1953 – CIES was founded on 24th June 1953 at a congress held by international retail association AIDA in Belgium. The objective was to create a body to represent food retail chains, which at that time had no association of their own, unlike cooperatives and voluntary groups. The new association was named Comité International d’Entreprises à Succursales (CIES – International Committee of Food Retail Chains) and was headed by Henry Toulouse, founder of AIDA and Chairman of the regional food store chain Docks de France.

The First Board Meeting was held in Paris on 22-23 June 1954 and included Jean Guichard (Casino, France), Jean de Cooman d’Herlinckhove (Delhaize Le Lion, Belgium), Douglas Scarf (Williams Brothers, UK), Simon Wit (de Wit, The Netherlands), Günther Latscha (Latscha, Germany), Marcel Gabus (Swiss Association), and John A. Logan ( NAFC, USA).

CIES has always been a strongly member-driven organisation. After the initial start-up years, when some of the specialised meetings were centrally prepared, the programmes of all events and other activities were shaped by committees composed of delegates from member companies. This system stimulates participation in the meetings themselves, ensures that the contents are of real interest to the trade, and generally re-enforces the cohesion of the Association.

1955 – The origin of the Future Leaders Programme goes back to 1955 when members created a “Comité des Juniors” to help their sons and nephews learn about the business through study trips, conferences and social events. As the companies became larger, and many of them went public, the programme became "The Young Executives”, the “Management Development Programme” before becoming the “Future Leaders Programme”.

CIES has developed a number of specialised programmes in response to developments in the sector:
1965 – Launch of CIES permanent EDP Committee, now the IT Programme
1970 – Launch of the CIES Warehousing Conference, now the Supply Chain Management Programme
1991 – Launch of the CIES Marketing Programme

More recently, two initiatives around key sector issues were launched by the CIES Board of Directors:
2000 – The Global Food Safety Initiative
2003 – The Image of the Food Business Initiative, now Food Business in Society
2007 – The Global Social Compliance Programme

Each of the 22 CIES Chairmen to date, all the Committee Chairmen and members, and all the past and present members of the CIES Board, have left their imprint on both the structure and the activities of the CIES.

CIES today has 20 Directors on its Board, all Chairmen and/or CEOs of food retail companies, and 7 expert committees composed of retailers and suppliers. (CIES at a glance pdf)

 

CIES Membership was initially restricted to retail chains with at least 11 stores under corporate management and which generated a majority of sales from food. With the evolution of food distribution towards larger stores and larger companies, and as the dialogue between suppliers and retailers became less one-sided, CIES membership also adapted, and the criteria were gradually modified correspondingly.
1963 – CIES Membership opened to Suppliers
1965 – CIES Membership opened to Cooperatives

 

CIES has been from the start a global network of top food business executives and companies and continues to reach members in all regions of the world.
1956 – Opening of the CIES US Office
1989 – Opening of a CIES office in Japan
1995 – Opening of a CIES Asia-Pacific Office in Singapore
2005 – Agreement signed between CIES and Japan Chain Store Association
2005 – Agreement signed between CIES and China Chain Store and Franchise Association

 

 

CIES has developed links with other food business associations all over the world. It notably led discussions that led to the creation of two of today’s best known purpose-led organisations:
1974 – Creation of EAN international after negotiations led by CIES
1996 – 1st ECR Europe Conference in Geneva organised by CIES

CIES enjoys strong links with FMI and GMA in the USA, and is a founder member of EuroCommerce. The association works in partnership with JCA – the Japan Chain Store Association – and, in the People’s Republic of China, with the China Chain Store and Franchise Association (CCFA).
As directed by the CIES Board of Directors, the association is actively involved in the governance of ECR Europe and of the Global Commerce Initiative. CIES also provides the secretariat for ECR Asia.