Communities, forums, events for retailers and entrepreneurs

The success of a business depends on many factors. It is important for entrepreneurs to constantly monitor retail trends and gain access to up-to-date information, educational resources, networking opportunities, and business development.

We have compiled a list of popular communities, specialized business forums for 2024, and events for retailers in Ukraine that can be useful for entrepreneurs to exchange experiences, gain new knowledge, and establish business contacts.

Communities for Retailers:

1. Retail in Ukraine

An active community of retailers in Ukraine that brings together professionals from various segments of retail trade, providing a platform for exchanging experiences, advertising, news, and market analytics. The community has an active Facebook group where current industry issues are regularly discussed.

2. E-commerce Ukraine (EEA)

A community of online retailers in Ukraine that unites online store owners, sellers on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and other e-commerce platforms. It was created to discuss news in e-commerce, share sales experiences, and address logistics and delivery issues within Ukraine and abroad.

The platform offers various consultations and support to Ukrainian sellers, particularly on issues of intellectual property protection online, opening an online store, and more. Participants share tips, experiences, and market trends.

EEA has several communities on social networks:

• Facebook group. Everything about selling goods online: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eeaua/

• eCommerce Ukraine channel on Telegram: https://t.me/uaecomchannel

• SkladUSA. International shipping, warehouse in the USA, acceptance of payments from marketplaces. https://www.facebook.com/groups/390376804832261/

• Facebook group AllHandmaders, videos and photos of handmade: https://www.facebook.com/groups/403402047047863/

• Facebook group about eBay sales for Ukrainian entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/512626066312671/

• Facebook group on how to sell on Amazon for handmade creators or manufacturers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/308329507126411

• YouTube channel: eCommerce Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Xsh-mPb9GIYqz2pe2xklg

• SkladUSA, official website: https://skladusa.com/

3. Retail-Wednesday

A community of experts in the field of retail business, retail marketing, service and banking networks, marketers, strategists, and innovators.

It is an environment for exchanging industry information that is useful for the development of the retail market: here they talk about strategies, marketing, user experience, sales, and business management. The group also posts announcements of industry events from partners and useful events for sellers, managers, and executives.

Telegram group: https://t.me/retailsreda

4. Media resource Retailers.ua

A specialized online platform that publishes news and events for retailers in Ukraine, new technologies, successful project cases, and articles on topics of interest to market participants. The site offers information in various formats — podcasts, expert articles, forums, news digests, ratings, posts in the Facebook community, etc.

5. Ukrainian Retail Association (RAU)

An organization that unites retail professionals in Ukraine, providing them with opportunities for training, experience exchange, and network development. It includes over 100 trading companies from Ukraine and around the world and more than 30 partner companies representing B2B and IT markets.

For Ukrainian retailers, the Association can be useful in several aspects:

✅ Educational events and training — the platform conducts professional offline and online events for owners and managers of retail businesses. It regularly organizes seminars, training, workshops, and business conferences that discuss trends, technologies, and methods of retail business management.

Recent RAU projects:

✓ RAU Summit — an annual international summit for top managers of retail, development, and the B2B sector.

✓ RAU Expo — a specialized international exhibition of the retail industry and development.

✓ RAU Investment Forum — an international industry forum for investors, retailers, and developers.

✓ RAU Awards — an annual award given to the best shopping centers in Ukraine, retailers, and managers in retail, based on a survey of experts and consumers.

✅ Market analysis and research — The Association conducts market research, provides analytical reports and forecasts that help retailers better understand the current situation and prospects for the development of the industry.

✅ Networking opportunities — RAU creates a platform for communication and exchange of experience among market participants. Thanks to events for retailers, members of the association have the opportunity to establish new business contacts, share best practices, and collaborate to achieve common goals.

✅ Legal support and consultations — RAU members get access to consultations on retail legal issues: licensing, taxation, labor relations, and compliance with regulatory requirements. In particular, the RAU Government Relations project is dedicated to protecting retail interests and interacting with authorities. This allows retailers to avoid legal risks and operate within the framework of the law.

✅ Access to new technologies and solutions — RAU cooperates with suppliers of innovative retail solutions, helping participants implement new technologies that can increase business efficiency, improve customer service, and increase sales.

✅ Business information support — The Association provides useful and up-to-date information on the market status, analytics, and the latest industry news on its information portals: the RAU.UA website, Facebook group.

✓ Telegram channel: https://t.me/rau_ua,

✓ YouTube channel "Beyond Retail": https://www.youtube.com/@za_ramkamy_riteilu and more.

✅ Development of standards and best practices — RAU promotes the development and implementation of industry standards that help retailers improve customer service quality, optimize internal processes, and enhance competitiveness.

6. Trademaster Group

A platform for top managers of wholesale and retail trade, providing comprehensive services in information support, promotion, and lobbying of trade business interests.

