Established in 1963,  UGAL – the Union of Groups of Independent Retailers of Europe – is the European association that acts as an umbrella organisation for the main groups of independent retailers in the food and non-food sectors.  

UGAL represents

Independent retailers/entrepreneurs – usually small and medium-sized enterprises – may run their business in various ways. One of the most successful is to join a group that operates at the wholesale level. Joining a group allows independent retailers/entrepreneurs to improve their economic performance, including by conveying a uniform group image to consumers via a common brand name.

These groups act in favour of their members, both to increase the value of their business, and improve the economic performance of their shops, as well as actively involving them in the working of the group. These groups ensure, in various ways, the participation of their members in the direction and management of the group. Furthermore they provide independent retailers with technical and material resources, together with all the services and the human capacity required to guarantee the development of flourishing retail businesses: purchasing pools, logistics and IT, financial services, consultancy, marketing, shopfitting and advice on trends, etc.

In function of this plurality, the UGAL objectives are :

• promote independent retailers through groups
• support and represent the interests and particularities of these groups within the representative institutions and more in particular the European institutions.
• to make bilateral and multilateral exchanges of experiences possible for those interested.

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