The use of category management practices to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage in the fast-moving-consumer-goods industry

Despite massive efforts of suppliers and retailers in the fast-moving-consumer-goods (FMCG) channel to adopt the efficient consumer response (ECR) practices, many of the expected benefits have not been realized. This study examines the history and implementation practices of ECR in the USA and in Germany and presents conceptual models that compare the likely outcomes when ECR-based category management practices are initiated either by the supplier or by the retailer channel partner. Combining the knowledge gained from a series of interviews with industry experts with their own ECR experiences, it is shown how a strategic competitive advantage can be realized through the combination of both supplier and retailer views and expertise in category management practices. The article concludes with an examination of barriers to implementation of category management plans and suggests ways to overcome these barriers.