pladis Plans to Become the Fastest Growing Company on Biscuits and Chocolate Sector

pladis says it will double its chocolate sales and increase biscuit sales by 50%, while the company is targeting revenues of GBP3.2bn in the next two years. Its reported revenue in 2016 was GBP2.2bn.

pladis will focus on three core areas: create high-quality products, expand its brands in new growth geographies and invest in R&D and talent.
pladis 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 modernization programs, invest across the supply chain and bring new products to market faster than any of our competitors to outperform the category.”
A subsidiary of Yildiz Holding, which finished 2016 with 12% growth and a turnover of USD11.5bn, pladis is currently the world’s number two in sweet biscuits and number seven in chocolate, according to the company’s statement. The global heavyweight launched last year when Yildiz Holding brought together Godiva Chocolatier, Ulker, United Biscuits and DeMet’s Candy Company and formed a global organization with more than 300 years of combined brand heritage.
Yildiz will continue to invest in the sector. In China, Godiva is a focal point as the country’s best-selling premium chocolate, responsible for USD60m of the wider group’s USD100m sales in 2016. Yildiz will continue to open more stores in a short timeframe to fuel consumer demand.
Godiva, one of the most renowned premium chocolate brands in the world, is pladis’ number one asset for growing its market share in chocolate. pladis is making the brand more available across all geographies by introducing new products in supermarkets. This month pladis will launch a new Godiva tablet range in supermarkets in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which will extend to other markets including the UK, the Netherlands and China this year.
The company is also investing in e-commerce to ensure its products are accessible to Chinese consumers alongside wider distribution of its McVitie’s products in the Asia-Pacific region.
The company’s footprint will continue to expand in key markets, says pladis. In the UK, where the company holds the leading brand positioning for the biscuit category, it is investing in research and innovation to meet new consumer tastes and behaviors, according to the company’s press release.
McVitie’s Digestives Nibbles was the first synergy product launched under pladis in 2016 and achieved sales in its first year that were 55% higher than forecast. This launch was followed by McVitie’s Digestives Thins earlier this year.
Karakas continued: “In 2016, pladis produced 1 million tonnes of biscuits, 500,000 tonnes of chocolate and 40,000 tons of gums and candies. We distributed our products to 4 billion people in more than 130 countries. In 2017, we will do more.”
Opportunities for pladis extend beyond its two anchor markets (the UK and Turkey) with the US, the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region as well as Sub-Saharan Africa also targeted for growth. Africa is a strong growth market for pladis.
Throughout the Middle East, where Ulker is already a strong leader brand, pladis will strengthen the presence of Godiva and McVitie’s to capitalize on changing consumer behavior. In North America, pladis grew quickly during the second half of 2016.