THE NEEDS OF CONSUMERS

Consumerism is not a dirty word. Nor is it just one more faction for retailers to contend with against the general background of the high street battlefield. This is one of the points made here by Michael Shanks of the National Consumer Council. His views first emerged in this form at the Food Manufacturers' Federation conference, held recently in London. In short, he demonstrates that the retailer and the consumer do not necessarily have conflicting interests. The retailer needs the consumer and vice‐versa, and both need the benefits of a competitive, fairly free market if they are to achieve the best results for themselves. But first, Michael Shanks has some topical comments to make about the EEC and the Common Agricultural Policy.