Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry continues its export-oriented projects without slowing down. Within the scope of the Processed Food UR-GE Project, which was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, foreign marketing activities were carried out in England.
BTSO, the umbrella organization of Bursa business world, has added a new one to its works carried out with the mission of increasing the foreign trade potential of the city. Drawing attention with its success in the International Competitiveness Development (UR-GE) projects implemented with the support of the Ministry of Trade, BTSO brought 15 companies and 27 representatives in the Processed Food UR-GE project to London, the heart of global trade and economy. BTSO Board Member Haşim Kılıç and BTSO Food and Packaged Goods Council President Burhan Sayılgan, as well as Türkiye's London Trade Counselor Gözde İnaneri Bakıcı, BTSO Assembly Vice President Murat Bayizit and MÜSİAD United Kingdom Branch President Türkan Akbaş and board members also attended the event.
The Place of Turkish Brands in the Market
Bursa business world representatives had the opportunity to closely examine the dynamics of the market by establishing direct contact with leading players and professionals in the UK food sector. As part of the program, technical visits were made to the UK's major wholesale food suppliers Gima UK, Star Impex and Aytac Foods, one-on-one interviews were held with company managers and warehouse operations were examined on site. In this way, the participants gained comprehensive information about the structure of the UK food market, the current position of Turkish brands and consumer trends.
New Trade Bridges Established
The most important part of the event was the B2B (Bilateral Business Meetings) organization held in London. In the meetings held between a total of 15 Turkish companies and 46 foreign companies and 56 representatives participating in the event from the UK, the foundations of new trade bridges were laid. The companies had the opportunity to directly discuss potential collaborations and export opportunities.
On the last day of the program, the UK food retail sector was observed on site through visits to markets and marketplaces. Participating companies made detailed assessments of product variety, shelf arrangements, pricing policies and consumer behavior.
“The UK Offers Significant Opportunities with High Purchasing Power”
BTSO Board Member Haşim Kılıç emphasized that Türkiye can overcome economic difficulties through exports, and drew attention to BTSO’s efforts focused on developing the city’s foreign trade. Kılıç said, “With the valuable support of our Ministry of Trade, we carried out an efficient overseas marketing program in London with representatives of our processed food sector. The UK market offers significant business opportunities for our sector with its high purchasing power and developed retail structure. Our companies established contacts for new collaborations here. I wish it to be beneficial for our sector and Bursa, and I thank our Ministry of Trade for their support.”
“England Was a Critical Threshold for Us”
BTSO Food and Packaged Goods Council President Burhan Sayılgan drew attention to the great potential that England has for the processed food sector. Sayılgan said, “As the Turkish processed food sector, we aim to be more visible and strong in global markets. The UK market was a critical threshold in line with our export targets. Our contacts in London showed that it is possible to achieve much greater success in this market with quality production, reliable supply and strong branding. I would like to thank our Ministry of Trade and Chamber for this valuable organization. I am also grateful to our participating companies and distributor companies in England. I hope that our collaborations will yield fruitful results.”
