Retail / Wholesale Trade

Retail / Wholesale Trade

The retail and wholesale trade industries span a wide range of businesses. They include both business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies.

Conformity assessment is helpful to retail and wholesale companies. Several management systems certification programmes are available for them to demonstrate compliance to a variety of standards. For retailers and wholesalers, quality management systems and business continuity management systems are of particular relevance; these validate their existing systems and identify areas for improvement. They also provide assurance over the quality of the company’s processes. Where relevant, businesses may also be able to use such certification as evidence of their commitment to sustainability.

The rise of e-commerce is changing the face of wholesale and retail – the internet has become an efficient and cost-effective channel of distribution; but at the same time, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated. Consumers are more cautious about safeguarding their personal data. As such, e-commerce retailers should consider gaining certification for their information security management systems (ISMS). ISO 27001 is an ISMS standard which stipulates requirements for establishing, implementing, monitoring, and improving ISMS. This helps organisations counter threats of data theft and damage.

IDA has accreditation schemes for Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) that offer the conformity assessment services outlined above. Certification from these accredited bodies will enable retailers and wholesalers to provide their customers, whether individual end-users or other businesses, with added assurance and confidence.

In , different industries are regulated by a governing body, such as an agency which may outline specifications or standards that have to be met before goods can be sold or marketed. Refer to individual industry pages for specific examples of how conformity assessment plays a role in your industry.

The following IDA accreditation schemes are applicable to the Retail & Wholesale Trade industries: