Club Retail #14: where the FMCG industry talks partnership, face to face

Two days of conference in Poiana Brașov, a sold-out room and one theme nobody sidestepped: how do we move forward, together, in a tougher market? Once again this year, Reciclad’OR was a partner of Club Retail.

Some events you attend for the presentations, others for the people. Club Retail, organised by Piața magazine, offers both. From 30 September to 2 October, at Hotel Alpin in Poiana Brașov, the 14th edition brought retailers, manufacturers, logistics providers and service suppliers to the same table. All 200+ seats were taken, with 21 speakers and more than 50 partners on the programme.

For us at Reciclad’OR, it’s a meeting we look forward to every year. It puts us in the same room as the people who decide what goes on the shelf, how it gets there and what happens to the packaging once the product has been bought.

Club Retail 2026: “Impulse 2027, the power of partnership in FMCG”

This edition’s theme started from a reality everyone in the room can feel: consumption is down, and the market is looking for a new rhythm. The organisers offered an answer that’s simple to say and hard to do: partnership. Not as a slogan, but as a way of working between retailers and suppliers.

Day one was built around three sessions:

• Impulse dialogues: market reality, how trust works and moving to action. Shopper data and insights opened the discussion, and leaders from retail and manufacturing talked about how to lead a team through a consumption downturn. On stage: Oana Lungu (Kaufland Romania), Gabriela Crețu (Ursus Breweries) and Dumitru Iliescu (5 to go).
• Engines of trust: redefining value for the consumer. Product innovation, new in-store concepts, the balance between private labels, national and local brands, and campaigns designed jointly by retailers and manufacturers. On stage: Mondelēz, Bimbo, Farmec, Tiplog, METRO, Essity, dm, Sezamo and the Sector 6 Local Food Bank.
• The infrastructure of impulse: AI and automation, merchandising, logistics, digitalisation and related services, the tools that make a partnership sustainable and profitable. This session featured CHEP, re:innovation Consulting, LPR, certSIGN and Reciclad’OR.

On day two, a workshop led by Daniela Sima (S1MA) turned the ideas from day one into concrete plans for teams. Participants were split into mixed teams, with retailers and suppliers at the same table, and worked on a hands-on exercise: the challenges in the supplier–retailer relationship over the past year, and how to solve them. The three best teams received prizes from the event’s partners. Beyond their conclusions, the teams left with something rare in this market: an understanding of what each problem looks like from the other side of the table.

What stayed in the room

Beyond the agenda, the atmosphere mattered. Conversations were open and constructive, and people spoke frankly about what works and what doesn’t. Partnership was seen as more than a commercial relationship: trust, transparency, flexibility and the ability to respond to market changes together. Value didn’t have a single definition: for some consumers it means paying less, for others getting more, and whoever understands both grows the category. Data sat at the table alongside intuition, and the overall message was that even in a tough market, growth is possible when partners work together.

One memorable moment was the talk by Ionuț Ilie, CEO of Bimbo Romania, who turned partnership into a story about marriage, told with humour and a lot of candour. His point: a business relationship isn’t built in a day, and it doesn’t run on autopilot. It takes time, consistency, transparency and clarity, including about the rules of the game when things go wrong, plus teams that understand the other side’s interests. His conclusion was to move from a purely transactional relationship to one built on trust and shared goals. The room laughed, and also took notes.

Reciclad’OR on stage: certainty for every package

On day one, Marius Brînzea, Strategy Director at Reciclad’OR, opened the session on the infrastructure of impulse with a talk on what partnership means when it comes to packaging: certainty for every package.

• Predictability. Today, Reciclad’OR is the trusted partner of more than 1,300 companies, with 9 years of activity, 100% legal compliance and one message: “9 years. Zero surprises.”
• Trust. 98% of the companies that responded to our satisfaction survey would recommend Reciclad’OR, and overall service quality was rated 9.7 out of 10.
• Partnership in practice. The new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a transition of roughly 15 years, not a one-off project. Reciclad’OR has organised legislative workshops attended by around 400 companies, including competitors who shared experience at the same table. These workshops also gave rise to Yvora, the app developed by Circulad’OR with advisory support from Reciclad’OR, which cuts the compliance file down to a few minutes.

What we’re taking home from Club Retail #14

1. Partnership is a method, not a slogan. Retailers, manufacturers, logistics providers and environmental partners share interests more often than you’d think. And, like a good marriage, it needs constant care.
2. Predictability is a form of trust. Companies want to know from the start what they need to do, what it costs and what they can plan for. Whoever offers clarity earns trust.
3. Shared data drives efficiency. Joint analysis, shared data, digitalisation: costs fall when partners show their numbers and work on the same tools.
4. Value has more than one face. For some, value means the right price; for others, getting more. Whoever understands both audiences grows the category.
5. Who’s in the room matters. The coffee, the dinner, the conversation after the panel. Many good partnerships start there.

We’re there where it matters

Congratulations and thanks to Cristian Bădescu, Maria Bădescu, Veronica Văduva, Carol Popa and the whole Piața magazine team for organising the event and for their commitment from the first hour to the last. An edition with 200+ attendees, 21 speakers and 50+ partners doesn’t go well by chance. It goes well when someone takes care of every detail, from the agenda and speakers to the coffee break where conversations start. Thank you also to the speakers and partners for the open discussions and, above all, to the companies we work with every day and met there. See you next year at Club Retail #15.

Until then, we stay close to our partners, with the same promise: certainty for every package.

Want to know how we can help you meet your environmental obligations without surprises? Write to us or get in touch with the Reciclad’OR team.