cover the following areas:
• Sell More, Waste Less – a program of the ECR Shrink & OSA group helping retail chains reduce losses in their stores and increase product availability on shelves;
• Influencing the Shopper – best practices in category management and shopper marketing;
• Logistics Pooling – a guide for companies on how to choose optimal solutions and increase efficiency;
• Reducing food waste within the value chain, including through donating to those in need;
• Omnichannel retail – advice on how to combine the online and offline business worlds to provide the customer with the best service.
– As promoters of ECR in Poland, we are honored to be able to co-create ECR Community. We deeply believe in the value of sharing knowledge and learning from others. The international legacy of ECR and its impact on the thinking and practices undertaken in the food industry are immense. We are committed to supporting and ensuring a better future for our industry – comments Mateusz Boruta, Managing Director of ECR Poland, on the changes.