Turkish organic juices splash into US market
Posted by meb at February 22nd, 2007
New York-based Organic Juice USA, Inc. has been extremely successful in the United States with Turkish organic fruit juices. Having attained almost $1.5 million in revenue in 15 months, the company has recently entered the largest organic food chain store in the United States, Whole Foods Market. Organic Juice USA’s great success in such a short time is an important indicator of the growing interest in organic food products in the United States.
People spend an estimated $20 billion a year on organic products, which is an unusually high amount considering that the product is natural. Ali Rıza Süman, a partner of the natural food company Organic Juice USA, Inc., producer of 100 percent organic fruit juices and seed extracts, sees no reason why the distinctiveness of products imported from Turkey would not be successful in America.
Süman has been living in the United States for the past 19 years and after he realized the growing interest in organic products, and subsequently, the growing market in this field, Süman decided to invest in Organic Juice USA a year-and-a-half ago with his U.S. partner, Mark Rollino.
Süman and Rollino conducted market research for five months and then founded the company after attending the 2005 Organic Food Fair in Chicago. The two partners acquired the United States distribution representation from Elite Naturel, an organic fruit juice producer in Turkey. Then, they started introducing additive-free and sugar-free pomegranate, melon, mulberry, quince, grape, pear and rose juices into the United States market.
“The first four to five months were really tough; we presented the product door to door. At first, large supermarkets did not want to take an unknown Turkish product. But we offered samples of the juice and interest started growing when, combined with their astonishing taste, we explained the health benefits of fruit juices such as melon, quince, pear, mulberry and rose,” says Süman.
Attention from U.S. media:
At first, Organic Juice USA aimed to enter Fairway, one of the most well-known gourmet supermarkets. Saying that the total revenue from four outlets of this chain supermarket in Manhattan is more than $5 million a week, Süman added that their sales numbers have been increasing ever since they entered Fairway. Along with Fairway, Organic Juice USA also sells its products to a more middle-income chain store in New York, Key Food, and has quickly attracted U.S. media attention. “They come in bright, jewel-like colors and alluring flavors like melon, quince, black mulberry, rose and pear. Elite Naturel juices, made in Turkey and imported by Organic Juice USA, a Long Island company, can provide a new twist for summer drinks, plain or with iced tea, in smoothies and in cocktails,” wrote the New York Times on June 21, 2006. ABC Television invited the two founders of Organic Juices USA to their highly rated economy program Money Matters.
The company’s products are sold in 150 markets in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Connecticut and Illinois. Its latest accomplishment is that it entered the organic foods giant Whole Foods Market. “Right now 14 Whole Foods stores in the western United States sell our products. We intend to expand our sales to the east also and reach $4-5 million in revenue in the next three years,” says Süman, reflecting their ambition in the market.
Ambitious plans for the future:
Another important goal the two partners have set for themselves is for Organic Juice USA products to enter the school system in the United States. Süman draws attention to the fact that the sale of beverages such as Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola has been banned in New York and New Jersey schools. “Our products need to be in plastic bottles in order to be sold in schools. However we use glass bottles, because it is healthier. We have now started working on this.”
Saying that their most popular product is pomegranate juice, Süman says that the growing interest in this fruit in Turkey has affected them negatively. “This interest has caused a sharp increase in prices. Most of the competition buys pomegranate juice concentrate from Turkey and has it bottled in the United States. Therefore, their costs are below ours.”
Organic Juice USA’s fruit juices sell for between $7-10. This is quite a high price even by U.S. standards. “While selling fruit juice at these prices, our duty is to educate our consumers about the benefits of organic fruit juices,” says Süman, adding, “An educated consumer is the best consumer.”
source: ELIF ÖZMENEK / NEW YORK – Turkish Daily News
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