Syrians settling in Turkey fueling home appliance, furniture sectors

ISTANBUL - Reuters

DHA photo

Syrian migrants in Turkey have begun establishing homes in Turkey, helping the home appliance sector to flourish during a downturn that traditionally accompanies an election period, said the head of a sector association. 

“Turkey has been in an election period for the last two years. This has pushed Turkish people to revise their shopping tendencies so as not to purchase anything non-urgent. Syrian migrants are now fueling the sector,” said the president of the Durable Goods and Home Appliances Retailers Association (BEYPER), Şahin Mersin. 

According to some sources, there are around 2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. Even if 10 percent of them ultimately decide to stay, 200,000 new consumers would enter the market, according to figures. 

According to data from the Home Appliances Industrialists’ Association (TÜRKBESD), the sales of home appliances increased by 10 percent in the first half of the year to 3.29 million units compared to the same period of the previous year. 

Noting that sales had particularly increased in the border provinces and big cities like Istanbul, Mersin said, “Our members in the southern provinces of Gaziantep and Adana said the largest sales are made to Syrians.”

Many Syrians with monetary worries purchase second-hand appliances, Mersin said. “We have thus seen an increase in the number of Turkish people who sell their appliances to Syrians and renew their possessions.”

According to Mersin, the same trend has also been seen in other sectors, including the furniture, home textiles and electronic goods sectors. 

Investment Financing Research Manager Zümrüt Can Ambarcı told Reuters that the rise in the demand could not be explained by any factors other than Syrians’ needs, although there is no official data to confirm the trend. 

“We have seen a rise in consumption in several sectors, including home appliances, furniture and housing sectors, mainly from the Syrians who have decided to set up a home in Turkey. Of course, there has been a rise in the number of people buying a house in Turkey from other Middle Eastern countries. There is no official data to confirm this, but sector representatives have told us there has been a rise in the demand for what a house needs from Syrians, especially home appliances and furniture,” Ambarcı said, adding that there had been a decrease in credit card purchases by Turkish consumers.

The Turkish Consumer Confidence Index decreased in August to a 6.5-year low amid political uncertainties.