Those in the market predict that a new move to legalize home appliances imports is likely to raise retail prices by 5 or 7 percent.
Photo: Vasily Alexandrov
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Home Appliances Retailers to Buy from Foreign Producers Directly
Russia’s major home appliances retail chains such as Eldorado, MIR, MediaMarkt and Tekhnosila are to start buying goods directly from the manufacturers, the retailers announced Tuesday. Those in the market say that the move will cut down the share of smuggled goods but will increase prices by some 6 percent.
Eldorado, MIR, MediaMarkt, Tekhnosila, Domo and 24 more companies said Tuesday they would start importing home appliances directly from the manufacturers. The Russian Association of Home Electronic and Computer Equipment Trading and Production Companies initiated the agreement that would come into effect on October 1.
The Association’s president Alexander Onishchuk says that the document has no binding power. It simply gets foreign producers involved into the legalization of imports. “It is a tactical success for us because producers have so far had no responsibility for anything,” Mr. Onishchuk told Kommersant. Foreign home appliances manufacturers who have signed the document will be selling their goods to a certain number of wholesale or retail firms, which is supposed to disrupt the chain of offshore firms and legalize imports.
Among signatories in the document are Philips, Olympus and Candy. A number of Japanese companies have not decided yet. Sony, Sharp, JVS, Pioneer, Panasonic and Kenwood can enter the list soon. Sony and Panasonic have already declared their interest but are still in talks with Russian partners
Those in the market predict that a new move to legalize home appliances imports is likely to increase retail prices by 5 or 7 percent.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 20, 2007
|
|
|
