The Union of Agenais traders and artisans (Ucaa) has a new president. Sylvain Dabos took the reins of the structure of 70 members managed until now by Alexandra Greco. The Gersois, one of the first to set foot in the Fabas de Boé area in 2012, will serve a two-year mandate. It operates two sites, including one in the center…
The Union of Agenais Traders and Craftsmen (Ucaa) has a new president. Sylvain Dabos has taken the reins of the 70-member structure previously led by Alexandra Greco. The Gersois, one of the first to set foot in the Fabas de Boé area in 2012, will serve a two-year term. He operates two sites, including one in the city center. “I am the fifth generation. The company was founded in 1850, in Lectoure. At the beginning, we did carpentry and framework. Over time, we also turned to interior design and furniture manufacturing in Saint-Martin-de-Goyne (32).”
Bad start to the year
With the Atelier, Sylvain Dabos is the first in the line to have opened shops. “I came to Agen because it is an economic hub. At the beginning, in this area, there were not many people. Then Leroy Merlin arrived. Today, I am looking to refocus my activity. I no longer want to be in the area. I want to return to the city center. I have visited locations. We are looking… I am convinced that the city center bet is a winning bet.”
For me, peripheral areas are losing momentum, they lack charm, unlike cities.
As you will have understood, the new head of the Ucaa is a supporter of commerce in the urban heart. “For me, the peripheral areas are losing momentum, they lack charm, unlike cities. Now, if Agen has an interesting profile due to its size and geographical location, the fact remains that commerce is going through a complicated period. The first months of the year were not good. The weather did not help us either. Now, we are entering a sales period with large stocks that will have to be sold, at prices that are not necessarily attractive.”
Bring back the human
For the exercise of this new mission, which he considers as a “commitment to the service of the collective”, the Gersois is not short of ideas. “I may not make many friends by saying it, but I think that we cannot attribute all our problems to parking. I believe that we must reinvent ourselves and return to unifying principles by creating links, contact, and providing services to consumers. In line with what Alexandra has achieved, we must liven up our stores, our streets. With simple things. If we want to bounce back, we must act, restore stability and physical presence. The quality of the welcome and availability are essential for me. An independent has an added value that franchises do not have. We must bring back the human element, offer personalized experiences and devirtualize all that.”
Part of the action will involve consultation. Sylvain Dabos wants to bring his members together once a month. “We need to work together, pool our skills to serve our structure.” Sylvain Dabos joined the office of the union of traders five years ago. “We need to give it time if we want to move the movement forward. We will also need to work to increase the number of our members.”
