The Washington Inquirer EditorArchil Kokashvili, General Manager of BD Plus, a Georgian company for importing high quality products from international brands, told Golden Brand that revenues from toilet paper brand Nua increased by 75% in 2023, calling the achievement “quite impressive given today’s competition”.
Premium quality, three-layer toilet paper Nua is an international brand imported by BD Plus since 2021, along with other brands such as Ultra Compact, Happy Fresh, Maylo, Berrak, BEA, BE-Fresh, SANFOR, SANITA and more.
Nua has been recognized as Georgian customers’ favorite toilet paper by the Golden Brand awards, which they also won last year for its dynamic growth in the country.
Q. This year Nua has been recognized as the favorite toilet paper of Georgian consumers, while last year the brand was awarded for its dynamic growth. How has Nua maintained the attention and appreciation of Golden Brand survey participant experts and customers?
A. Believe me, it is very pleasant when the brand wins an award for the second time in a row. It’s definitely not an easy feat. After a successful year in 2022, the team and management worked hard to further strengthen the Nua brand, which was evident in our constant activity. In 2023 we achieved a 75% increase in revenue, which is quite impressive given today’s competition.
Q. What factors contribute to Nua’s success in Georgia?
A. The key factor behind our success has been the effectiveness of our teamwork, from production until merchandising. It is evident that the collaborative efforts of our team have yielded great results. Another contributing factor to our success is the absence of parallel imports of products, which is a significant advantage over our competitors.
Q. Is Nua’s producer company aware of the brand’s success in our market and what is their response to the Golden Brand Award?
A. Lila Group, one of the leaders in producing roll paper, known for their Nua brand, is fully involved in the sales process. We are thrilled with this recognition and share with the Group this success.
Q. What would you say about the competition in your sector, and how fast is the Georgian market growing?
A. There is quite a high level of competition in the Georgian market. This competition is largely determined by Turkey and the products imported therefrom, both in finished form and in the form of semi-finished products.
As a company involved in the distribution business, the competition creates challenges for us of course, but the higher the competition level is, the higher our motivation. And most importantly, customers reap the benefits from this process.
As for market growth, the share of our brands is growing on the market every year.
Based on customs information, we can assume that Nua has a total market share of 17% in Georgia. The advantage of Nua is its high quality and competitive price.
Q. Let’s continue our interview by discussing the latest developments at BD Plus.
A. Founded in 2016, BD Plus is famous in Georgia for importing high quality products from international brands such as Ultra Compact, Happy Fresh, Olivia, Sofia, Maylo, Berrak, BEA and Nua. Of these brands, Ultra Compact and BEA are the top-sellers in our portfolio along with Be Fresh and Sanita-Sanford.
In 2023, we added the Polish brand Purix, Signum and baby diaper Lody Baby to our portfolio.
Q. Last year you told us that despite the population’s lack of purchasing activity, the increase in sales was due to the influx of tourists. How has this situation changed?
A. 2023 was more challenging in this regard. Due to a decrease in tourist flow, our main customers were local residents. We had to shift focus to marketing activities to achieve success in sales.
The Georgian market is known for its conservative consumer base that is accustomed to existing products. However, there is still growth potential for these products. By improving work efficiency, we can develop them and boost sales.
We are open to adding new brands, but 70% of sales come from our mainstays.
