Stocks of foreign strong alcohol in Russia will last until the beginning of autumn
If the authorities do not allow parallel imports of foreign-made spirits, the share of counterfeit products on the market may increase
The Prime Economic Information Agency, after interviewing industry representatives, states: stocks of foreign strong alcohol in Russian restaurants will last until the beginning of autumn. The only way to avoid shortages is to allow parallel imports of foreign-made spirits. It is possible to partially replace foreign products in the event of an increase in local production.
Gleb Marach, managing partner of the True Cost, Nome, Code Coffee chain, told Prime that restaurants are now gradually buying out quite substantial stocks available from all suppliers. According to various estimates, they will last until August or early September.
According to him, after the stocks run out, restaurateurs expect that a parallel import mechanism will work in Russia, according to which the usual set of foreign strong alcohol will be imported through Kazakhstan, Armenia and other CIS countries. In this case, the price of products can rise by one and a half times, Marach believes.
Ruslan Mingazov, head bartender of the Folk restaurant, believes that strong alcohol of foreign brands that have left the Russian market can only be replaced through parallel imports. Meanwhile, according to him, prices for such alcoholic drinks will increase by 30-35%.
Mingazov announced the need to allow parallel imports of strong alcohol in the next six months or a year, otherwise, he warned, the share of counterfeit products on the market could increase.
Meanwhile, the interlocutor of the agency did not rule out that in conditions of shortage in Russia, local producers of gin, whiskey and other strong alcoholic beverages, including craft ones, may appear.
