From Concept to Creation
The vision of AC&co. is to be a global leader that stands out in the market through reliable and high-quality products while embracing a culture of sustainability. Here, RLI converses with Enis Habif, CEO of AC&co. about the rise of the business, how it has grown across international borders in recent years and what the next steps look like.
As a leading menswear brand, their heritage of premium fabrics and fine craftsmanship is combined with exceptional product knowledge to meet the needs of casual and formal menswear wearers.
It is the company mission to serve their customers with a strong sense of responsibility towards the life cycle of nature and future generation. They are committed to understanding and adapting to the changing needs of their customers. Through innovative, value-adding products and services, they strive to create unique experiences that set their customers apart, reflecting their dedication to quality, sustainability and innovation.
The menswear market leader in Türkiye, today they have a portfolio of approximately 200 stores and 320 points of sale. Internationally, the business operates 52 stores and 12 corner stores across the 14 countries of Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Macedonia, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Somalia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
“In 2025, we have plans to spread out our online investments further around the world and continue to grow across Western Europe, in Italy in Southern Europe and in Morocco in North Africa,” highlights Enis Habif, CEO of AC&co. “We are also in the process of launching our own website in Romania as well preparing for a larger presence on online marketplaces as well.”
As our conversation moves onto the guest experience, Habif explains that their loyalty program called Stars is a pivotal tool in this environment, as it offers customers the chance to share, like and find products for their taste via Stars. The program features Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, serving additional opportunities to customers on each level. Offers from the Stars program include such services as free dry cleaning and free tailor alterations for example.
After the events of the last few years, the value of one’s self and lived moments have become more precious. The work AC&co. is putting into e-commerce and social media efforts are designed to give more time to their guests by being more efficient and helpful than ever before.
“Customers have 24-hour shopping assistants, to ensure the right product is purchased. Data is the new currency and how you assess the data is what puts you in front of competitors,” Habif comments. “On the other side, establishing a smooth and efficient supply chain requires predictive analytics to lead to more accurate forecasting and better alignment with consumer demand.”
All of this data, combined with their output across social media platforms allows the brand to build a company profile online in-keeping with their ethos and values. In the future they will continue investing on the tools to become even more proficient in these areas.
Just like the topics of e-commerce and social media, sustainability is another area that is of upmost importance to the business. As a company with over 1,000 employees and with roots that go back over eight decades, they carry the responsibility of this heritage to the coming generations. While fast fashion has created a high demand in sales, ending up in quickly disposed fashion waste, AC&co. are a stable and solid brand, that care about having long-lasting products that promote good style and high-quality.
One way they do this is by focusing on scrap and raw material efficiency. As an example, their trousers go through a special washing treatment process to reduce water consumption. The scrap fabric created during the cutting process is recycled to create new products.
Another way is by highlighting the packaging waste they create during the transportation of goods. This is huge in a company of over 200 stores. In order to save 85,000 tons of CO2 emissions from discarded cardboard boxes, equivalent to the carbon reduction achieved by four million trees in a year, they have exchanged regular cardboard boxes to foldable and reusable ones.
The aim of AC&co. has always been to offer their customers products with a good fit that are made with excellent quality and have a clean cut style. Their commitment to making high-quality products that are accessible to everyone ensures that customer satisfaction remains their top priority.
“By offering modern and elegant designs at prices suitable for every budget and through our sustainability projects and innovative perspective, we aim to be more than just a fashion brand – we strive to be a partner that supports the lifestyles of our customers,” explains Habif.
Respect to the customer and product is crucial in the AC&co. culture. Understanding the needs of their customers, knowing their lifestyle and serving them with a fulfilling experience requires good communication within, a control of product and technique and respectful customer service. The business is passionate and committed to the work they do for their customers and the products they make for them.
When discussing what lies ahead for the company, Habif leans towards global expansion, executed on a cautious roadmap as he feels consumer behaviour and understanding the market dynamics need to be well examined before rapid growth.
“In the past we made rapid decisions on growth, which taught us some important lessons. Our entries into the Romanian and Bulgarian markets have been a success, encouraging us to expand in other main European markets,” Habif comments.
“Striking a balance between price and quality is still going to be a major issue moving forward. Consumers are able to buy anything they desire with a fingertip. Whoever serves the best choice at the best price will be ahead in the competition. We look forward to continuing to do this and offering our best choices to the correct consumer.”
