FMCG
Fast-moving consumer goods: low-price, high-frequency packaged products - food, drink, household, personal care - sold mainly through retail. The category where modern brand science was written: huge buyer bases, light buyers, and physical availability battles fought shelf by shelf. Called CPG in the US.
Where it's used
Used as a category label in retail, media and research, and as the source of most brand-growth evidence. When borrowing rules from it, check how long your own purchase cycle is.
Example
A typical FMCG product
TideA bottle of Tide costs little and gets bought several times a year, usually in a supermarket, almost on autopilot. Most buyers buy it only occasionally and also buy rivals. So P&G fights for shelf space, price and being remembered in front of the shelf. These conditions are what the term signals.