King, one of Turkey’s established brands in the small home appliances sector, is carrying its brand legacy of over 70 years into the future with an innovative product approach, a strong service network, and a multi-channel growth strategy. The company, which combines traditional sales channels with digital transformation, also creates a distinct positioning in the sector with its premium brand KINGPRO. We spoke with King Inc. Chairman of the Board Musa Üstün about the brand’s transformation journey, channel strategies, changes in consumer expectations, and growth targets for the upcoming period.
What do you see as the most critical strategic transformation in King’s journey of over 70 years? How does this transformation position the company today?
The most important transformation in King’s more than 70-year history has been its ability to quickly adapt to changing consumer habits and new generation technologies while maintaining the trust that comes with being a well-established brand. As one of the oldest and most recognized brands in Turkey’s small home appliances category, we continue to increase our product variety across categories in our sector, develop innovative solutions for different consumer needs, and maintain a position that strengthens our brand’s presence abroad.
Especially in recent years, with the acceleration of digitalization, we have diversified our sales channels and restructured our e-commerce investments and product development processes to focus on user experience. By closely following changes in consumers’ lifestyles, we have expanded our product range to be more functional, innovative, and responsive to current needs.
At the point we have reached today, King & KINGPRO is a successful and strong brand that combines the trust and experience inherited from its past with the expectations of the modern world; it appeals to both traditional and digital consumer groups with its widespread sales and service network, strong brand awareness, and innovative product approach. This transformation has made us not only a brand with a strong past but also a brand investing in the future.
You position the KINGPRO brand as “premium.” How has this differentiation between KING and KINGPRO reflected on consumer behavior and channel strategies?
When positioning KINGPRO in the premium segment, our main goal was to offer innovation and various usage scenarios in specific product groups, and based on feedback from our users, we observe that our direction is on the right track. While our KING brand caters to a broad consumer base with a price/performance-focused product structure for everyday needs, with KINGPRO, we have brought convenience to our users’ kitchens in the small home appliances categories through multifunctionality combined with an aesthetic design approach. This differentiation helps consumers find products that better suit their needs more easily and has also deepened our category presence in sales channels.
For our sector, with KINGPRO, which is a first in Turkey, we offer a home-to-home service, providing our users with a faster, more practical, and comfortable service experience.
How is the growth of e-commerce and digital sales channels transforming your traditional dealer and distribution structure? How do you balance these two channels?
We see the growth in e-commerce and digital sales channels not as an alternative but as a complement to our traditional dealer and chain structure. Thanks to digital channels, we can analyze consumer expectations more quickly and reach a wider audience with our products. Indeed, looking at the last two years, we have achieved a clear 251% growth in the e-commerce channel, concretely reflecting the returns on our investments in this area. Our traditional dealer network remains an important strength where consumers can closely examine, experience the product, and have physical contact with the brand. Therefore, we build our channel strategy not on competition but on a mutually supportive structure. We crown our increasing e-commerce volume in coordination with our dealer and chain channels, especially with different product varieties and business partners. Our goal is to ensure that consumers have the same brand experience regardless of the channel they choose to access the product and to create a strong ecosystem where all our sales channels feed each other, making sustainable growth permanent.
In Turkey, the service network and after-sales service are decisive factors in consumer trust. How do you plan to develop King’s approach of 350+ service points in the upcoming period?
Today, we have a wide service network with more than 350 authorized service points across Turkey. In the upcoming period, our goal is not only to expand our service network but also to elevate our after-sales service quality further with digital tracking systems, accelerated processes, and enhanced customer experience. We believe that our users’ journey with our brand continues not with the sale but with satisfaction, and we develop all our service processes with this understanding…
How do fairs (Zuchex, Teknofest, etc.) and direct consumer contact in the field provide feedback to your product development processes? How do you systematically evaluate this feedback?
Events like Zuchex, Teknofest, and similar organizations are not only platforms where we showcase products but also important feedback platforms where we listen to consumers, business partners, and industry professionals. At these events, we have the opportunity to directly observe users’ expectations, needs, and experiences related to products. We evaluate the feedback we obtain together with our sales teams, customer service, marketing team, and product development units, using it in product design, function selection, and product range planning. Additionally, we combine field insights gathered from service records, customer reviews, and data from all our sales channels to make a more comprehensive assessment. Thus, we shape our product development processes not only according to industry trends but also based on the real needs and expectations of our users.
Rising costs, tax structure, and exchange rate pressure directly affect the small home appliances sector. How do you make your “affordable quality” strategy sustainable under these conditions?
This year, besides exchange rate fluctuations, supervision taxes combined with interest rates and the burden of war are among the significant factors affecting our sector. Our aim is not only to manage costs but also to continue offering products with a high price-performance balance to our consumers. Thanks to our established brand strength, widespread sales network, and long-standing industry experience, we quickly adapt to changing market conditions and continue to bring the demanded products to a wide audience.
Which segment do you see as King’s strongest growth area in both Turkey and the global market over the next 3–5 years?
We foresee that the strongest growth areas for King in the next 3-5 years will be kitchen products and beverage preparation categories. Of course, we do not overlook the cleaning group either. Consumers spending more time at home, turning to products that provide practical use, and changes in lifestyle are increasing demand in these segments. Especially in areas such as tea machines, water heaters, food processors, blenders, and coffee preparation products, we have built a strong bond with consumers across generations by adapting to the expectations of different periods.
From a global perspective, we see significant growth potential in our export markets. We have registered our brand in 46 countries, including Cyprus, Azerbaijan, and the European Union, reflecting our vision in our sector and making our brand permanent. Our 2027 goal is to increase the number of registered countries to 66. However, we do not base our growth strategy solely on geographic expansion; we also aim to create lasting value in the markets we operate in as a brand that accurately analyzes local consumer needs and prioritizes quality, accessibility, and trust.
We believe that product groups supporting smart home living, providing energy efficiency, and improving user experience will also shape the sector’s growth in the upcoming period. By combining our facilitating, established brand heritage with our innovative approach, we aim to continue our sustainable growth both in Turkey and international markets, offer solutions that make our consumers’ daily lives easier, and further advance our strong position in the sector.