Nabma News

The Nabma Conference will soon be upon us, so I thought I would give you a taster of what you will be experiencing if you are able to join us in Torquay. There is still time to book and you will be made very welcome.

A crucial part of Nabma’s work in recent years has been connecting markets with local communities and ensuring that markets are linked to a range of mainstream policies. We have done this principally via the publication of our Policy Framework for Markets, which highlighted the importance of markets to new start opportunities, culture, tourism, regeneration, healthy eating and the food agenda and also through our highly successful Love Your Local Market Campaign. At Conference we will be reflecting on the importance of markets to the community and social agenda with Professor Sophie Watson of the Open University, who acted as special advisor to the Government Inquiry into Retail Markets, and also looking at Marlborough Market, which has become a real hub of the local community.

Localism is a key part of the current government’s agenda and providing a community rights challenge in respect of local services is one way in which a local authority markets service could be taken over by local people. In recent months one or two of our members have faced this challenge and we will be exploring at Conference, with the help of Justin Griggs of NALC, the issues relating to community rights challenges.

Of course Nabma Conference would not be complete without an in depth look at Love Your Local Market 2013 and also looking forward to Love Your Local Market 2014. There will be presentations from Warrington and Horsham about their LYLM activities. News about next year will also be given with the Teenage Market playing a central role. There is also a chance to reflect on the highly successful Youth Market at Manchester, supported by NMTF and Manchester Council.

It’s great to see investment in markets and this year we have seen some tremendous schemes to update and revitalise markets. In addition to the presentations at Conference from Sheffield and Bolton, I am delighted to be able to record the investment being made at Leeds, Swansea, Leicester, Chesterfield and other places. All these projects reflecting confidence in the future of markets.

In addition to sampling the market projects at Sheffield and Bolton, there is also an opportunity to hear about one of the world’s most stunning market projects with the new Market Hall at Rotterdam providing a new market, housing and a focal point for the whole of the city. It really is a project to take your breath away and those attending the Nabma Conference will be able to see it at first hand.  Next year Nabma will be hosting the World Union of Wholesale Markets Conference in London and we will be combining that Conference with a UK Markets Conference. This is the first time that Nabma and NMTF will have combined to promote a Conference. To whet our appetite and help in understanding the work undertaken by WUWM there will be a presentation from Jan Lloyd, Chief Executive of New Covent Garden and WUWM board member.

I hope I have already awakened your interest, but this is only the programme for the first day so there are lots more presentations still to come on the second day. We all know the term Business Improvement District, but how do they work and what impact do they have on markets? Well, Cambridge Market is part of a BID and they will be telling us what difference the BID has made to them.

We are now in the second year of Mary Portas and it has not all been plain sailing. Yes there have been successes, but there have also been disappointments and Professor Cathy Parker of the Institute of Place Management will be undertaking an assessment of the good and not so good aspects of the Mary Portas project.

Market Rights continue to be a subject close to the heart of many Nabma members and while there have not been as many recorded court cases in recent years, there are still legal challenges being pursued. Bradford have an interesting story concerning their use of planning powers to stop a rival market in their area.

Recently Nabma launched a UK Markets Index to supplement the existing Town Centre data and I am keen to see this Index prosper. We will be hearing at Conference of the progress we have already made and plans for the future.

In addition, there are other sessions on the quality of retailers in our markets and workshops on social media and getting the best out of markets.

I hope all this has made you realise that you need to be at The Imperial Hotel, Torquay from the 22nd-24th September. In addition to the Conference itself, there some great social events with informal dinner and caribbean steel band on the first night and a formal dinner and awards night on the second. All this plus great networking and a great market place exhibition.

There are still places on either a residential and day basis. The Nabma Conference is open to anyone and, as I said at the outset, you are assured of a warm welcome. Why not give it a try.

Graham Wilson OBE 
Chief Executive,
Nabma

Rethink needed to stop food retail sector decline

Rethink needed to stop food retail sector decline

The 6th WUWM Retail Conference was hosted by VGSA (see end) in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 15 June. Held under the theme “The Future of Food Markets”, delegates discussed issues related to: retail market management and ownership, and professionalizing market trading through increased client focus. Information on the conference and speaker presentations is available by visiting the conference website link www.wuwmretail.org. The following is a copy of the official WUWM Declaration resulting from this conference.

On the occasion of the 6th World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Retail Conference held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 15 June 2013, under the theme: "The Future of Food Markets", delegates from 10 countries gathered to express unanimous agreement of the following:

- We urge European decision-makers to consider that the food retail sector employs more than 30% (over 15 million) of all people working in the food chain in Europe. We ask for recognition that shifts in consumer behaviour, changing values, and a more regional consumer orientation, means sectors in food retailing must be free to adapt also.

- To avoid a further decline of the current 80,000 people working in the Dutch food retail sector (i.e. food shops and markets, not supermarkets) a new positive format for food retail markets is needed. We urge local government, not only in the Netherlands, but throughout Europe, to rethink its current short-term vision that ultimately favours only the supermarkets and large discounters, contributing to lost jobs, lost inner-city vitality and community life. We urge decision-makers to act in the long-term interests of consumers and local/small food businesses by ensuring fresh food retail markets are prominent considerations in urban planning. We ask for decision-maker

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understanding and acknowledgement of the importance of markets to: real entrepreneurship and jobs; the defence of food product diversity, taste and quality; education - and thereby protection - of public health; and their promotion of a true business environment that complements city life and authentic human values.

- To be effective, public retail markets (whether open-air or covered) require efficient public space, excellent market management, investment, and attention to best practice. We note the many achievements seen in these areas in recent public-private partnerships - clearly a shift towards more cooperation and awareness is needed. We believe the key four areas that will attract and bind future consumers are: availability, choice, service and convenience. To support markets in offering those, local governments are urged to be more open minded and to increase their flexibility and support for concrete initiatives as may be presented by the private sector.

- Sometimes to achieve these ambitions a scale of operation is also needed… a variety of food retailers teaming together to offer place, scale and variety. And while combining ‘focus on the client’ with scale is one step, ‘convenience’ must also be added.

- As sector professionals we believe that with the above elements of better recognition, better urban planning, long-term investment in public markets, improved market management, alongside teaming up and ensuring a renewed focus on the consumer, the negative trend of the declining number of visitors on markets and the high numbers of closures of small food retail shops can be stopped. The revival (and survival) of food specialists is vital for vast and well-documented socio-economic reasons - not only in The Netherlands, but in cities and towns all over the world.

In closing, we take this opportunity to thank VGSA for hosting this event, and to wish both the new Markthal (currently under construction) and the Binnenrotte Retail Market in the City of Rotterdam, bright and successful futures.