Lancement du ECR CatManNetwork : nouveau site, webinaires, articles
Dear members,
We are delighted to announce the official launch of the new ECR CatManNetwork (CMN) Website + first Webinars and Expert Articles
The CMN Expert Group invites you to explore the website, share it within your teams and join us for the upcoming sessions.
CMN Website
The website has been created as a central hub for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and best practice within our Category Management community. It offers:
- A clear overview of the CatManNetwork mission and objectives
- Insights into the CMN Expert Group, a collection of the founders, senior practitioners and experts in category management throughout the world. Check out the members of the CMN Expert Group Here.
- Dedicated pages outlining the focus areas of each of the five subgroups
- Access to resources, industry perspectives, and shared learning
- Information on upcoming events and engagement opportunities
A special highlight of the CMN is the introduction of the CatManNetwork Expert Group, which provides strategic direction and ensures alignment across markets. Supporting the Expert Group are five dedicated subgroups, each focusing on the hottest Category Management priorities for 2026. These subgroups serve as collaborative working forums, driving practical outputs, sharing tools and frameworks and addressing the evolving needs of our industry.
- Tools & Technologies Group
- The Tools & Technology Group will host quarterly webinars featuring the latest innovative and effective technology developments in category management
- Category Management 8 Step Process Group
- Quarterly webinars and monthly insight articles to promote the 8 step approach to category management
- AI in Category Management Group
- A webinar series to provide the community with a strategic and future-oriented understanding of how Al is reshaping Category Management across the entire value chain, without diving deep into specific tools
- Insights & Research Group
- The group will create an ECR Category Management Maturity Index. This scorecard will allow category managers to self assess the attributes of their company’s category management offering and benchmark against other companies accordingly
- The Category Management Dept. Group
- Is there a most efficient organisational structure to deliver the 8 step process? There is no standard structure for a category management department. They have evolved throughout the world with varying structures, governance, names, competencies and expectations from internal stakeholders and trading partners. The ECR Category Management Subgroup will propose recommended governance and model structure.
Together, this structure strengthens our ability to exchange expertise, accelerate capability development and create tangible value across the ECR Community.
CMN Webinars
We are also pleased to share that registration is now open for the first CMN webinars:
👉05 March - 14.00 CET : Category Management 8 Step Process Webinar - Hosted by Brazil
- Antonella Altavilla, ADF Consulting, ECR Italia : Intro to ECR CatManNetwork 8 Step Process Group
- Fatima Merlin, CEO, Connect Shopper, Brazil : Category Management in Brazil
- Eduardo Bezerra, Shopper & CatMan Sr Manager, Reckitt Brazil : Step 1 Category Definition, Redesigning the condoms and related category—covering the studies, shopper insights, challenges, barriers, and achievements.
- Fernanda Dalben, Marketing & Trade Marketing Director, Dalben Supermercados, Brazil : Step 2 - Category Role, Transforming Retail through Category Management. A Dalben Group case study aligning strategy, shopper behavior and emotional experience. Using the 8-step Category Management framework, the project connects strategy, shopper behavior and in-store execution across multiple categories and life stages — from birth to longevity.
- Q&A
👉24 March - 15.00 CET : The Role of AI in Category Management
- Marco Krättli, Senior Industry Manager, Google
- Dirk Morschett, Professor of Management, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Beth Lovisa, Global Digital Acceleration, Pernod Ricard
- A collaborative discussion highlighting practical insights and industry best practices
Both webinars are excellent opportunities to engage with the Expert Group and subgroup members, deepen collaboration and stay connected to the latest developments. Registration is now open and we encourage you to secure your place.
CMN Expert Articles
The ECR CatManNetwork will publish a monthly insight article on category management delivering insight & expertise on the 8 step approach.
The target audience is category management practitioners throughout the world with the objective of showcasing the expertise & analysis from the leading global exponents of category management.
February 2026 : “The 8 step approach to category management – When method transforms the business”
- Fatima Merlin, CEO, Connect Shopper, Brazil & ECR CMN Expert Group Member
- Fatima reinforces a central message: Category Management is not about aesthetics or intuition, but about method, discipline and collaboration. When the process is respected and continuously reviewed, it drives higher conversion, stronger basket performance and sustainable business growth—proving that results are not magic, but the outcome of well-executed strategy and execution
March 2026 : “Category Management: The strategic lever companies are underusing? Elevating category management to a corporate strategy”
- Antonella Altavilla, ADF Consulting, ECR Italia & ECR CMN Expert Group Member
- According to Antonella, For nearly thirty years, category management has proven its ability to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of commercial decision-making. Yet it is still too often treated as a short-term collaborative exercise between retailer and manufacturer, rather than as a strategic management approach that shapes long-term business success.
Available in March