Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies face a landscape transformed by disruption. BCG’s FMCG consultants help clients keep up with the pace of change and define a path to advantage.
The FMCG sector has an unmatched history of value creation performance—thanks to powerful brands, functionally superior products, and scaled operations. But slowdowns in global customer demand, multiple shifts in the customer landscape, and a loss of traditional scale advantages (due to new, digitally enabled models and the rise of e-commerce) have caused the sector to underperform since 2017.
The pandemic only accelerated the decline. Looking forward, incumbents will—for the first time—be hit by multiple disruptions simultaneously, including a radical reshaping of shopping and channels, further erosion of scale advantages, and a heightened focus on social impact and purpose. Meanwhile, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence will continue to revolutionize FMCG business models. Our FMCG consulting experts help clients launch the transformations essential for meeting these challenges and thriving in the new reality.
Our FMCG consultants work shoulder to shoulder with clients to enable them to meet five strategic imperatives vital for sustaining success. For each imperative, we help clients activate high-impact levers for transformation.
We back deployment of transformational levers with proven approaches and methodologies. For example:
Become an Always-On Portfolio Manager
Reshape your portfolio further and faster by proactively buying and selling assets to build advantaged positions and skew organic growth investment by emphasizing leading brand positions over short-term margin gains.
Reinvent the Demand Model
Accentuate the superiority of your offering through proprietary technology, advance next-gen demand science to gain unique insights, engage with consumers on a personal level, such as by combining new technology and 360-degree customer profiles to target “segments of one,” and more.
Digital End-to-End Capabilities
Deploy hyperflexible go-to-market and net revenue management to drive sustainable volume growth. Bring AI to scale across your supply chain by investing in digital platforms to better forecast demand and turbocharge efficiency.
Elevating the Operating Model
Embrace agile structures and ways of working. Unlock new sources of scale, accelerate innovation, and maximize flexibility.
Inspire with Purpose
Turn purpose into competitive advantage and bolster stakeholders’ trust by anchoring your purpose in the company’s history and sustainability ambitions.
Makers of fast-moving consumer goods must take several key steps to weather the sector's current challenges.
Consumer packaged goods companies have many options for balancing volume and profit in a downturn, but they need the right tools to make the changes stick.
By digitizing their value chains from end to end, Chinese grocers can increase efficiency, boost margins, please customers—and make gains against the competition.
Although anxiety over health and finances is high, attitudes remain surprisingly resilient. And some behavioral changes—including greater use of digital commerce and tools—are sticking.
BCG’s FMCG consultants draw on their understanding of the unique characteristics of FMCG and the forces shaping the future of the FMCG sector. We help clients excel on multiple fronts including FMCG marketing strategy, trade promotion management, and FMCG sales and distribution management.
Senior Advisor
London
