SLRA to host Asia Pacific Retail Convention and Exhibition 2024

Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) aims to be the apex body of the retail industry in Sri Lanka with an ambitious vision of ‘Achieving Retail Excellence’ by being the ‘Voice of the Retail Industry in Sri Lanka’.

As a means of achieving SLRA vision and mission through Retail Excellence, SLRA was recognised as the 20th members of the Federation of Asia Pacific Retail Association (FAPRA) in 2019. Sidath Kodikara President of Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association (SLRA) and Murali Prakash, Vice president of SLRA attended the 19th Asia-Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE), which was held from 5th to 7th September 2019, at Chongqing Yuelai International Convention Centre, Chongqing, China. The theme of 19th APRCE was ‘New Retail, New Consumption, New Dynamics – Cooperation and Sharing’.

Subsequently SLRA organized its first event with FAPRA by hosting the FAPRA Executive Directors’ Virtual Meeting 2020 on July 14, 2020. 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, and to find answers to post COVID issues in the industry and share innovative best practices of retail.

At the recently held Heads of Directors Virtual Meeting of FAPRA, SLRA won against Singapore Retail Association to be as the host country for Asia Pacific Retail Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) 2024. Dinesh Perera, Asst. Secretary General of SLRA was nominated as the chairman of the organising committee APRCE 2024. The APRCE is a major project of the Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA). Which is held every two years.