Commission publishes transition pathway for a more resilient, digital and green retail ecosystem

The Commission has published today the transition pathway for a more resilient, digital and green retail ecosystem.

The pathway is a plan co-created by the Commission with EU countries, business stakeholders, social partners and NGOs. It identifies challenges and opportunities for the retail ecosystem and proposes actions to support its digital, green and skills transformation and improve its resilience.

The pathway points toward a just and fair transition for all ecosystem actors, including workforce, consumers and businesses of all sizes and types. It encourages business stakeholders, social partners as well as national, regional and local authorities to engage in the co-implementation process and contribute to a competitive, sustainable, resilient and fair retail ecosystem.

Retail is the largest industrial ecosystem, accounting for 11.5% of EU value added. It is also the largest employment sector in the EU economy, employing nearly 30 million people in 5.5 million companies, with 99% of them being SMEs. The retail ecosystem plays a crucial role in the distribution of products, serving 450 million EU consumers daily. It is also a key element of the social fabric of urban and rural communities, as well as an important contributor to local job creation and the vitality and attractiveness of city centres.

The transition pathway will be launched in the framework of the High-level retail conference, taking place today. To facilitate the co-implementation process of the pathway, the Commission will set up a Transition Pathway Stakeholder Support Platform.

More information

• Transition pathway for a more resilient, digital and green retail ecosystem