Beko, a top European home appliance brand known for being a pioneer in developing high-tech, eco-friendly, and innovative products, has been catering to Nepali consumers for over a decade. The brand has further increased its presence in Nepal with its range of products and effective after-sales service following its partnership with CG Group in 2021. Sangay Sherpa from The Himalayan Times caught up with Uygur Kocbug, international sales and marketing head for Beko, during his visit to the country, to gain insights into the company's strategies and home appliance market in Nepal. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about Beko, its products, and services targeted for Nepali consumers?

Since our journey started in 1955, we have been fully integrated with our global partners in delivering professional distribution and after-sales service in the respective markets we have operated in.

Beko is one of the top three home appliance brands in Europe and is the market leader in France, UK, and Poland, among others. Arçelik as our main group has over 45,000 employees, 53 subsidiaries, and 30 factories in nine different countries, with our products currently available in over 150 global markets.

We believe partnering with the CG group will give us the upper hand in reaching out to Nepali consumers more efficiently.

Our partnership with CG Group started in 2021, giving Beko a fresh start in the Nepali home appliance market. We have already launched five main categories of products, including our recently introduced double-door, multi-door, and single-door refrigerators alongside air-conditioners, ovens, dishwashers, and washing machines.

We aim to provide an all-around after-sales service, which is a very important element in creating a 360-degree customer experience.

How has Beko's experience been in Nepal? Please share your view on the market competition here, the challenges faced, and the brand's plans for the country.

Nepal is a competitive market with many global and local brands. When you enter a market with strong competitors, changing the rules is always not easy. Nevertheless, we have set very ambitious goals in Nepal following our collaboration with the CG Group, which holds the experience and knowledge related to the market, follows a professional after-sale service approach, and has total control of distribution channels. Today, our penetration has increased compared to previous years, thanks to our partners. We believe that with our European style, innovative, eco-friendly, and efficient products, we can become one of the top three home appliance brands in Nepal.

We also believe that we can connect with our consumers and their families through our commitment to empower generations to live healthier. We are focused on our after-sale service in the market as it is very important for Beko in terms of its global operations.

At present, we will support our partners with a regular supply of usual spare parts, and training for staff of CG Group related to after-sales services while also updating them with new developments.

Beko will also release new product categories as our presence continues to grow in the country. We have already launched some of our product categories and the next step will be to expand these categories with new models, which match perfectly with the market's special requirements. Nepali consumers will enjoy a range of innovative and high-tech products very soon. We are also offering special technologies in the refrigerator category like Harvest- Fresh, and EverFresh here, which aim to upgrade the convenience and health of our customers.

Identifying the correct product range, which will be suitable for the market, is very important.

Transportation and Logistics also play a crucial part in an efficient business. With the mixture of all our strategies, I am sure we can make an impact.

What is the company's approach in terms of sustainability and remaining eco-friendly?

Beko is a pioneer in developing high-tech products and is also a value-for-money brand. All that we do aligns with our mission to become a net zero carbon emission company in all our global operations.

We adapted to sustainability as a business model and we have put this principle at the heart of everything we do. We are focused on creating sustainable projects, being eco-friendly, and developing less energy-consuming products. Our partners, having a distinct advantage in the market, will further strengthen our presence here along with integration of all after-sales services alongside bringing in best practices from our global operations concerning sustainability and eco-friendly principles.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 6, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.