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Pran Foods expects 60% sales growth in 2014

Pran Foods is participating at the Halal Middle East Exhibition & Congress for the first time but the company participates in Dubai’s Gulfood and Abu Dhabi’s SIAL every year.

Sharjah: Pran Foods expects nearly 60 per cent growth in sales in 2014 compared to 2013, marketing manager Nazrul Islam told Khaleej Times at the 3rd Halal Middle East Exhibition & Congress that concluded on Wednesday at Expo Centre Sharjah.

“Our target is Dh500 million sales for 2014 compared to Dh316 million sales of 2013. We have already achieved this target before the end of this year,” Islam explained to this scribe at the three-day exhibition.

Pran Foods is participating at the Halal Middle East Exhibition & Congress for the first time but the company participates in Dubai’s Gulfood and Abu Dhabi’s SIAL every year, according to Islam.

“We are happy with our participation at this exhibition and these fairs always help companies in many ways,” he said.

Talking about retail environment, he said that the market is growing and Pran Foods is also growing.

Pran Group started its operation in 1981 as a processors of fruit and vegetable in Bangladesh. Over the years, the company has not only grown in stature but also contributed significantly to the overall socio-economic development of the country.

Currently, the group is one of the most admired food and beverages brands among the millions of people of Bangladesh and other 106 countries of the world where Pran products are regularly being exported.

The group established Pran Foods UAE in 2003 and it’s growing every year. Pran produces more than 200 food products under 10 different categories i.e. Juices, Drinks, Mineral Water, Bakery, Carbonated beverages, Snacks, Culinary, Confectionery, Biscuits and Dairy.

Talking about the company’s goals and targets, Islam said the company wants to be the largest food distribution company in the UAE and by 2020 the target is to become the largest food distributor in GCC.

He mentioned that commodities topped in company’s sales portfolio with 25 per cent share followed by spices (20 per cent), energy drinks (15 per cent), juices (15 per cent), oil (10 per cent), snacks (10 per cent), and biscuits (five per cent). The company is planning to introduce South Indian foods, Egyptian foods, daily needs bakery items, meat & fish, and commodities — oil, sugar & flour in the UAE market soon.The company source products from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Canada, Thailand, Taiwan, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Vietnam.

Pran Foods products are available across the UAE including super markets, Union-Cooperative, Abu Dhabi Co-Operative, Sharjah Co-Operative, petrol pumps, and cafeterias.

In the UAE, Pran Foods products are available in 100 A-class outlets, 600, B-class outlets, and 12,000 C-class outlets & cafeterias, according to Islam.

The company has 10,800 square metres warehousing space in Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah. Its distribution fleet includes 164 vans, 67 saloon cars, 19 semi-panel vans, and 2 trucks with long trailers.

— abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com