Milestones of EHI Retail Institute
50 years of research for retailing
The roots of today's EHI Retail Institute in Cologne can be traced to RGH, the rationalisation association of the retail industry established in 1951, and the ISB Institute for Self-service Retailing, established in 1957. Both merged in 1989 to form DHI - Deutsches Handelsinstitut, which was renamed EHI EuroHandelsinstitut in 1993.
The changing names are an indication of a development from specialised institutes to one institute practicing an integrative approach and focussing on Europe.
The latest name change makes allowance for the growing internationalisation in the retail sector. Since the spring of 2006 we call ourselves EHI Retail Institute.
Development of EHI Retail Institute
| 1951 | Founding of RGH - Rationalisierungsgemeinschaft im Handel in 1952 First RGH study on retail performance ratios |
| 1953 | Founding of Institut für Selbstbedienung (ISB) First comparison of self-service stores in food retailing Creation of the first ISB working groups |
| 1958 | First ISB field trip to Britain and Italy |
| 1962 | ISB magazine Selbstbedienung und Supermarkt (Self-service and the Supermarket) |
| 1966 | First EuroShop in Düsseldorf with 331 exhibitors and 28,000 visitors |
| 1967 | RGH basic study "Standardised national product numbering (ban)" |
| 1968 | First issue of ISB magazine Dynamik im Handel (Dynamic Retailing) First edition of ISB reference book SB in Zahlen (Self-service in Figures), today "Retail Factbook" |
| 1969 | Establishment of ban-L centre within RGH |
| 1974 | ban-L becomes Centrale für Coorganisation (CCG) - today GS1 Germany – half-owned by Markenverband Deutschland |
| 1988 | ISB renamed Deutsches Handelsinstitut (DHI) |
| 1989 | Merger of RGH with DHI |
| 1991 | First Shopping Center Report of DHI |
| 1993 | DHI renamed EHI EuroHandelsinstitut |
| 1996 | Founding of OrgaInvent with the Centrale Marketing Agrarwirtschaft (CMA) for traceability of cattle/beef |
| 1996 | Founding of European Retailers Produce Good Agricultural Practice (EUREPGAP) as benchmark for good agricultural practice |
| 1997 | Retail Technology Forum (today EuroCIS) under segmentation strategy of EuroShop |
| 1998 | stores&shops developed as supplement to Dynamik im Handel |
| 1999 | Online Trustmark Euro-Label for internet retailers |
| 2001 | The general magazine Dynamik im Handel becomes two specialised magazines, retail technology journal and stores&shops |
| 2006 | Building of KUNO (Kriminalitätsbekämpfung im Unbaren Zahlungsverkehr unter Nutzung nichtpolizeilicher Organisationsstrukturen) (system for crime fighting with non-police methods in cashless payment) in cooperation with HDE, the Main Association of the German Retail Trade |
| 2006 | EHI EuroHandelsinstitut becomes the EHI Retail Institute |
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