We had an enjoyable interview with Mr. İmer Özer, the Chairman of PLAT Association, about the activities of PLAT and the sector.
Dear İmer Özer, Could you give a brief description of your professional background?
After completing primary school, secondary school and high school educations, I graduated from Baku State University, Department of Chemistry. I started my professional career as Product Specialist in 2003 at Koruma Temizlik A.Ş. and then undertook the position of Sales and Marketing Manager in the same firm.
I have hold office as General Manager responsible for three factories at Koruma Temizlik A.Ş. since 2009.
I have been the Chairman of PLAT-Private Label Association of Turkey since 2014. However I’m a board member at GEBKIM Foundation and Vice Chairman at Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters’ Association (IKMIB).
How do you define PLAT? What is the meaning of the activities conducted by you as PLAT for Turkey?
To generate social benefit, to represent the firms involved in the private label industry growing fast in our country, to strengthen the communication of our members, to guide the growth of the industry and to be proactive in solving the industrial problems falls within our main objectives. We have currently 165 members consisting of manufacturers and suppliers.
We have many firms manufacturing a wide range of products from food sector to cosmetics, from personal care products to cleaning products and Private Label industry has continued to grow every year with double- digit figures. PL’s turnover which was 30 billion TL in 2017, reached 50 billion TL with a record increase of 70%.
Demand for Private Label products has increased in spite of the economical difficulties and high inflation rate and it has a positive reflection on the turnover of the industry. We anticipate that the growth in the industry will go on in 2019 and will increase by at least 50%.
We may list consumer’s increased reliability on the private label products and increased awareness on quality, increase in the number and sales volume of the discount markets like BİM, A101, ŞOK constituting the primary sales stores of the private label products in the recent years throughout Turkey among the factors accelerating the growth of our industry.
As compared with EU, Turkey has still had a wide growth area in Private Label market. It is an industry with a bright future. Share of the Private Label products in the total supermarket market’s total turnover in Europe ranges from 18% to 42% and is measured to be 31,5% in average.
The said rate in Turkey could not reach 19,9%. Thus there is a significant growth opportunity in Turkey. According to the recent figures1 of the each 5 liras consumed in the market shopping covers Private Label products. The said rate in Europe is one-third… We are at the bottom of the ladder but we have grown faster than Europe.
As PLAT association, to put the projects which will add value to the firms and industry into effect falls within our most important targets. We draw the retail industry every year at Private Label Summit.
More than 1000 individuals consisting of manufacturers and suppliers as well as national and local retailer chains participated in the summit organized by us in last year. We expect that 5th Private Label Summit to be held on 6th November 2019 attract a great deal of attention.
“Denemeden Olmaz (It will not Happen Till You Try)” is another project that we consider important. We have opened science labs in total 12 schools located in Kocaeli, Trabzon, Şanlıurfa, Tunceli, Manisa, Aydın, Muğla, Sakarya for only two years. We continue to work to bring new science labs to the schools throughout Turkey.
We have founded PLAT academy in cooperation with İzgören Academy from the well-established education institutions of Turkey by considering the fact that the information that has become the greatest power in the management processes.
We carried out successfully the trainings on “Perception and Relationship Management” and “Negotiation and Persuasive Skills” and continue to conduct our trainings in order to advance the industry.
Cosmetics & Home Care Exhibition to be held on October 24-26 for the fourth time will be a unique opportunity for the industry through its portfolio of participants and visitors. Could your share your anticipations about the exhibition with our readers? Could you make an assessment about the reflections of Cosmetics & Home Care Exhibition on the industry?
Cosmetics, personal care and home care products fall within the product groups with highest development potential in our chemical industry.
We can say that there are many sectors with huge potential in the exportation of the high added-value products in association with our projects.
I think that Cosmetics & Home Care Exhibition will create a significant meeting point for cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products.
Exhibition will meet the expectations through both it is participants’ and it is visitors’ profiles. It will be a productive exhibition to contribute to the development of new collaborations.
Exhibitions play a significant role in enhancing the exportation throughout the chemical industry.
In your opinion how will the industry of cosmetics and home care products be shaped? Do you have any message for the industry professionals to increase the exportation in this field?
Cosmetics, personal and home care products industries draw attention as very dynamic and fast-growing industries. Since they are the products making people happy and feel good, we see that relevant demand hasn’t slowed even during the times of crisis.
Cosmetics and personal care products industry has always adapted itself to consumers’ expectations and trends. It will continue to change so in 2020. We observe that home care products range has increased significantly in the rent years and that consumers are more demanding them than ever.
Turkey has many manufacturing and exporting firms holding a very good position in cosmetics. The number and export volume of the said firms should rise. I recommend these firms to head towards the exportation and to be in search of offering their products to the new countries.
Exportation provides new opportunities to the companies. It allows us to progress in many aspects like institutionalization, brand awareness, R&D and product development.
