The WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), a business-to-business exchange for retailers and suppliers, in conjunction with the Visagent Corporation, a builder of industry operating systems (I-OPS) for online procurement and distribution, announced the launch of the Surplus Goods Exchange (SGE), the retail industry's first Web-based platform for the secure trading of surplus, excess and closeout consumer packaged goods (CPG).

WWRE members H-E-B, Safeway Winn-Dixie and others, along with the WWRE, Visagent and several leading CPG suppliers worked together in developing the SGE to address the common desire to reduce surplus goods in the retail supply chain.

By using the SGE, sellers can achieve potential savings of more than 80% on redistribution costs, while buyers can save up to 60% on procurement costs.

"Ineffective promotions, forecast errors, and seasonal variances perpetuate imbalances