"The Key to Success is Quality." Rogozhnik on the growing presence of Belarusian goods in Russian retail chains

July 15, Moscow . The key to the successful promotion of Belarusian goods in Russian retail chains is their quality. This was stated by Belarusian Ambassador to RUSSIA Alexander Rogozhnik at the opening of a large-scale promotional campaign, "Operation Belarusian Goods," at the Auchan chain's flagship hypermarket in Moscow's Aviapark shopping center, BelTA reports.
"This year has seen a turning point in our work with major Russian retail chains, and Auchan is the leader in this," the ambassador stated. "We began this work last year, and today's repeat campaign has already shown that the number of Belarusian brands represented has almost doubled. And the key to this is, of course, the exceptional quality of Belarusian goods." The Russian consumer votes not only with their rubles; they prioritize the quality of the goods available in retail chains.
Alexander Rogozhnik noted that the shelves offer not only food products but also industrial goods. "We've worked through the entire spectrum of goods produced in our country to establish direct contracts between our producers and retail chains, thereby increasing the profitability of sales to the Russian Federation. This goal is being successfully achieved today, and I sincerely thank Auchan's management for the extensive work they've accomplished. We will continue to move forward in this direction. This year, Auchan representatives held sales and purchasing sessions in all regions of our country. They familiarized themselves with the production facilities and the product range. "Currently, more than 50 contracts are being concluded directly between our producers," he noted. According to the diplomat, similar work is being carried out with other Russian chains, in particular with X5 and Lenta. "The basis of this work is to be able to present high-quality goods with minimal markup, so that customers see that this is not only a quality product, but also a competitive one," the ambassador added.
The chain's management placed Belarusian goods in the central area of ​​the hypermarket, highlighting them with Belarusian symbols. Dairy and MEAT products ( cheeses , butter ,cottage cheese ,Ice cream , sausages , and other meat products, including high-fat stewed meats, chocolates and candies, confectionery, snacks , soft drinks, including birch sap, a wide range of high-quality alcoholic beverages, beer , and canned fruits and vegetables. Non-food products include perfumes and cosmetics, hosiery, and even televisions and microwaves from the Gorizont holding company.
"We've been working with Belarusian producers for years, responding to our customers' needs. Interest in Belarusian products is growing rapidly in Russia. This is because of the quality, and for some, it's a taste from childhood. Customers trust these products. Here you'll find products that Auchan already had in its assortment, as well as many new arrivals. During our visit to Belarus at the end of March, we visited several production facilities, saw many interesting products, and discovered new assortments," said Zhanna Gaidushnyak, DIRECTOR of the Fresh Products Purchasing and Supply Department at Auchan Retail Russia. 
This year, Auchan hypermarket chain plans to increase sales of Belarusian goods by more than 20% to 3.6 billion Russian rubles.