This week, SWA Chief Executive Colin Smith and Member Engagement Officer Lisa Clifford had the pleasure of welcoming back Nao Horikawa from the City of Sapporo, Northern Japan.

Nao – from the Wholesale and Logistics Division, Industry Promotion Department at Sapporo City Hall – first joined us in June for the SWA Annual Conference and returned this month to learn more about Scotland’s wholesale sector through visits to several of our members.

Her visit focused on sharing insights and discussing key challenges and opportunities within our diverse wholesale industry, including:

• Staff recruitment and retention

• Managing logistics and supply chains – locally, regionally, and nationally

• Creating opportunities for growth in partnership with customers and suppliers

• The growing role of AI and technology in our channel

• The ‘cost of doing business’ coupled with the need to invest in transitioning to Net Zero

Above all, it emphasised one important truth: wholesale is a people business. Our people must be the starting point for any conversation about how we protect, grow, and develop the sector.

We look forward to seeing Nao’s report and how SWA and our members have helped shape and protect the future of the SME wholesale channel in Sapporo… and beyond.

Many thanks to our members Charles Stamper Fruit and Vegetables, Booker Edinburgh, Dunns Food and Drinks, JW Filshill, Brakes Scotland and Cress Co for kindly accommodating us over the past few days.