Consumer Goods
We are a team of people first and consultants second and enjoy building relationships with individuals from right across the spectrum of consumer goods – from insurgent manufacturers of breakthrough consumer brands to established world leaders looking to disrupt their industries.
Our in-depth knowledge from working with producers and manufactures at one end of the spectrum, and with retailers and leisure operators at the other, gives us a unique perspective on how to drive a step change in growth and performance.
The combination of our experience, passion and personal commitment, enables us to build winning partnerships with our clients to make decisive change across a set of critical issues as varied as the products in the sector:
- Overall business growth and competitive positioning
- Brand and portfolio development
- Maximising the potential from private label
- Harnessing the potential of digital technology in sales and marketing
- Geographic and channel expansion
- Route to market and channel strategies
- Rethinking commercial functions and sales force effectiveness
- Maximising the value from customer partnerships with the retail and wholesale trade including category management and commercial terms
- Acquisition, synergy evaluation, integration and divestment
- Strategic organisation design and change
Our experience and personal commitment to clients – whether they are hungry and ambitious new start-ups or established world leaders – guides our work on critical issues
Our Thinking
The OC&C Global 50 2023
2022 was a year of rampant inflation – but the largest consumer goods businesses were able to drive record revenue growth by successfully passing on significant price increases. Organic volumes also remained consistent, up 0.8% from last year, but this wasn’t enough for businesses to fully escape the impact of rapidly rising input costs… Our annual OC&C Global 50 report, now in its 21st year, is an independent snapshot of the financial performance of these businesses.
Winning through the squeeze
The last 12-18 months have seen global levels of inflation that we haven’t experienced for 40 years, which has required rapid and drastic actions from players across the consumer goods landscape. But as input cost deflation becomes a live and very real phenomenon in many (but not all) areas, retailer and consumer expectations continue to evolve at pace.
Opportunities & New Frontiers in Pet
In our latest consumer insight, we partner with global investment bank and M&A specialist Harris Williams to dig deep into the pet market.
The big squeeze
In collaboration with our long-standing partners The Grocer, we’re delighted to share our annual Food and Drink Top 150 report. Despite having to adapt to Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and increased sustainability pressures in recent years, the UK food and drink industry has shown good resilience and exited 2021 in relatively good health.
The OC&C Global 50 2022
In our 20th edition of the Global 50 report, we take a look at how the world’s 50 largest FMCG businesses have fared whilst backdropped against an unpredictable and volatile period.
Sobering up
Spirits and beer brands know things need to change. People are drinking less and buying differently. The industry must respond quickly to this incoming torrent of market forces. Incrementalism is no longer an option.
Private Equity & Transactions 2021
2021 was a record year for transactions globally – as activity remained exceptionally strong despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID pandemic, global supply chain issues and the challenges of rising inflation and energy prices during the year.
Trading Places
Just fifteen years ago, the biggest threat to traditional commerce was the internet. Brands that were quick to launch transactional websites (and later apps) emerged as victors. Now those same brands face losing out to the emerging dominance of online marketplaces – the disruptor has become the disrupted.
Decision time
In this year's annual study of the Food and Drink Top 150 we see that the fortunes for the UK food and drink sector during 2020 can truly be classed as mixed – rarely has the industry seen such massive upheaval.
Highs and Lows
In this year's annual study of the FMCG Global 50 we see that while the Global 50 have seen growth slow, they have outpaced smaller players. As restrictions ease, how permanent is the new dynamic?
Four sustainability myths: are they holding your business back?
The Covid-19 crisis has elevated the importance of sustainability, but we must banish old thinking to build back better, writes Deidre Sorensen
The true cost of upheaval
Our latest Food & Drink Top 150 report, produced in partnership with The Grocer, shows a return to stability for the biggest food and drink producers in 2019 but in 2020 and the year ahead, there will be big winners and big losers
B2B digital disruption: A quiet revolution
Digital has been on corporate agendas for years, and the impact of Covid is only accelerating this, with businesses rushing to bring forward investments across a range of capabilities
Ready for the storm
Our latest annual study of the Global 50 FMCG giants shows that whilst Covid-19 has driven huge changes across the consumer goods industry which will pose many challenges they also create opportunities, and the strength of the Global 50 positions them well to ride out the storm and win through the challenging conditions of Covid-19 and the global recession that will follow
It's the uncertainty not the hardship that's so difficult
It's hard to find the right hyperbole to describe these extraordinary times that we find ourselves in. Today more than a quarter of the world's population are operating under lockdown with this number continuing to escalate rapidly
The meat of the matter
It’s no secret that in the past few years the meat free industry has experienced a huge boom as consumer attitudes have continued to drive increased demand for meat substitutes and meat free products