The best-selling white goods trademark in Europe since 1996, Whirlpool is entering the Turkish market with Vestel.
Whirlpool products are to be displayed in 47 Vestel stores around the country, and in three years’ time this figure is slated to reach 500.
Whirlpool is the best-selling white goods brand in Europe despite it having been around [in Europe] for [only] 17 years. We are not known in Turkey, but we are a brand that has reached 200 million households in 170 countries, said Mark Bitse, Whirlpool’s deputy chairman in charge of developing markets.
In general, Europe has 250 white good brands and it was due to their investment in Eastern Europe in 1991 that they have become the strongest player in the market, he said.
Levent Hatay, Vestel’s executive committee member for marketing, said the foundations of the cooperation were laid one-and-a-half years ago. Vestel is cooperating with many brands. As a concept, Vestel sells a wide range of international products, from cameras to television sets. Our gap in white goods will be filled by Whirlpool. Turkey is the fifth biggest market in Europe after the U.K., Germany, France and Spain.
Vestel has 1,260 stores and 662 authorized dealers. These are important details for Whirlpool, Hatay said.
From Daily Turkish News
