German coffee giant Tchibo will make Turkey its center

Mehtap HALICI

Although Turkey shapes the history of world coffee, coffee consumption, which lags behind tea in consumption, has been increasing rapidly in recent years. Finland is the country that consumes the most coffee in the world, with 11.6 kilograms.

Finland is followed by Norway with an annual consumption of 10 kilograms per capita and Iceland with 8 kilograms. Turkey is not yet at the top of this list. While the annual coffee consumption per capita in Turkey was around 350 grams 10 years ago, this figure has exceeded 1.2 kilograms.

Coffee chains and giant brands play a big role in this. One of these brands is Tchibo. German retail and coffee giant Tchibo has accelerated its coffee-oriented investments in Türkiye. Tchibo, which has more than 1000 stores globally, has more than 20 thousand sales points and exports to 70 countries, is preparing to make Turkey a center.

We will export from Turkey

Tchibo Turkey General Manager Hasan Ulutürk said that they continue to increase their targets in Turkey every year. Ulutürk continued his words as follows: “Our beginning is actually a coffee shop. We produce in our own private fields, we collect them and they go to Germany.

It also comes from Germany to Turkey. Here we plan to pack and export coffees. We would like to start a pilot with Turkish coffee in Turkey and then continue with soluble coffees. That’s why we have a project specific to the bulk delivery of coffees and packaging for Turkish coffee in Turkey. That’s why we are looking for a partner to do the packaging process. With this strategy, we plan to make the brand produce more.

Because Türkiye is turning into a coffee country.” Stating that Turkey is a dominant market, Hasan Ulutürk stated that young people make up a significant part of the population and that the love of coffee in Turkey is increasing day by day and said, “This is an indication of continuing investment for Tchibo.”

Emphasizing that they aim to export from Turkey to nearly 70 countries with the cooperation they plan to realize, Ulutürk stated that Turkish coffee goes to countries such as Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Greece and Dubai and that this coffee is in high demand especially in countries where Turks live. Reminding that Tchibo currently has nearly 50 stores in Turkey, Ulutürk said that the brand will continue to strengthen its market share in every field it is in.

Ulutürk continued as follows: “We are in Eskişehir, Adana, Mersin, Çorlu, İzmit, Bursa. We are progressing intensively in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and our growth will continue here. Antalya will grow much bigger. We aim to gradually reach 100 stores by 2027. We plan according to logistics priorities in retailing. Our aim is to follow the coastlines.”

Ulutürk stated that they will be on the streets rather than shopping malls in their retail investments and added that they will expand the Barista concept, which offers a new generation coffee service with its changing non-food products, coffees in different categories, snacks and large seating areas.

“Foreign investors trust the Turkish market”

Hasan Ulutürk pointed out that rival brands are an opportunity for them. Ulutürk said, “Different brands have come to the market. Different local chains are also growing. Turkey’s local brands are also investing in the coffee business. We see these as opportunities. Because there is a young population. Foreign investors trust the coffee market in Turkey,” he said. Stating that in the past the markets only sold food products, Hasan Ulutürk said, “Now, there is an area called non-food in the markets. The concept is actually Tchibo’s concept. That’s why we think they took us as competitors,” he said.

Turkish coffee keeps its weight

There has been a great increase in raw coffee imported to Turkey in the last 10 years. Raw coffee import, which was 17 thousand tons in 2011, reached 30 thousand tons in 2014 and 70 thousand tons in 2022. Turkish coffee still maintains its weight as the most consumed coffee in Turkey by far. According to Nielsen’s data; Approximately 70 percent of Turkish coffee is consumed in Turkey. According to a study by Pulside Research, 1 out of every 10 people in Turkey drinks more than 5 cups of coffee a day. 42.5 percent of the participants in the study consume between 2 and 5 cups of coffee a day.