Highlights of the Food&NonFood Master & Big Trade-Marketing Show-2026

In the capital of Ukraine, on March 26-27, 2026, a landmark event for the retail and FMCG market unfolded—the Food&NonFood Master & Big Trade-Marketing Show-2026. This exhibition and conference attracted more than 2,000 participants, including owners and top managers, as well as procurement, marketing, and sales leaders from the country's leading companies. The event was organized by the B2B media group TradeMasterGroup, which has long established itself as a key player in the market.

The general partner of the event was the company НАША СИЛА, while Live Animations served as the main partner. The official partner was PR GROUP, representing the IGEL brand, known for its innovative cleanliness solutions. Other partners included Promodo, VGP JSC TM 'Ruta', Listex, the Business Automation Association, KONSORT, Datawiz.io, INGO Insurance Company JSC, BAKERY FOOD INVESTMENT, TM AKBAR, Polar Seafood Ukraine, ISTOK, Konica Minolta Ukraine, MOOD SPACE LLC, and Наш Формат.

Serhiy Mytsyk, the commercial director of Desna, moderated both days of the conference. The first day's program covered a range of relevant topics, such as changes in consumer behavior, digitalization of sales, category management, pricing, automation, and brand communication. These issues formed the basis for lively discussions and experience sharing among participants.

The session on March 26 was opened by Anastasia Yamelynets, a client partner at Kantar Ukraine, who presented the topic 'Loyalty Without Love: How Ukrainians Stay with Brands in 2026'. She emphasized that consumer loyalty is often passive and not always based on an emotional connection with the brand, which sparked vigorous discussion among attendees.

Next, Marina Zabarilo, the commercial director of YouGov Ukraine, delivered a presentation titled 'The Buyer in Search of Balance: How Purchasing Behavior and Preferences are Changing'. She noted that Ukrainian consumers in 2026 are constantly seeking a balance between price, quality, and their emotional state, which is a crucial factor for businesses.

Kateryna Koval'ska, a marketer at НАША СИЛА, spoke on 'Our Strength - Our People: The Leader's Strategy', highlighting the importance of uncompromising product quality in creating a 'people's brand'. Iryna Shynkarenko, the deputy head of Epicenter K, discussed 'Emotional Communication in Retail: How to Transform Customer Contact into Long-Term Trust', stressing that modern marketing requires transparent interaction with customers.

Danilo Ivanov, Team Lead Retail Management at Listex, presented on 'Trade-Marketing 2026: Why Shelf Control Starts with Data'. He emphasized the importance of quality data for shelf control in modern retail. Lesya Ivanchhenko, director of Art Line LLC, presented on 'Balance Marketing for the Exhausted Consumer 2026', focusing on the need to consider consumers' nervous systems in marketing strategies.

Yulia Friedman, director of research and strategies at Promodo, discussed how businesses can make decisions based on available data, even without large budgets. After the lunch session, Viktoria Shylo, commercial director of ARITEIL LLC, presented 'Retail Commercial Solutions in Conditions of High Uncertainty', highlighting the importance of combining flexibility and profitability amid war and economic crisis.

Serhiy Skok, executive director of the AB-Center group of companies, spoke on 'The Role of Automation in Modern Business: Strategy for Resilience and Development', emphasizing that automation is a key tool for enhancing business efficiency. Oksana Bornak, head of trade marketing and category expertise at MHP JSC, presented a case study titled 'From Activities to Profit Management System', stressing that the effectiveness of trade marketing is determined by the business's ability to build a cohesive profit management system.

Mykola Kapran, national manager at VGP JSC, TM Ruta, discussed 'The Impact of Imports on Domestic Producers', emphasizing the need to support national production in the current economic climate. Vyacheslav Sauts, marketing director of the Podorozhnik pharmacy chain, explained how products change perceptions of brands, noting that consumers perceive brands not only through communication but also through real experiences with the product.

Tatyana Maksymchuk, CEO of the licensing agency MOOD SPACE LLC, concluded the conference with a presentation on 'Kidults as a New Driver of Licensing and Retail'. She highlighted that the kidult segment, consisting of adult consumers who purchase nostalgic and emotionally satisfying products, is becoming an important growth driver in retail. This conference served as a vital platform for exchanging experiences and ideas that could significantly impact the market's development in Ukraine.