The manufacturer of Kondratov and Cappone vodka, Kondratov Bihor, has concluded the first five months with sales of nearly 400,000 euros (14.5 million RON), almost half of what it achieved in the same period for 2004 (750,000 euros or 30 million RON). “There has been a general decline on the spirits market, which also affected the best-known producers. The fall in purchasing power has driven the bulk of consumers to buy cheaper products that are often of questionable quality, especially those bought on the black market. The black market accounts for more than 50% of the total market, a phenomenon which generates decline even for popular products such as the Saniuta-type range,” says Gheorghe Csavossy, Kondratov”s general manager. The company expects sales of
1.4 million euros (51.1 million RON) this year, compared with
1.5 million euros (61 million RON) in 2004. Csavossy believes the middle class – the main target for Kondratov”s products (Kondratov, Cappone, Laguna, Chateau Noir, Fronis, Black, Jack, Timofei, Entaxi, Martinez, Knight”s
Bridge) – is on the verge of extinction. ZF