Pladis reveals growth plans after successful first year
The subsidiary of Yildiz Holding – formed from its food businesses United Biscuits, Godiva Chcolatier, Ulker and DeMet’s Candy – forecast revenues of £3.2bn in the next two years, as well as an increase in biscuit sales by 50%.
The company planned to expand its brands into new geographical areas, while investing in research and development. It hoped to extend the launch of its tablet range of Godiva chocolate this month to the UK.
It also planned to invest in ecommerce to ensure its products were accessible to Chinese consumers alongside wider distribution of Pladis’s McVitie products in the Asia-Pacific region.
‘Rising costs of raw materials’
Ceo Cem Karakas said: “In our first transformational year, we have brought together and successfully grown three iconic brands, amidst the rising costs of raw materials and volatile global currencies.
“In 2017 we will continue our innovation and modernisation programmes, invest across the supply chain and bring new products to market faster than any of our competitors to outperform the category.”
The company said its success in the UK had been boosted by new product launches by McVitie, including Digestive Nibbles – the first product launched under Pladis – and Digestive Thins earlier this year.
New product launches
“In 2016, Pladis produced 1Mt of biscuits, 500,000t of chocolate and 40,000t of gums and candies. We distributed our products to 4bn people in more than 130 countries. In 2017, we will do more,” added Karakas.
The company planned to grow demand for Godiva and expand its McVitie portfolio across the US. It said sales in the US would account for about one fifth of Pladis’s market growth in the next two years – mainly through premium chocolate.
Global biscuit and confectionery company Pladis operates in 120 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. It has 36 factories in 13 countries and employs 26,000 people.
