DeFacto, with more than 500 stores in 30 countries, is confident in the Ukrainian market
Serdar Ersoy: Ukraine is a market with growing potential
Representatives of the global retail and shopping sector attended the NAI Ukraine Retail Forum. In his speech at the event, Serdar Ersoy, Deputy General Manager for Operations and Expansion at DeFacto, one of the leading brands in the Turkish ready-to-wear and retail market, stated that with its population of over 40 million and its demographic characteristics, Ukraine is a dynamic market with growing potential.
The world’s leading retail and shopping investors came together at the NAI Ukraine Retail Forum, organized by the international consulting firm NAI Global. At the event held on March 1 at the InterContinental Kyiv Hotel, the potential of Ukraine’s retail and shopping center market and new partnership opportunities were discussed. Serdar Ersoy, DeFacto Deputy General Manager for Operations and Expansion (COO), who attended the event, said that with its population of over 40 million and its demographic characteristics, Ukraine is a dynamic market with growing potential.
Ersoy said the following in the panel he attended as part of the summit:
“As a brand, we are continuing our investments abroad. We have a strategy built on becoming a global brand in accessible fashion, and in line with this, we have continued our investments abroad without interruption over the last two years. We are growing rapidly, especially in newly emerging markets. We are trying to make use of the advantage of being an accessible and affordable ready-to-wear brand. For this reason, we generally target emerging markets with rising disposable incomes and young populations.”
Emphasizing that they attach great importance to store investments abroad in the name of globalization, Ersoy said, “We opened our first store abroad in Kazakhstan in 2012. Since then, we have continued to expand internationally. Today, together with Türkiye, we have more than 500 stores in 30 countries. In the future, we want to be everywhere in the world. We are also working to increase the efficiency of our stores. We currently aim to expand the sales area of some of our stores from about 900 square meters to about 1,100 square meters, and over time to 1,500 square meters.”
Referring also to the potential of the retail sector in Ukraine, Serdar Ersoy, DeFacto Deputy General Manager for Operations and Expansion, said, “Despite fluctuations in global markets, the Ukrainian market maintains its dynamism. We observe that consumer demand in the domestic market continues to rise. The gradual increase in consumer confidence and household incomes is boosting household consumption. Based on this potential, we opened our first store in this country last year. Today we have two stores. Our consumers can meet all their clothing, accessories, and cosmetics needs at once in our new store. With our rich and high-quality product options across different categories, we are able to meet all the expectations of fashion enthusiasts.
Stating that when expanding into overseas markets one must first know the target market well, Ersoy said, “It is necessary to draw up a roadmap by analyzing in advance the habits and shopping behavior of customers in that region and the rules of that country. While trying to standardize your processes and products on the path to becoming a global company, you also need to adapt the brand approach to serve in a way that meets the needs of the local people.”
