SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

The international campaign “Love Your Local Market” 2016, - promoted by the World Union of Wholesale Markets, WUWM - which seeks to promote and recognize traditional food markets, both wholesale and retailers, was launched last Sunday May 1st, in Paris. The ceremonies took place at the Élysée Palace and at the Paris City Hall, with the attendance of the President of the French Republic, Mr. Francoise Hollande, and of the Mayor of Paris, Ms. Anne Hidalgo.

The Mayor of Paris, Ms. Hidalgo, stated her city’s commitment with the more than 75 retailer markets which operate in the city, with local market and with an urban and for the development of the urban commerce adapted to the citizens’ needs, which allows the frequent access on foot to the retailer points of sale. Besides pointing out that she is a habitual customer of the small shops, she pointed out the advantages of this type of shops and of city from the environmental point of view.

The President of the Republic, Mr. Hollande, mentioned the strategic importance of the wholesale market of Rungis-Paris for the food supply of quality products, of local products, and for the development of a very significant structure of small and medium-sized food companies. He also mentioned that gastronomy and wine are two of the main reasons stated by tourists for visiting France.

After the success of last year, in which for the first time this campaign which was boron in the United Kingdom experienced an international expansion, with the participation of more than 2,000 markets throughout Europe, this year 2016 it is expected the participation of food markets from new countries, such as the United States of America, Hong Kong, and India, and the participation of more than 3,000 markets.

MERCASA’s participation

In Spain this campaign, which is supported by MERCASA, has confirmed the participation of at least the municipal markets of Madrid, Barcelona and of the region of Galicia, as well as of some of the Food Units of the Mercas network, such as Mercamadrid, Mercabarna and Mercagranada, among others.

The campaign is mostly based on the diffusion capacity of Internet and the social networks, and seeks to focus in a limited time period, specifically from May 23rd to 29th, all the diffusion initiatives from its participants. With the use of the social networks it is sought also that the expenses for taking part in the campaign can be adjusted to the most austere budgets, notwithstanding the further activities which some markets developed in the 2015 series, such as painting contests for children.

All in all, what is sought is sending to consumers, wholesalers and retailers, local and national authorities, and to the international and multilateral institutions a message recognizing the importance and validity of an economic industry made up by a large number of small and medium-sized companies, family businesses, which generates a large number of jobs and which plays a key role in the commercialization of the local and regional produce.

MERCASA’s Department for Operations Abroad was represented at the event by Ms. María González, who is a member of the working team which has organized the campaign, and by Mr. Manuel Estrada-Nora, which holds the chairmanship of the World Union of Wholesale Markets.

The Spanish representation was completed with Mr. Delmiro Hermida, representative of Galicia’s retailer markets. Also attended the members of the United Kingdom (NAMBA, the National Association of British Market Authorities), which gathers both retail and wholesale markets), Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, and the Low Countries, which are also part of the working team of the “Love Your Local Market”.

MERCASA and Grupo SEPI

MERCASA belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which includes a total of 16 state-owned companies in which it has direct, majority shareholding participations, with a workforce of around 73,000 professionals in 2014; the Spanish state-owned television and radio corporation, Corporación Radiotelevisión Española, which is attached to SEPI, and one public foundation. Equally, SEPI has direct minority shareholdings in a further ten companies, and indirect shareholdings in more than one hundred companies.