Wholesale Day

The Single Market has underpinned the competitiveness of European businesses for the last 30 years. Wholesalers bring the benefits they gain from integrated and interconnected value chains across the Single Market to provide better products, lower prices and innovation for EU and non-EU business customers.

On 21 June 2023, we brought together policymakers and businesses to look ahead at what wholesale needs to better use the Single Market to drive the long-term competitiveness of wholesale businesses and the EU. Many ideas were exchanged with examples from wholesalers on the practical problems they face operating in the Single Market that challenges their ability to scale and operate efficiently. Calls were made for the Commission, also through strong enforcement, to encourage an approach based on open borders, have consistency in the transposition of legislation and for other efforts, such as the ease of movement of skilled workers and a robust competitiveness check before new rules are proposed. This could make it easier to do business in the EU, which could enable wholesalers to use the Single Market as their strength both within the EU and abroad.

EuroCommerce was proud to welcome

• Outi Slotboom, Director for Strategy and Economic analysis at DG GROW
• Jasmin Battista, acting Head of Unit in the Secretary General
• Jan Havlik, Head of Unit in the Czech Permanent Representation
• Jan Krückemeyer, CEO at Krückemeyer GmbH
• Till Blässinger, CEO at Blässinger GmbH & Co
• Jens Bresler, Vice President for Global Own Brand Management at METRO and Jonathan Buisson, Head of Public Affairs, Europe in Alliance Healthcare

Following the Commission’s adoption of a proposal to encourage sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour, the event examined Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. Policymakers and wholesalers debates what the due diligence obligations could mean in practice for businesses across the EU, the potential impact that it could have on doing business in the Single Market and beyond and despite the good intentions, consider if there could be a risk that SMEs are included less in the supply chain.

The 2022 edition took place on 15 June. EuroCommerce was proud to welcome Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, as our keynote speaker.

Replay

The annual Wholesale Day provides a valuable opportunity to bring together wholesalers and policymakers to discuss the important role of wholesale in the supply chain.

The 2021 event, organised on 3 June 2021, focused on wholesalers’ contribution to the EU’s post-COVID recovery, to the sustainability transition and the overall economy. Philippe Delpech, CEO of Sonepar, the world’s no 1 wholesaler of electrical goods, gave a keynote speech on the challenges facing wholesalers in a highly volatile economic environment. Panel discussions on circularity and on the role of wholesalers in the economy have highlighted the diversity and range of sectors in which wholesalers operate, the challenges they face and how they address them.

Replay