Lessons Retailers Can Learn from FMCG

Retail Week quotes Katie Thomas on the skill sets senior retail leaders can gain by working at FMGC companies.

“The skills you get in abundance in FMCG are a deep insight into the brand, marketing and strong customer insight," says Katie Thomas, executive director of the retail practice at executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates. “These skills have not always been typical in a retail environment."

Such people bring a wealth of useful experience to retail, Thomas says. They often have a more strategic understanding of consumers and are able to look beyond one week’s trading figures. “Retailers have often been short of strategic thinking because it’s all about the here and now in retail," Thomas says. “FMCG understands how to look at consumers and consumer trends in the medium to long term."

Read the full article online at Retail Week (subscription required).