Message from the Chairman of the Board of Directors

Esteemed Shareholders, Business Partners and Employees,

Due to the social, economic, and political impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 holds a different place in history than other years. Businesses today are revising their product and service models to adapt to changing needs and priorities – all of which are reshaping consumer behavior. We have seen that technological infrastructure and organizational sustainability are essential in this era, adding further momentum to digital transformation. As Covid-19 changed our everyday living conditions, it is also impacting consumption trends. Businesses that have proved capable of adapting to this period of change and transformation have prevailed over the adverse conditions caused by the pandemic.

I am pleased that ŞOK Marketler is one of those organizations. From the first day onwards, we were braced against these challenging times, thanks to our values rooted in our business culture and our digitalization investments. We are adept at observing how consumer habits are changing in this period and make our investments accordingly. We take necessary steps with agility, to carry forward our mission of uninterrupted services. Our consumers love technology and adapt quickly to changes and innovations. This is why we improve their shopping experience with innovative and digital solutions.

We focus on our customers, listen to them and respond to their requests. We conduct numerous surveys to understand customer perception and expectations and act on this information. As a retail company, we value the health of society and consumers. We aim at providing the best service by focusing on changing customer and market needs. We place customers at the heart of all our products and services: it is a priority for us to offer a good shopping experience that meets, and indeed goes beyond, their differing expectations. Driven by our strategy, “Everyday low price” we offer a shopping experience that guarantees quality, assortment, convenience, and simplicity.

We adopt the culture of sustainability in all activities and we run our operations in line with the vision of becoming Turkey’s most preferred food retailer.

We are committed to ensuring that all products are always safe and of high quality. We make a difference with quality products at attractive prices. We manufacture all our exclusive brands in plants that hold international food safety management certifications. We maintain our products’ compatibility with consumer health and safety standards. Undertaking efforts aimed at social and economic development, and adopting business models based on social equality, we grow stronger with our society. We preserve natural resources and consider energy efficiency and savings a priority.

We contribute to social and economic development through our extensive network of stores across the country, with employees our most precious asset. We continuously invest in our employees, making sure they can access practices that contribute to their know-how, engagement, high motivation, and satisfaction. We thrive thanks to a business model that contributes to social equality. We believe in the added value generated by the female workforce, and we encourage female workforce participation through developing policies aimed at women’s employment. We create jobs and expand our family every year. We grow thanks to the authentic format we have and the difference we make together with our customers, suppliers, shareholders, and employees. Our mission is crucial, as it involves meeting the needs of people for food. This is how we contribute to Turkey’s economic growth.

I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to our shareholders for redoubling our power, to our business partners for sharing our common vision and goals, and to our valuable employees and our customers for their appreciation of our efforts.

Yours sincerely,

Cengiz Solakoğlu
ŞOK Marketler Tic. A.Ş.
Chairman of the Board of Directors