The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) recently opened membership up to the retail sector, in what the organisation sees as an effort to embrace the common agenda of wholesale and retail market authorities.
At its upcoming conference to be held in Turin, Italy on April 18-20, WUWM will address the issue of retail markets as tools for urban regeneration and investment, as well as several issues surrounding food safety, logistical management and food chain efficiency.
The first of the WUWM’s retail activities has focused on securing a better recognition of the contribution retail market authorities make to communities, cities and local food distribution chains.
The organisation has also launched a survey of retail market operations in Europe, that aims to provide comprehensive statistics on the numbers of market traders in both the food and non-food area, along with the impact of retail markets on health, employment, environment and local economies, the results of which will support WUWM’s lobbying and promotional activities throughout 2007 and beyond.
WUWM Retail has been developing national and regional relations with local government associations interested in the social and economic benefits of markets, and links with international bodies interested in the food market agenda, or focussed on the use of markets to improve cities and public services, says the organisation.
