Working with retailers, wholesalers, other manufacturers, industry trade associations, and
consulting firms, P&G participated in the development of the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR)
vision of channel innovations that would enable grocery chains to compete effectively with lowcost
alternative retail formats. ECR became a banner for a wide variety of innovations in the
grocery channel that would improve efficiency (Exhibit 1). Various joint industry ECR committees
were established in a coordinated effort to explore opportunities for channel process improvement.