Dufry aims for Russian brilliance

International travel retailer Dufry has signed a major distribution deal with Russian spirits group Gross Distilleries.

Moscow-based Gross Distil­leries, whose brand portfolio includes Russian Brilliant vodka and Slavyanska liqueurs, believes the new agreement will boost duty-free sales from 10 per cent of total exports to 30 per cent in 2008.

During the year, Dufry plans to introduce Russian Brilliant into its stores in Switzerland, Italy, the Canary Islands, Tunisia, Morocco, Ghana, Egypt and Sharjah (UAE).

"We are counting not only on Russian travellers," said Lubna Haj Issa Dufry, head of group corporate communications. "Gross Distilleries spends a lot of money pushing products with advertising , which could help attract customers of all nationalities."

Gross Distilleries' current export business is limited to the CIS and Baltic states, Germany, Slovakia and Israel.

Dufry operates over 450 duty-free and travel-retail stores worldwide and achieved a turnover of £66 million in the first nine months of 2007 .