International expansion

Suki International has been actively involved in other European countries besides Germany for more than 20 years already. However, it was only about three years ago, following the acquisition of the company by the Düsseldorf investor Sherpa, that work began on the deliberate expansion of the policy of internationalisation as a strategic field. As of now, the company’s network of branches and distributors covers nearly the entire map of Europe. Currently around 35 per cent of sales are generated through exports. “But in the medium term,” explains director Gottfried Küchler, who has been with the company for over 30 years, “we want to increase this proportion to 50 per cent.”This is a target that Suki International considers itself well prepared to achieve, especially through the efficiency of its logistics (featuring a 97 per cent delivery quota), which is concentrated at company headquarters in Landscheid in the Eifel region. According to director Steffen Grasse, “In principle we can reach nearly every corner of Europe within five working days.” As a supplier of product systems, the company concentrates on acting as a partner in the expansion of the major DIY chains, both German and international. It has especially high expectations of the markets in eastern Europe.In order to do justice to the individual markets, a flexible component has been integrated into the design of the company's merchandising display units that allows for the inclusion of special local features. As a result, around 90 per cent of the product assortment remains largely consistent.Altogether the company’s range amounts to around 40 000 articles, whereby Suki acts purely as a distributor. Today's assortment includes small hardware, tools, furniture fittings, timber connectors, ropes, chains, tie-down straps and castors.Suki can also point to a special competence in questions of packaging. It was as long ago as the fifties that the company began to package its products in handy boxes and tins for the emerging self-service stores. Later came see-through packaging. Today more than 50 types of packaging are available.Management at Suki has already reacted to the requirements of women and senior citizens, two target groups that are currently in the spotlight. So now there are shelf merchandisers where samples of the products, screws for instance, can be found attached with cable ties. This type of presentation allows the customer to make a direct comparison with the item he has brought…