09.12.2024 16:50
As the boycott against international companies that make statements supporting Israel's violent attacks in the Gaza Strip and send aid to Israel continues, there has been a significant increase in consumer interest in domestic products.
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As the boycott against international companies that have made statements in support of Israel's violent attacks in the Gaza Strip and sent aid to Israel continues, there is a significant increase in consumer interest in local products.
Faruk Güzeldere, Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Food and Necessities Retailers Association (Istanbul PERDER), stated that there has been a high sensitivity among consumers since the onset of the attacks, emphasizing, "Consumers have developed a sensitivity towards boycott products. There has been a decrease of 30-40% in the consumption of certain brands, especially in categories such as cleaning, personal care, beverages, and coffee. Local brands have particularly increased their market shares in the beverage and cleaning groups." he said.
"BOYCOTT IS AN INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE"
Güzeldere stated that consumers have a significant impact in this context, saying, "The boycott is not institutional but an individual initiative. In the early days of the attacks, the boycott was very effective, and sensitivity was at its peak. However, at the point we have reached today, there are decreases in sensitivity." he expressed.
Güzeldere also noted that local producer brands have added labels indicating local production to their products in response to the efforts made in supermarkets regarding the issue, stating: "This has created a great opportunity for local brands that would not be able to enter the market in certain categories. Our local brands have seen this interest and produced new products. Especially, very different products have been produced in the dishwasher capsule category. Along with this, there has also been a sensitivity in other products such as toothpaste, shampoo, and personal care items. This has also created an opportunity for them. For brands to be more sustainable and permanent, it will be beneficial for them to maintain a proper price scale in favor of consumers. The best boycott is production. We need to launch our own brands for our country's economy. We talk about local production, and in this sense, it is becoming evident how valuable local production is, especially in food products. We really need to establish and strengthen our local production and local brands.
"WE BELIEVE WE WILL REACH DOUBLE MARKET SHARE BY 2025"
Enes Örer, CEO of Oğuz Holding, stated that they entered the boycott period prepared, as they continuously invest differently from their competitors.
Örer emphasized that this preparation is a significant advantage and drew attention to the importance of meeting demand. Highlighting that Sarıyer brands have carbonated beverages, Örer referred to the situation before the boycott, saying, "Before the boycott, there was a situation where market leaders dominated the market, and consumer habits were formed due to high brand awareness. Breaking this, changing it, or trying a different product or taste was very difficult. However, the boycott process gave us this opportunity. Since we were seriously prepared, we took full advantage of this opportunity." he stated.
DEMAND FOR LOCAL BEVERAGES INCREASED
Örer explained that while they were selling the most energy drinks, their internal rankings have changed to sell cola under the Sarıyer brand, continuing: "We are going to a 300 index compared to the previous year. However, this is not a bubble. This is what we see from the market, our business partners, and our end consumers. As Oğuz Beverages, we tripled our turnover from the pre-boycott period in the post-boycott period. Therefore, as Oğuz Holding, we have made a total investment of 30 million euros in production lines. With our state-of-the-art production lines, we are currently acquiring two more lines for carbonated production in our factories in Adana, Konya, and Sakarya. Therefore, we believe that this growth will continue to increase, and according to our closing data for 2024, we will reach double market share by 2025, and we are making all our preparations in this regard.
"WE MUST NOT TAKE THE BOYCOTT LIGHTLY, WE MUST TAKE IT SERIOUSLY"
İbrahim Güllü, Vice President of the Consumer Confederation (TÜKONFED), stated that many companies in the world can act not only for trade but also for certain political thoughts, and that people have started to show their reactions by boycotting those products outside of social media.
"UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT SHOW THE SAME SENSITIVITY"
Güllü pointed out that if the boycott is effectively implemented, it could have a significant impact and even change political balances, stating: "The products can have an effect on the policies of states. Unfortunately, today, states can carry out inhumane practices and actions. When we see that a company supports armies and donates, and that this army oppresses other societies, our need, sympathy, and desire to buy those products can suddenly disappear, and thus we can express our social reaction. Now, there is a group in Turkey that takes the boycott seriously, believes it can be effective, and has initiated such a movement. There is a situation where they are trying to show a reaction by boycotting Israeli goods. But can we, as all consumers in Turkey, show the same sensitivity? Unfortunately, it cannot be said that we show the same sensitivity. We believe that if this is announced in all media and a call for boycott is made, and this boycott is explained well, it can spread widely. We must not take the boycott lightly; we must take it seriously.
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