Mother's Day boosts sales in retail sector across Turkey

The retail sector was boosted by Mother's Day, as shopping malls were swarming and brands were having increased sales. The gifts most-purchased for mothers included electronic devices, clothes, accessories and jewelry. Increasing sales over the past three weeks, the retail sector cheered the coming of Mother's Day. As the number of visitors at shopping malls increased, brands increased their sales by 20 percent this week. Viewed with enthusiasm by the sector and celebrated on Sunday, Mothers' Day surpasses sales for Valentine's Day every year. Running to shopping malls and stores to buy presents for their mothers – everything from flowers to chocolates, from shirts to accessories – consumers even affect traffic in big cities.

Last-minute buyers and consumers racing to buy gifts, especially one day before Mother's Day, causes huge vehicle traffic. According to retailers, costumers who had been cautious to stay away from shopping malls for security reasons started shopping again. Stating that the psychology of consumers started improving, sector officials said: "Everything is getting back to normal. May started really well, and the new season has had a huge effect. Even though the discount season has not started yet, endorsements are going well. Mother's Day is the period when we make the largest number of sales, along with New Year's. May sales are greater than February." Retailers say May sales for electronic devices, clothing, accessories and jewelry sectors are outscoring February by 25 percent. Total sales in the retail sector are expected to be TL 1.5 billion. Retailers organizing special campaigns for Mother's Day seek to guarantee their sales for the next period with gift cards.

The fact that mothers get more presents than lovers are felt most in the watch and accessories sectors. Saat&Saat boss Ramazan Kaya said sales volumes were bigger on Mother's Day than on any other special day. Stating that sales have been going well since January, Kaya said: "We increased our sales last month by 20 percent compared to the same period the previous year. We are doing 25 percent better this month than the previous year," adding that the average price of the best-selling product is TL 550.

KDM Consultancy owner Murat İzci drew attention to the recovering psyche of consumers. Stressing that the number of people visiting shopping centers has increased, İzci said: "The summer season started. Brand sales are increasing. Special days such as Mother's Day make great contributions to sales as well." Stating that the 40 percent decrease in the number of visitors last year has recently dropped to 10 percent, İzci noted: "Shopping is going back to normal. Of course, these numbers are valid for metropolitan areas. In many provinces in Anatolia, there was no decrease in the number of shopping mall visitors." Roman boss Turgut Toplusoy said that sales of their clothing brands had increased and Mother's Day supported this. Pointing out that they drew costumers by preparing the right collection, Toplusoy said: "Here is the secret. You have to balance the collections and prices for every season." Giza boss İsmail Kutlu also said sales had increased this month due to Mother's Day. Kutlu said: "The number of sales increased by 20 to 30 percent this month, compared to the same period the previous year. We can also see that the number of shopping mall visitors has increased. The positive effect of the new season on consumers started reflecting in our sales as well."