BY BESTENIGAR KARA
ESTABLISHED WITH A 100% TURKISH CAPITAL IN 2006, LORIS PARFUM AIMS TO GROW BY 30% IN 2023 BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF LOCAL AND OVERSEAS STORES, WHICH CURRENTLY HOVERS AROUND 500. EXPORTING 70% OF ITS OUTPUT TO 40 COUNTRIES, THE COMPANY STRIVES TO ADD NEW EXPORT DESTINATIONS TO ITS GLOBAL NETWORK.
Operating in the fragrance industry, Loris Parfum aims to grow by 30% this year, according to Fehmi Okuyucu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Loris Parfum. “We grew by 30% in 2022. We plan to catch the same growth level this year with our new investments, products, and strategies,” Okuyucu told in an exclusive interview with TR MONITOR.
Founded in 2006 with a 100% Turkish capital, Loris Parfum focuses on fragrances, perfumes, and personal care products. In addition to perfumes, the company has over 500 products under the home fragrance, body lotion and sprays, and colognes categories. “We aim to appeal to different tastes by adding new products to our portfolio every season,” Okuyucu said. “We also plan to offer a product diversity in our stores that will meet the expectations of our consumers.”
Loris Parfum operates over 500 stores, including 220 stores at home and around 300 stores abroad. The company has stores in many countries, including the UK and Uzbekistan. Okuyucu said Loris Parfum directly operates in some countries, while it has franchises in other countries. He emphasized that they have achieved to reach more consumers with “breakthroughs” on the retailing side. “Moreover, we aim to launch new stores in the Middle East and the UK to reach more customers,” the Loris Parfum Chairman noted. Within this frame, the company employs 3,000 people at its stores, while women account for 70% of the firm’s total employment. As the Loris Parfum Chairman says, the company had a substantial hike in the number of employees thanks to the growth recorded last year. “Employing more people by maintaining our growth is among our goals,” Okuyucu added.
PLANNING TOWARDS REGIONAL CHOICES
Fehmi Okuyucu also stated that they are satisfied with the foreign and domestic demand for Loris Parfum’s products. To him, the most important factor of this demand is that they determine the right strategy by conducting a study for all the markets they penetrate, especially the overseas markets, and develop products in compliance with them. For instance, the company changes the content of fragrances and the design of packages in line with the regional features. “We fully do product planning towards choices. This allows us to receive a substantial demand,” Okuyucu added.
Apart from overseas stores, Loris Parfum also exports its products to 40 countries in the regions, such as Europe, Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The export destinations of the company include Afghanistan, Germany, Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Morocco, Palestine, and Ghana. Moreover, the firm continues its work to penetrate more markets in the upcoming period. Within this scope, Loris Parfum aims to develop its distribution and store network further, especially in Europe.
EXPORTS 70% OF THE PRODUCTION
Loris Parfum has a manufacturing plant in Gebze, Kocaeli, according to Fehmi Okuyucu. “We have increased our capacity with the new production lines that we established in 2022,” Okuyucu said, stressing that the company will further raise the capacity with new investments. “Thus, we will manufacture more products and meet with more consumers,” he added. While the Gebze manufacturing plant has a daily perfume production of 100,000 units, the company exports 70% of the output manufactured by the factory.
Loris Parfum’s production, which is subject to licensing from the Health Ministry, complies with ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) 22716:2007 GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and IFRA (International Fragrance Association) without compromising hygiene and quality. The firm’s all products are put organoleptic, physical, and chemical tests in its fully equipped laboratory.
15 NEW PARFUMES TO BE LAUNCHED THIS YEAR
The Loris Parfum Chairman reiterated that they strive to offer a wide variety of products for different tastes and preferences. “Each new product excites us. Each new perfume has a different scent profile and fragrance notes,” Fehmi Okuyucu said, adding that some contain light and floral scents while the others have more dense and woody notes. The company plans to launch 15 new perfumes this year. “We are very excited to offer these 15 perfumes to our customers. These perfumes will help us to grow further and develop our innovative approach,” Okuyucu noted.
To him, the original and unique fragrance compositions are the biggest feature that distinguishes Loris Parfum from its rivals. “We offer an original and unique scent experience for our consumers with the note compositions created by our experts,” Fehmi Okuyucu said. Furthermore, the company, which has given weight to R&D operations since 2018, uses well-selected raw materials, which ensures long-term durability. “We also carry out a strong study with our R&D team to comply with innovation and trends. This reflects on our products and puts us one step forward,” Okuyucu added.
NEW HEADQUARTER TO HAVE A BIGGER R&D FEATURE
Loris Parfum has made its highest investment in its new headquarter to be launched in Gebze, Kocaeli. The Loris Headquarters will be built on an area of around 10,000 square meters. The center is planned to be completed in the first half of 2024. “The most exciting part of our center will be the R&D department. Because there will be a highly developed R&D operation section,” Fehmi Okuyucu noted. He also emphasized that they plan to develop more innovative products that will comply with consumers’ demands with the new R&D department.
Touching on online sales, Fehmi Okuyucu said Loris Parfum places a special emphasis on it. “Our online shopping platform is active. However, it is currently under construction,” Okuyucu noted. The company develops a website that complies with the current trends and consumer expectations. “Moreover, we will include Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the website. We work to respond faster to our users’ questions and feedback,” he added. The brand is highly sensitive to offering its products to consumers at affordable prices.
The Turkish perfume industry has made significant progress, according to Fehmi Okuyucu. To him, it has become an important market in terms of perfume production, consumption, and exports, especially in recent years. “Turkey’s perfume sector is still a developing market compared with the world. However, it has a high potential,” Okuyucu said, stressing that the brands, which develop themselves with innovative steps and quality, will be permanent in the sector.
TRAINED HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Loris Parfum established the Loris Academy in 2018 as a part of its training and orientation processes, according to Fehmi Okuyucu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Loris Parfum. The academy offers a solution not only for in-company needs but also for the qualified personnel shortage in the sector. So far, Loris Academy has trained hundreds of young people as perfumers. “The program consists of comprehensive training, from in-company processes to product training, from the development of perfumology expertise to the managerial development of incompany personnel,” Okuyucu said, stressing that it also supports the career plans of all Loris employees. “We observe that this academy is very effective and beneficial for our employees,” he noted. That’s why Loris Parfum continues to work for the development and expansion of the academy.
