Empowering local commerce in the digital era: merchant fly-in event in Brussels

As Europe continues to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, one thing remains clear: local businesses are at the heart of vibrant, resilient communities. On May 26, we hosted an event in Brussels to explore how small, local businesses can thrive in an increasingly global digital world – and what policymakers and local commerce platforms like Wolt can do to support them.

Three of our merchant partners – Stina Holm Rossen, Tài Nguyen, and Grigoris Mylonas – joined us in Brussels to share what it means to run a small business in the digital age.

• Stina, founder of Hunni in Copenhagen, a concept store for dogs, spoke about doing what you love over chasing scale, and how an online presence has been essential to her business’s visibility and growth.

• Tài, founder of Bamilami in Helsinki, is bringing Vietnamese Bánh Mì sandwiches to the Nordics. With firsthand experience of working with Wolt before launching his own restaurant, he emphasized the need for digital platforms that are accessible and built for small businesses.

• Grigoris, who runs Mylonas Food Market in Athens, a third-generation delicatessen, highlighted the importance of staying competitive and giving local retailers the tools to stand out amid growing pressure from larger chains.

Across their stories, a shared message emerged: going digital is no longer optional. For Stina, Grigoris, and Tài, building an online presence has become essential to staying competitive, reaching new customers, and navigating today’s fast-changing market. All three have experienced the rapid rise of e-commerce – accelerated and cemented by the pandemic – and its profound impact on local commerce. By recognizing and accepting this shift, they took on the opportunity and found in Wolt a platform that not only helps them keep pace with the digital market, but also makes it possible to stay visible and relevant as local businesses. Still, they were clear: digital tools must support – not replace – the physical store experience that defines who they are. From accessing practical delivery solutions to boosting visibility, the right kind of digital support allows them to grow while staying true to their local roots.

So what can three merchants from across Europe ask of policymakers? In a time when the EU is focused on digital fairness and regulatory simplification, it comes down to this: accessible, proportionate, and risk-based policies that truly work for small businesses. A one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t do. To help local commerce not just adapt – but thrive – in a digital world, policies must prioritize visibility, flexibility, and ease of use.

From left to right: Grigoris, Stina, and Tài

Joining the conversation were Werner Stengg (European Commission), Lucia Cusmano (OECD), and Samuel Laurinkari (Wolt), who offered a regulatory lens on the issues facing small businesses today.

The European Commission has made regulatory simplification a top priority – aiming to reduce burdens on SMEs and ensure that the single market remains competitive. Yet challenges persist: fragmented rules, inconsistent enforcement, and limited access to capital continue to slow down innovation.

What emerged across all perspectives was a shared understanding that effective enforcement of existing rules is more valuable than adding new layers of regulation. Fair competition must be upheld, especially in light of the millions of parcels entering the EU daily, many from third-country platforms that don’t meet European standards. Ensuring a level playing field means giving compliant European businesses the space and support to grow.

While all panelists – policymakers and merchants alike – agreed on the importance of having an online presence, Lucia Cusmano from the OECD highlighted a growing digital divide. Although most EU retailers now have an online presence, she noted that this doesn’t necessarily mean they are integrating digital tools in a meaningful and safe way.

This gap is especially visible as emerging technologies like AI become more mainstream - offering great potential, but also new vulnerabilities for smaller players. Without proper training, infrastructure, or support, many SMEs are left behind or exposed to growing digital risks.

The event underscored a shared understanding: regulation should reflect the realities of small business operations. Policies that work in theory must also work in practice. For example, reporting requirements designed for multinational corporations can unintentionally burden small, family-run businesses.

Samuel argued for a risk-based regulatory approach — where companies are regulated according to their impact, not merely their size. He stressed that reducing uncertainty and administrative complexity is key to unlocking innovation and sustainable growth.

The path forward lies in stronger collaboration. Policymakers need to craft frameworks that empower rather than constrain entrepreneurs, while platforms like Wolt must continue developing tools tailored to the realities of local businesses. At the same time, SMEs should be given not only the encouragement but also the resources and support they need to fully participate – and thrive – in the digital economy.

For Stina, Tài, and Grigoris, going digital hasn’t meant giving up their values — it’s allowed them to amplify them. Whether it's a sustainable deli, a design-forward dog store, or a bold new restaurant concept, their stories show what’s possible when local entrepreneurship meets smart digital support.

At Wolt, we believe in a future where every neighborhood business has a chance to succeed — online and offline. But achieving that future requires a collaborative effort to simplify rules, level the playing field, and ensure that Europe’s single market truly works for all.

Because when local businesses thrive, communities thrive.

Author: Karen Sturm, EU Public Policy Associate, Wolt