MediaMarkt Turkey CEO Hulusi Acar made statements regarding the numerical data of CECONOMY and MediaMarktSaturn Group, the company’s 2024 targets, the current status of the consumer electronics market, the company’s new projects and investments within the framework of the Experience Championship vision, and sustainability efforts.
MediaMarktSaturn reaches more than 2 billion consumers annually
MediaMarkt Turkey’s global umbrella company, Germany-based MediaMarktSaturn, meets consumers with more than 45 thousand product types in nearly 1,000 stores in 11 countries in Europe. The number of customers contacted in stores is more than 2 billion. The 2023 fiscal year turnover of MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group, which has more than 50 thousand employees, was 22.2 Billion Euros, while the NET EBIT obtained after activities was 243 Million Euros.
The largest store sales volume after Germany is in Turkey
Stating that they, as MediaMarkt Turkey, are proud to rise from the 5th place to the 2nd place within the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group in just 1 year, Hulusi Acar continued his words as follows: “In the total of the 2023 financial year, we became the country with the largest store sales volume of MSH Group after Germany.” . While we were previously ranked 5th after Spain, Italy and Austria, we physically grew and rose to 2nd place with our rapid store openings. “As Turkey, we will continue our strong performance by investing in our country what we get from our country, opening stores, investing in other channels and increasing employment.”
“What we earn in Turkey, we invest back in Turkey.”
Hulusi Acar shared the general statistics about MediaMarkt Turkey as follows: “As MediaMarkt Turkey, we have 98 stores in 30 provinces, a sales area exceeding 240 thousand square meters in total, and a total of 3 thousand 742 employees. We host more than 300 million visitors annually in our stores and mediamarkt.com.tr. As MediaMarkt Türkiye, we have a loyalty program that brings together attractive opportunities and services, which we launched 5 years ago. “The number of members of MediaMarkt CLUB, one of the largest loyalty programs in our country, has reached 6 million today.”
While Acar emphasized that their priority is to invest in Turkey what they earn in Turkey and that their work on employment continues, he continued his words as follows: “As MediaMarkt Turkey, we continue to contribute to employment every year. We increased the number of our employees, which was 2 thousand 941 in the 2021 fiscal year, to 3 thousand 227 the next year. In 2023, the number of people we employed reached 3,648, with an increase of 13%. We have increased employment by 4% since the beginning of 2024, and we plan to increase the number of our employees to 4 thousand by the end of the year, with an increase of 10%. As a result of the initiatives we initiated in 2016 in line with our goal of becoming the market leader, we reached the leadership of the organized retail channel in 2022. We maintained and strengthened our leadership in 2023, and we will continue our leadership in 2024. “We will continue to grow by investing in our country.”
Store investments remain important, the number of visitors is increasing
MediaMarkt Turkey, which constantly increases the number of stores in Turkey, has reached a higher number of visitors every year compared to the previous year in terms of the number of store visitors and total store averages. While 22 million visitors have been reached in MediaMarkt stores since January, the year-end target was stated as 90 million visitors. Again, mediamarkt.com.tr, whose number of visitors is increasing regularly, is expected to reach 260 million online visitors.
MediaMarkt Türkiye will also continue to invest in the shopping experience in line with its Experience Championship vision. Inviting consumers to a unique shopping experience with different store concepts, MediaMarkt Turkey focuses on the demands of consumers while performing stock management in accordance with demand variations. In this way, the company aims to increase both its market share and EBIT in 2024.
There is more activity in the Turkish market compared to Europe
Continuing his statements by sharing some figures and evaluations about the consumer electronics market in Turkey, MediaMarkt CEO Hulusi Acar underlined that the demand in the Turkish market remains more vibrant and dynamic than in Europe. Pointing out that the rate of people under the age of 30 in the population of 85 million is 44 percent, Acar stated that the population in Turkey maintains its young and dynamic structure. Sharing the figures for 2023, Acar explained the continuity in demand as follows: “Considering the number of 565 thousand marriages and 172 thousand divorces, approximately 1.5 million people have new electronic needs every year, just for the reason of establishing/separating a new home. In addition, we have 26 million students, 7 million of whom are at universities. In short, the need for new homes and related products/services in Turkey is even higher than the total population of many European countries. While the home internet penetration rate we have is 90% in 2022, this figure will be 94% in 2023. We believe that Turkey’s attractive demographic and socioeconomic structure, modern lifestyle and market trends will support growth in the consumer electronics market in the coming years.”
