ArticleNov 10, 2007
Turkish delight
Swedish Match has succeeded in increasing
sales of lighters in Turkey by over 140 percent
in just two years, based on an effective sales
strategy that involves balancing several
distribution channels against each other.
Where Cricket lighters are displayed at store
counters, they practically sell themselves,
according to Hakan Tuna, Managing Director
for Swedish Match International Division in
Turkey.
Turkey has a comparatively young population
of over 70 million and the country's
application for EU membership has made it
increasingly attractive to foreign investors.
The country is undergoing a period of rapid,
dynamic development, which has contributed
to Swedish Match's impressive success with
regard to lighter sales.
"The increased purchasing power of the
people of Turkey has helped us, but our success
has primarily been due to our analysis of the
market, the sales strategy we have designed
and our dedicated work in accordance with it,"
according to Hakan Tuna, Managing Director
for Swedish Match International Division in
Turkey.
When Tuna and his sales team analyzed
market conditions in 2004, it was discovered
that lighter distribution was a decisive issue.
At that time, Cricket lighters were only sold
through wholesalers, but there was a clear
need in the fragmented and rapidly changing
market to supplement this approach with
direct distribution to stores. Tuna built up a
Swedish Match sales organization in Turkey
and two years later, in 2006, sales of lighters
had increased by more than 140 percent.
"Through our sales organization, we
familiarized ourselves with the market and
built up our own distribution network", says
Tuna. "But we retained the wholesaler channel
and balancing the two distribution channels,
our own sales network, on the one hand, and
the wholesalers´, on the other, has been the key
to increasing sales.
"Another advantage of the Cricket line,
besides quality, is that we are very active in
producing new designs, which is important
for attracting customers at the moment of
sale. For example, Cricket lighters specially
designed for the Turkish market are popular,
accounting for a full 25 percent of sales here.
"Our goal is to maintain our position as the
leading supplier of quality lighters in Turkey.
We will succeed because Cricket is such a great
product and because of the dedication of our
sales team," Tuna concludes.