DUSSELDORF, Germany — Members of the executive board of the Global Commerce Initiative voted here late last week on whether to join two other organizations in creating a new trade entity designed to set global priorities and standards to help the industry operate more efficiently. While results of the vote were not immediately available, industry sources said plans are still in place for two other groups — CIES and the Global CEO Forum — to vote on the same proposal in June, a strong indication the GCI vote was favorable. Sources told SN the new entity would be an organization with parity in decision-making between retailers and manufacturers and a revenue model based on dues, not events. If the three groups all vote to create the new entity — whose name and headquarters location have not yet been determined — the new association would attempt to share its philosophies on the efficiencies of eliminating duplications of effort with trade associations all over the world, including those in the U.S., industry sources told SN.

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