Albania opens borders to duty free
Heineken beer
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A matter of responding quickly. Heine-
ken saw opportunities in the tradition
ally very closed-off country of Albania
and its response was prompt. The out
come: last autumn the first shipment of
Heineken beer left the gates of the
brewery in 's-Hertogenbosch heading
for Adriatiku.
Heineken therefore
became the first
foreign beer in that
Communist country which
until recently was
extremely isolated and is
wedged in between Yugo
slavia and Greece. Just as
previously in other East
Bloc countries, a relaxation
of the regulations is now
also becoming visible in
Albania. Hans Willems,
area export manager Duty
Free, describes the situa
tion in Albania: 'They are
liberalising and trying to
get out of their isolated
position.' Another sign of
this came at the end of last
year when the government
hesitantly gave permission
for non-Communist political
parties to be set up.
Watching
Hans Willems had long
been watching Albania. A
report in the specialised
duty free trade magazine
was the signal for him to
move into action. The news
item told of the joint ven
ture concluded by the
French business Copexport
SA with the Albanian gov
ernment. That co-operation
resulted in the establish
ment of Adriatiku DFS,
which handles all duty free
activities in Albania.
Willems got in touch
with that business and
eventually his negotiations
led to an initial delivery of
fifteen pallets of Heineken
beer.
Shops
The delivery was des
tined for Rinas airport near
the capital of Tirana, for the
duty free shop in the port of
Durres, for the shop for
embassy staff in Tirana, for
border stores and hotel
shops. At the moment there
are still only a few of these
hotel shops, but their num
bers will be increased dur
ing the course of this year.
In all these shops
articles can only be bought
in return for Western cur
rency. Hans Willems there
fore sees tourists, diplo
mats and the crews of
foreign ships as the most
important target groups.
In view of the current
unstable situation, he
expects that sales will
remain modest for the time
being.
Loading the very first
A Ibania-bourul lorry unth
Heineken beer. Standing next
to the lorry are Hans Wil
lems, area export manager
Duty Free, Annette Schattig of
Export Transport Depart
ment, Rotterdam, and the
driver who made the trip to
Albania, H. vanRooyen.
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T H K W R I. I) OF H F. I N E K F. N
