More than 100 business owners, traders and artisans came together on December 17th for the first evening in support of local commerce, organised by Carlo and the Union of Traders and Artisans of Monaco (UCAM).
The event, held at Marius, celebrated Monaco’s retail scene at a key moment: the year-end shopping season.
Five retailers were recognised with Carlo Awards, selected by the Carlo community. Woo took home the ‘Favourite Shop’ award, Narmino the ‘Best Storefront’, Yume the ‘Friendliest Shop’, AMC Haute Couture the ‘Best Customer Experience’, and Fnac Monaco the ‘Most Innovative Shop’.
Awards were presented by National Councillor Corinne Bertani, President of Be Safe Camille Gottlieb, four-time world free-diving champion Pierre Frolla, content creator and founder of ‘Vivre Monaco’ Romain Picard, and Head of Protocol and Communication for the Diocese of Monaco Ferxel Fourgon.
The challenging retail scene
Carlo CEO Antoine Bahri highlighted the challenges retailers face, saying, “In Monaco, as elsewhere, the challenges are very real: changing consumer habits, competition from e-commerce giants, the constant pressure on prices, ever-increasing customer expectations, and strong regulatory constraints.” He added, “Local commerce is far more than simply an economic sector. It is a human relationship. It is what connects us… it represents a commitment to quality, service, and trust, reflecting the image and identity of our country.”
A film was also screened during the event, featuring voices from Monaco’s business and institutional community. Afterwards, a moving contribution from Alain Latorre of the Capucine boutique followed, which closed this year after more than 60 years of operation.
Government and National Council representatives thanked then retailers for their role in keeping Monaco alive, before the evening wrapped up with a networking cocktail.
Founded six years ago in Monaco, Carlo now counts nearly 750 partner merchants and over 80,000 users while UCAM continues to represent around 150 traders and artisans
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Main photo provided.