Q+A

| Bulent Ulusoy

Editor's notes: At the opening of the Star Mall Shenyang Plaza on May 24, Bulent Ulusoy, CEO of Starmall Group shared his thoughts on the landmark project's development with China Daily.

Why did Star Mall Group choose Shenyang for its first outlet in China?

In the very beginning, we were looking for different sites in several provinces and cities including Liaoning.

Finally, we chose Shenyang because of the population, the residents' income, the habits of consumers, the land as well as the competition environment - all these in the city fit us best.

Liaoning has huge population almost the same as Turkey. That means there is great potential in the retail business.

If you intend to expand your business, you should start step-by-step and you should start in the right place. The first project can be very successful, so you can start the second one. Shenyang was the right one for us. Its environment is good. Also, government relations are very important. The local government gave us lots of support and offers accommodating services to investors.

What are differences between the Chinese real estate market and Turkey's?

There must be some big differences. There are some different regulations. But the biggest difference in China is there is still room for new development. In Europe, there are many empty shopping malls. But in China, you can see many customers with shopping bags in their hands. I think this is something positive and that's why all the investors are coming here.

In fact, challenges are everywhere, especially if you are a new face here. This is our first project. We lost some time with these challenges. But we know now. We feel secure for a second one if we make it.

To fit the features of the Chinese market, what localization strategies have you adopted?

We have different cultures. We have Turkish, Romanian and other cultures from more than 20 countries. We are trying to mix them with the Chinese culture. The reason is that if we have 100 percent of Chinese culture, we are not different from others. And if we make 100 percent foreign cultures, people may not come.

We are trying to find a balance. Nearly every week, we have different events with different themes and cultures in the mall. Fortunately, all of our events are successful.

The competition in China's retailing is tough. What are the advantages of Star Mall?

As I said we are trying to be unique. First, it's our management. That's what we are very proud of. All of my staff keep close contact with each shop owner. The second difference is marketing. All our competitors have nice products. But the thing is how do you sell it? The answer is marketing - events, promotions and so on. You should find reasons for people to come.

What role does China play in the company's global strategy?

China is a country you cannot neglect. Even if you don't do business with China, you should keep an eye on it. You have to follow it. But we are lucky that we have a board that is eager to do something in China. But we are not rushing anything. Once we have the right project at the right time, we will look at the next step.

We put our vision on second-tier cities, especially Northeast China. And there are many similarities between Northeast China and Turkey. We felt very comfortable here.

Star Mall's first China outlet has 325,000 square meters of total floor space and hosts more than 120 brands from 20 countries. Photos Provided to China Daily

(China Daily 06/01/2014 page12)