Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association successfully hosts FAPRA Executive Director Meeting 2020

Wednesday, 29 July 2020 00:49 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) organised its first event with Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Association (FAPRA) by hosting the FAPRA Executive Directors’ Virtual Meeting 2020 recently. The meeting was joined by representatives from 20 countries in the region. The meeting focussed mainly on the emerging trends of retail both locally and globally, find answers to post-COVID issues in the industry and share innovative best practices of retail.

SLRA secured to make this an opportunity to promote Sri Lanka as a destination and used cutting edge technology to welcome all guests with a Sri Lankan traditional Kandyan dance act and a digital oil lamp.

“Being part of Asia Pacific Retail, elevates Sri Lankan Retail to be recognised at a global level. It also brings about best practices to other collaborative dynamism to retail at a time when the industry is looking to rebuild to be better in the new normal. It gives an opportunity to learn from other larger and advanced retail setups.

“Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to host the Asia Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition with over 4,000 retail sector participants, which will be very significant given the large exposure it would create for tourism and retail; sectors alike. The association and being part of FAPRA gives opportunities for collaboration in the areas of investments in retail sector, apart from exchange programs for knowledge enhancement,” said SLRA Vice President Murali Prakash.

The SLRA was established in 2015 as the apex body for organised retailing in Sri Lanka with an ambitious vision of ‘Achieving Retail Excellence’ by being the ‘Voice of the Retail industry in Sri Lanka’. The Association represents over 40 leading retailers as members from diverse retail sectors such as FMCG, Clothing, Fashion and Jewellery, Household and Consumer Durables, Footwear and Accessories, E-Commerce, Entertainment and QSR and Healthcare and Wellness.

The Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) was founded in 1983 and fully established in 1989. The FAPRA is the umbrella organisation of 20 retail associations in the Asia-Pacific region, i.e. Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. SLRA is honored to be the only representation from Sri Lanka and is its 20th member.