CONSUMER GOODS FORUM GLOBAL SUMMIT
Grocery industry faces upheaval – CGF Global Summit
The theme this year was pitched to match the current business climate: ‘Growth through change’. Speakers at the congress, held at the Carrousel du Louvre conference centre, included Paul Bulcke, ceo of Nestlé, Doug Herrington, vice president, consumables, Amazon, and Sainsbury ceo Justin King.
Opening the debate with Dick Boer, chief executive of global retailer Ahold, Bulcke said: “The rise of digital technology, the empowerment of consumers and shoppers and long-term global economic challenges demonstrate that the consumer goods industry is experiencing more major transformations than at any time in the past.
‘Invaluable intelligence’
“This year’s summit will provide invaluable intelligence and insights to businesses as they lead their organisations in this fast-changing world.”
The importance of consumer trust, the rise of the internet and e-commerce and the subsequent changing face of industry were core themes emerging from the event, Peter Freedman, recently appointed CGF md told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
Here, we offer a flavour of the event, including perspectives from some of the core UK speakers, exhibitors and even the latest virtual reality merchandising technology.