What is the FMCG industry? Also known as the Consumer Packaged Goods or CPG Industry, this multi-million dollar sector is made up of a huge range of famous brand names – the kind that we use every single day. These fast moving consumer goods are the essential items we purchase when we go shopping and use in our everyday lives. They're the household items you pick up when you're buying groceries or visit your local chemist or pharmacy. FMCG goods are referred to as 'fast moving', quite simply, because they're the quickest items to leave the supermarket shelves. They also tend to be the high volume, low cost items.
Cleaning and laundry products, over the counter medicines, personal care items and food stuffs make up a large bulk of the goods in the FMCG arena, but it doesn't end there. Paper products, pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, plastic goods, printing and stationery, alcoholic drinks, tobacco and cigarettes can all be considered fast moving consumer goods too.
The top FMCG companies are characterised by their ability to produce the items that are in highest demand by consumers and, at the same time, develop loyalty and trust towards their brands. Once people start referring to a product specifically by its brand name (for example, Dettol instead of disinfectant) they're definitely doing something right.
Some of the leading FMCG companies in the world include:
- Colgate-Palmolive
Famous brands: Colgate toothpaste; Palmolive soap and cleaning products; AJAX cleaning products. - Coca-Cola
Famous brands: Coca-Cola; Diet Coke; Fanta; Sprite - General Mills
Famous brands: Pillsbury; Green Giant; Yoplait dairy products - H. J. Heinz
Famous brands: Heinz Tomato Ketchup; Lea & Perrins; HP Sauce - Henkel
Famous brands: Pritt; Sellotape; Schwarzkopf hair products - Johnson & Johnson
Famous brands: Johnson's Baby; Neutrogena; Acuvue; Listerine oral care - Kimberly-Clark
Famous brands: Kleenex paper products; Kotex feminine care; Huggies baby products - Kraft
Famous brands: Kraft, Milka; Philadelphia; Toblerone - L'Oréal
Famous brands: L'Oreal Paris, Garnier; Maybelline New York; Biotherm; Kiehl's - Nestlé
Famous brands: Nestel Pure Life, Nescafe; Nesquik; Kit Kat; Purina - Procter & Gamble
Famous brands: Ariel, Gillette; Pampers; Olay; Duracell; Pantene - Reckitt Benckiser
Famous brands: Dettol/Lysol, Air Wick, Veet; Vanish; Finish; French's Mustard; Durex - Sara Lee
Famous brands: Douwe Egberts; Bimbo; Sara Lee; Maryland Clu; Senseo - SC Johnson
Famous brands: Pledge; Mr Muscle; Duck; Glade; Ziploc - Unilever
Famous brands: Dove bodycare; Axe; Flora dairy products; Domestos; Cif; PG Tips