New Generation Retailing Transformation Goal in the Stationery Sector
The stationery sector, which has seen a significant decline in the number of small businesses over the last decade, is planning a new transformation to spread sales throughout the entire year and increase its competitive power.
Following the drop in the number of stationery stores across Turkey from 20,000 to 8,000 over the past decade, industry representatives are targeting a transition to a new generation retailing model in order to survive and spread sales across twelve months.
Decline in the Number of Small Businesses
The number of stationery stores across Turkey has dropped from twenty thousand to eight thousand over the last decade. Taha Keresteci, Chairman of the Board of the All Stationers Association (TÜKİD), explained that due to changing consumer habits and increasing competitive conditions, numerous tradespeople have had to shut down their shops.
New Generation Retailing Goals
Evaluating the current situation of the sector ahead of the new education and training period, Taha Keresteci emphasized that stationery stores must change their store structures in order to sustain their existence. Stating that approximately five hundred stationery stores are currently close to the new generation retailing approach, Keresteci expressed their aim to increase this number to over one thousand within five years.
Objective to Spread Sales Throughout the Entire Year
With this transformation, the primary goal has been set as moving stationery stores away from being places where shopping is done only during the school season, and spreading commercial activities and sales across a twelve-month period.
High Transformation Costs
The financial burden of the store renovation process is at very high levels. According to the information shared by Keresteci, renovating a stationery store of approximately one hundred square meters requires at least five million Turkish Liras.
Pressure from Chain Markets and the Market
Pointing out that stationery sales carried out by chain markets create a negative pressure on small businesses, Keresteci stated that if stationery stores do not renew themselves, they fail to find a response from consumers.
Sector Size and Demands
While it is stated that the size of the stationery sector based on retail sales prices has reached approximately four billion dollars, high financing costs and liquidity squeezes put small-scale businesses in particular in a difficult situation. The sector also demands that the VAT rate on educational tools and equipment be reduced to zero.
Price Increases and Bag Cost
TÜKİD President Taha Keresteci noted that price increases in stationery products have remained below general inflation for the past two years. According to the calculations made, the average bag filling cost for students starting school this season has amounted to two thousand five hundred Turkish Liras.