In 2023, the Retail Association of Ukraine Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

We Have Been Together for 10 Years! During this time, we have managed to increase our membership almost fifteen-fold: from a small group of dedicated initiators to one of the largest specialized industry associations, featuring over 90 full members and more than 30 loyal partners that represent the development and B2B sphere, covering the entire range of trade services.

We would like to thank our members and partners for their unwavering support and cooperation. We would never have achieved such results if we had not been united.

To mark the anniversary, we have come up with the top seven factors that helped the Retail Association of Ukraine become a truly important and influential industry association — a consolidated voice of the retail sector that can change the environment for doing retail business for the better and be a driving force for its development.

Cooperation Instead of Competition

At some point, we forgot all about competition and began to strive for a common goal, and this is probably our main achievement. “Unlike 10 years ago, when representatives of the same trade segment were even afraid to exchange business cards at an event because they were in competition with each other, today everyone understands that by uniting in a professional association they increase their chances of being heard and achieving success hundreds of times!” comments Andriy Zhuk, Co-founder and Chief Executive of the Retail Association of Ukraine. Currently, the Association brings together over 90 full members, including Ukrainian and international trading companies, that represent various trade sectors.

Focus on Retail

The Retail Association of Ukraine was created as an industry association in response to market demand. The retail sector needed to unite to jointly address the most pressing issues ranging from the specifics of cooperation with landlords, shopping malls, interaction with the authorities, etc. to discussing trends, sharing experience and collaborations. It was the focus on retail issues that allowed the RAU to concentrate its efforts and pursue a common goal — to improve the conditions for doing retail business in Ukraine.

Ongoing Dialogue with the Government and Unified Position

Maintaining a liaison with the Government requires permanent and consistent communication and a unified position of the industry on certain issues. This is the only way to bring about changes and promote positive developments in retail. Over the past two years, we have held more than 250 meetings with government officials. The RAU’s GR Department simultaneously deals with 30 to 50 issues tackled by the Association in close cooperation with the Government. We have succeeded in forging close working relations with the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Verkhovna Rada and subject-matter committees, the State Tax Service, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the State Emergency Service, the Ministry of Defense, etc. 

Major Industry-Specific Events Hosted by the Association

When people talk about the Retail Association of Ukraine, they always mention the countless landmark special events that have been held over the past 10 years. One of the examples is the RAU Summit — the final event of the year for the retail, retail real estate and B2B sectors — which has been held annually since the inception of the Association and brings together more than 500 representatives from leading companies. The RAU Expo, an annual retail and development exhibition, which is the most remarkable event hosted by the Association, has grown into the largest retail meeting nationwide. It has been held since 2017 and brings together up to 1,500 guests annually. The RAU Awards is the rating and awards ceremony celebrating retail and retail real estate companies. The RAU also holds many other events. Each event hosted by the Association unites the market, highlights the burning issues, promotes the exchange of experience, and facilitates the development of the industry. 

Partner Support

From the outset, the Association has enjoyed support extended by its reliable retail partners, including leading development companies, shopping and entertainment centers, and B2B companies that provide services to retail businesses. The number of our trusted partners has continued to grow from one year to another. The Association engages only trusted partners who have been working in the industry for many years and provide the entire range of high-quality retail services that constitute a basis for the successful development of the retail business.

RAU.ua is the No. 1 portal for retail in Ukraine and a multichannel communication solution

The Association is one of the founders of the retail portal RAU.UA, which serves as a platform for the exchange of professional experience and media support to the industry through the coverage of retail issues. Eventually, the portal added another media outlet — the Beyond Retail YouTube channel, which gave us an opportunity to strengthen the Association’s external communications and discuss the most pressing industry issues in a video format, such as interviews with owners and top management of retail companies. In 2022, a new format was added — discussions of weekly retail news. 

Analytical Research Development

In 2022, the RAU commenced large-scale research on the trade industry and started collecting up-to-date analytical information. These efforts allow us to identify trends and address market issues in a timely manner for the purpose of formulating a well-reasoned position and advocating the interests of the industry.