The European Commission has launched the co-creation process for the retail ecosystem transition pathway, which EuroCommerce has said is a positive step towards developing a more sustainable, digitally-enabled retail and wholesale sector.
"We warmly welcome the opportunity that the pathway presents. It will help bring together the actors in the retail ecosystem, with the Commission's help, to propose a pathway for a more sustainable, digital, resilient and competitive retail and wholesale sector," commented Christel Delberghe, director general at EuroCommerce, which represents the retail and wholesale sectors at European level.
'Critical Measures'
Delberghe added that the co-creation of this roadmap, which was first announced in the May 2021 Industrial Strategy Update, provides the opportunity to identify the "critical measures needed for the sector’s transformation and for its continued contribution as the EU’s first private employer.
"It will help us add maximum value as a key adopter of technology and as a driver of circularity and climate neutrality.”
Important Investment
According to a recent study carried out by EuroCommerce in association with McKinsey, up to €600 billion will be needed over the coming years to enable the retail and wholesale sector to become more sustainable, digitalised and to attract and develop the right skills to enable change.
EuroCommerce recently identified five projects where retailers and wholesalers could invest, as well as making suggestions for developing a more favourable policy environment, with the single market at its heart, which could support this transformation.
"Retail and wholesale provide an essential service to Europe’s consumers and business customers," Delberghe added.
