21st European Trade Day – A new concept and strengthening of partnership are needed

Every year on November 5th, we celebrate the European Commerce Day in Hungary, its traditions go back more than two decades, which was initiated by Sándor Demján, the Permanent President of VOSZ, and launched by the National Federation of Entrepreneurs and Employers, with the support of the European trade organization EuroCommerce.

“The aim of the European Commerce Day is to pay due tribute to the dedication and work of professionals working in all areas of commerce, and at the same time draw attention to the economic and social significance of the sector”

– reminded László Perlusz, Secretary General of VOSZ, at the beginning of the event, which was held by It was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Eppel János

János Eppel, the president of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, drew attention to the importance of the profession’s cooperation in his welcoming speech, saying: we must work in rivalry, but not against each other. “Together, nothing is impossible,” he quoted the words of Sándor Demján, and at the same time thanked those working in the sector. Trade is one of the largest employment, GDP, VAT and tax-generating sectors in Hungary, and its development is decisive in the economy. He specifically mentioned the increasing popularity of online trade, which now accounts for 10 percent of turnover. János Eppel announced at the ceremony that the VOSZ presidency, László Krisán, at the suggestion of the president of the Trade Section, decided to establish an E-commerce Section within the section, to which partners are invited to join.

Gerlaki Bence

The patron of the event, Bence Gerlaki, the State Secretary for Tax Affairs, Consumer Protection and Trade at the Ministry of National Economy, reacted to this and indicated that the government would examine the possible forms and frameworks for joining the initiative.

The State Secretary called trade one of the most important sectors, in whose development, the well-being of those working there, and the improvement of working conditions were of interest to the government. This is helped by the reduction of inflation, from 25.7 percent in 2022 to the current 4.3 percent, as well as the government’s strong tax reduction policy and a series of steps to help families and pensioners.

“The situation in retail trade is stable, consumption in Hungary has been growing for 21 months, for example in August this year it exceeded the previous year by 2.4 percent”

– said Bence Gerlaki, adding that the goal remains to strengthen consumer protection. He reminded that Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy, who is also the chief patron of this year’s event, announced the establishment of the National Trade and Consumer Protection Authority (NKFH) at last year’s ceremony – the office carried out 20,000 inspections this year. The Secretary of State stated that the government’s tax policy will result in families having 600 billion forints more in 2026, from which it is hoped that trade will also benefit as much as possible.

László Pekó, President of the Trade Section of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized in his welcoming speech that the responsible work of those working in the sector is also a service, ensuring that goods reach even the smallest settlements on time every day. “A good trader not only sells various goods, but also holds communities together, which is especially important in villages with a small population. For this, thanks are due to those working in trade. It would be good if their holiday were not only November 5, but every day,” he emphasized.

The most current issues at the event were discussed in a roundtable discussion with dr. Ákos Kozák, co-chairman of VOSZ, moderated by the director of economic research at the Balance Institute.

Katalin Neubauer, Secretary General of the Hungarian National Trade Association, criticized the retention of the margin freeze and the extension of its deadline until February 28, 2026, because it makes supermarkets (also) impossible. This year’s turnover is stagnant, the large decline of previous years must now be worked off, the Covid epidemic, high energy prices, the previous huge inflation and the Russian-Ukrainian war have caused a lot of damage, and operating costs have continuously increased. “If we cannot meet the new and ever-changing customer needs, there will be no growth,” he stated.