“We will continue to pioneer innovation in new product categories”
Stating that, as MediaMarkt Turkey, they are working not only to get a large share of the market, but also to be the first brand that comes to the consumer’s mind when innovation is mentioned, Hulusi Acar drew attention to the importance of offering consumers the opportunity to experience products. Acar also stated that airfryers are one of the products with the highest demand growth in 2023, and that the demand for robot vacuum cleaners, vertical rechargeable vacuum cleaners, scooters and drones has increased, and continued: “MediaMarkt is not only the market leader in each of these, it is literally in the market.” Acting as an ‘early adopter’, it gives the customer the chance to experience these products. For example, E-mobility (electric transportation) is among the rapidly growing products this year. MediaMarkt will be the leader here too, and consumers in Turkey will come and experience these products in our stores. “In the coming period, you will see more artificial intelligence in technology products, and we will be the pioneers here again.”
Market outlook positive for 2024
According to the figures shared by MediaMarkt Türkiye CEO Hulusi Acar, the size of the consumer electronics market reached 534 billion TL in 2023. In the first quarter of 2024, it reached 182 billion TL. Stating that there is a positive outlook for the remainder of 2024 regarding the market, which has shown a 3-digit growth in the last 2 years and continues to attract consumer interest in terms of quantity, Acar said, “Of course, even if there is no 3-digit growth, by the end of 2024, with the influence of rational economic policies, we will reach 750 units.” “It is estimated that it will exceed billion TL,” he commented. Stating that the consumer electronics market in Turkey has developed in many subcategories and that the GSM and large home appliance categories have the largest share, Hulusi Acar said that, as a “technology superstore”, they have managed to differentiate themselves in Turkey and globally as MediaMarkt Saturn Holding in their own fields where competition is most intense, and that He stated that the reason for this is their business approach focused solely on consumer electronics retailing.
The target for women’s employment is 50%
Emphasizing that they prioritize women’s employment, Acar stated that their target rate in women’s employment is 50 percent. Acar continued his words as follows: “We say that there is no man or woman in electronics, and we aim to bring female employment to 50% in the next 4 years. As a result of the studies carried out to increase women’s employment, our total female employee rate has reached 35%, our female team leader ratio has reached 20%, and our female ratio at all management levels in our stores has reached 19%. This year, we aim to ensure that our female employee rate reaches 40%.
It is also among our targets that at least 50% of the employees employed in the newly opened stores are women. We also have promotional staff from our business partners in our stores. “When we add our own employees and their families, we touch nearly 25 thousand people.”
MediaMarkt aims to be a pioneer in the field of sustainability
MediaMarkt Turkey continues to offer solutions to extend the product life cycle, reduce waste and make it easier for users to access technological products. MediaMarkt Türkiye stands out as the company that makes the most buybacks after Germany. MediaMarktSaturn Group repaired more than 1.2 million devices and reduced more than 3,500 tons of electronic waste. MediaMarkt Turkey has so far taken back 148 thousand used devices for renewal purposes and reintroduced 12 thousand refurbished products to consumers.
It will reach 24 thousand children in 4 years
Drawing attention to MediaMarkt Turkey’s “Getting Better with Education” project targeting children in earthquake zones, MediaMarkt CEO Hulusi Acar stated that the project is long-term and that they aim to reach at least 24 thousand children at the end of 4 years. Hulusi Acar concluded his words as follows: “Our trucks have been in the earthquake zone since October and we have reached more than 2500 children so far and we aim to reach 6000 children when the first year of the project is completed. While two of our educational trucks enable children to learn informatics and design with the concept of ‘Informatics and Design Inventors’, our third truck, Dream Traveler, aims to develop children’s artistic skills. Our fourth truck moved towards its first stop, Hatay. This truck will touch the lives of children as the Science Truck.”
It offers its own brands to consumers and aims to produce in Turkey
MediaMarkt Turkey brings its own brands PEAQ, KOENIC and ISY to consumers in its stores in Turkey and on its online shopping site mediamarkt.com.tr. Saying “It is a MediaMarkt brand”, MediaMarkt aims to offer budget-friendly and quality alternatives with MediaMarkt quality and assurance and to produce some of these products in Turkey. It will ensure that consumers in Turkey have access to high-tech products in the middle and upper-middle segments with user-friendly product groups. In this context, energy-friendly and high-tech products will meet with consumers in the B Plus segment in both small home appliances and white goods categories in the coming period.