A ccording to a report published by the Allied Market Research, the global FMCG market is projected to reach a value of 15,361.8 Bn USD by the end of 2025. A number of factors have contributed to the growth of this sector one of which is credibility in distribution. FMCG distributors across the world are keeping abreast of the changing trends in customer behaviour and are trying to reach out to their customers. However, when it comes to business, the technology used plays an important role in distribution, especially in cold chain logistics and automation in operations.
This is exactly what GTRC is known for in the Kuwait business ecosystem. The company is one of the distinguished FMCG distributors in the Kuwait region, and is part of Alghanim Industries group, which is one of the largest private sector groups in Gulf and has several divisions of businesses including health and wellness, food and beverages, travel and tourism, automotive, electronics, engineering and many others.
GTRC has delved deep into the consumer behaviour patterns and created its business strategies in accordance with them. Earlier, consumers used to have big basket sizes and periodic shopping but now, the company has seen the decrease in basket sizes with more frequent shopping from consumers. This has also resulted in increasing demand for many kinds of FMCG goods in several categories.
“Just to give an example, post covid, the demands for health and wellness products have increased to a great extent. Further, we can see international brands entering local markets and undergoing subject specific productions under their brand names. We are constantly working to mark these kinds of products and trends and expand our product portfolio strictly according to that”, mentions Johnny Constantine, Vice President, GTRC.
Standing Apart
There are several factors that set GTRC apart in the market from the other FMCG distributors. First is the usage of advanced technology. All the business operations at GTRC are fully automated.
Any function can be performed using a tablet that is provided to all the employees of the organization. So, in case of any kind of product discrepancy, it can be easily detected and corrected in a short period of time.
Second is the quality and calibre of the employees. GTRC starts this by recruiting the right person for the right job. Over the years, this has also contributed immensely to the cultural growth of the organization and currently more than half of the vacancies in the company are promoted internally. “The usage of automated systems helped us during COVID. At a time when people were unable to go to office and all transportation were stopped, all the concerned employees were able to manage their work only through the usage of a tablet which came in very handy for us during the pandemic.
Secondly, it has always been the people who have supported the company in all circumstances and made it possible,” states the VP. The usage of social media has also given very good results in the company’s operations. The company has been able to reach out to a huge volume of consumers through their different social media channels and all other online participations across the internet. It has reached the customers with specific product information, extensive range of products and also products targeted for specific audience. It is worth mentioning that the company does not only have a vision but also acts on it to bring it to fruition.
We are known in the market for the freshness of our products. This is how we have retained many customers and now they have become very loyal to us
The quality of the all the products distributed by GTRC are the finest. The company always looks into the kind of quality that it is providing to the end users. “We are known in the market for the freshness of our products. This is how we have retained many customers and now they have become very loyal to us. We also keep very healthy relationships with our suppliers who have been a part of GTRC’s growth journey for many years now. It is this mutual respect and trust that has made the company what it is now. Since we are operating in a very dynamic industry, continuous improvement becomes a very necessary factor for growth and these relationships have helped us understand the market trends very well so far,” he adds.
Future Endeavours
GTRC has achieved a lot of success since inception and as of now supplies products to more than 4300 outlets in Kuwait. Looking forward, the company wants to expand its product portfolio in the categories that are prospering rapidly. “We also want to cater to the Asian market and add big European agencies into our portfolio in the coming years”, concludes the VP.
Johnny Constantine, Vice President, GTRC Johnny played a key role in driving the growth of GTRC Alghanim Industries and cementing its leadership position within Kuwait’s Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. He joined Alghanim Industries in 2000 as a Sales Manager in GTRC’s division for Mars, and since then he has taken on roles of increasing responsibilities in his 23+ years in Kuwait market. He was promoted to many positions within GTRC before becoming the Vice President of GTRC. He also has past leadership experience in large multinationals like Unilever, PepsiCo and Nestle.
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