TradeMaster Group — organizer of nationwide business conferences for retail chains and suppliers. TradeMaster also holds webinars and online conferences where experts share experiences and knowledge that can be useful for retailers.

Retail Workshop "TradeMaster"

A Facebook community for entrepreneurs who want to grow in retail and wholesale trade, seeking ideas and solutions to make their trading business effective and profitable. TradeMaster brings together manufacturers, retailers, and distributors from related industries.

Trademaster.ua

An information and analytical platform for retail and wholesale trade, where educational materials are published: articles, interviews, cases of Ukrainian retailers, up-to-date analytics of various product categories, successful business strategies, innovative approaches in management, marketing, logistics, etc. The platform's experts also help companies promote their trade businesses, assist in creating media plans, advertising campaigns, portal placements, weekly newsletters, and more.

TradeMaster engages trade experts who provide practical advice and consultations on various issues: from inventory management to implementing new business technologies.

The portal offers its own B2B training center — training for owners and managers of trade and manufacturing companies. It focuses on the latest technologies and solutions for trade, such as automation, digital platforms, and sales analysis tools.

It also offers ratings and reviews of products and services that help retailers navigate the market and make more informed choices when purchasing or selecting new partners. It organizes National Awards in retail and wholesale trade: PrivateLabel, Made-in-Ukraine, Retail-in-Ukraine.

7. Ukrainian Digital Community

A community that unites professionals in digital marketing and e-commerce. It operates on a subscription basis. The forum offers opportunities for learning, networking, and professional skill development: weekly online seminars on various business topics, general and thematic Telegram chats for discussing current industry issues, a constantly updated knowledge base, expert opinions from mentors in various business areas, job opportunities, and useful contacts.

Business Conferences 2024 in Retail and E-commerce

1. SHE Congress — an annual event organized by the online media WoMo and the business media bureau Ekonomika+. It brings together women executives and business owners to share skills, experiences, and inspiration. This year, SHE Congress is dedicated to unlocking potential, strengthening strong points, and mastering essential professional and business skills during the war. The meeting will be held in Kyiv on September 26.

2. PRIVATELABEL-2024 "Preparing Manufacturers and Networks for the 2024 Season of Food Procurement in Ukraine" — the XVI business conference 2024, organized by TradeMaster Group, will be held in Kyiv on September 4-5. The event aims to improve the food supply to the population of Ukraine, identify sector needs, find Ukrainian manufacturers and suppliers, and create proper conditions for concluding food supply contracts.

3. IT Arena — an international technology conference in Lviv, which also covers e-commerce topics, innovations in retail, and digital solutions for business. The event gathers entrepreneurs, innovators, thinkers, and supporters of technological innovations from around the world.

On September 25-29, 2024, IT Arena will focus on new opportunities for startups and local companies. Participants will have the opportunity to communicate with industry leaders, top managers of technology companies, government representatives, and thought leaders.

4. Exhibition "TransUkraine 2024" is dedicated to issues of domestic and international transportation, freight forwarding and logistics, insurance, investment programs, cargo safety systems, technological and weighing equipment, etc. The exhibition will be held on September 15 in Odesa.

5. 17’CX CONFERENCE — a two-day conference dedicated to customer experience and customer-centricity. It will take place in Kyiv on September 26-27, both online and offline. Speakers, heads of well-known Ukrainian companies, will consider ways to build value-oriented customer experiences, service design methods to improve customer interaction, and how to develop omnichannel strategies for customers from different segments, among others.

6. Business Thinkers Forum — a business forum Ukraine 2024, which will be held in Kyiv and online on October 25. The event aims to teach entrepreneurs from different business levels a new paradigm of thinking in times of military crisis and development challenges; discuss new standards of business ethics; provide an opportunity to meet with scientists and businessmen who will teach to think globally and see new meanings and support points for making strategic decisions in 2024.

7. DISTRIBUTIONMASTER-2024 — an annual specialized business conference for representatives of the distribution sector and its partners — manufacturers and retailers. More than 200 top managers of distribution, trade, and manufacturing companies from Ukraine and neighboring countries will create a "roadmap" for business development in 2024.

The meeting will help: track distribution market development trends, get ideas and new practical tools, establish new business connections, and more. The event will feature "Negotiation Tables" in the format of "Manufacturer-Distributor-Network," where entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to conduct direct negotiations with several companies simultaneously.

8. RAU Expo — the largest retail exhibition in Ukraine, organized by the Ukrainian Retail Association. The events usually feature the latest technologies, products, and services for retail, with many workshops and seminars. This year, the largest retail networking took place on June 12-13 in Kyiv. At the meeting, speakers discussed current issues and challenges in retail and effective solutions for the industry's development.

Participating in communities and major business events in the country opens up many growth opportunities for Ukrainian entrepreneurs and retailers: it helps them stay up-to-date with the latest trends, remain competitive, adapt to market changes, and increase the efficiency of their activities.