The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) has outlined some of the key findings coming out of its fourth annual Retail Conference, which took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 20-21 June.
The event, which was supported by the City of Amsterdam, the Dutch Market Traders Association and the Dutch Association of Municipal Market Managers, was held under the theme of 'Retail Markets: the Visible Difference'.
Delegates from 11 different countries gathered to discuss and agree on a number of findings, such as the significance of retail markets to the Netherlands, with over 24,000 registered market traders conducting business on over 1,000 weekly markets and contributing some €3.2bn.
There were calls to encourage market authorities and national administrations to update their knowledge of the contribution markets make to the economy, while there were suggestions that there should be increased attention within local, national and regional governments to ensure opportunities are taken by decision makers to support increased professionalism in markets.
WUWM said that city planners and urban developers should consider the role of the retail market at a time when large retailers are attempting to return to city centres.
'In light of the recent E.coli crisis and the compensation currently offered member states in the European Union, we encourage the Commission, as well as national governments, to consider not only the plight of producers, but also that of market traders, many having experienced severe losses as a result of this situation,' the group added.
