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Sofia has grown over the past year to become the main
sales market for Famous Beers. Ines Guerova is the sales
manager for Sofia and, says Mr Todorov, she has played a
key role in building the Famous Beers business. She
manages a substantial customer base. Seventy per cent of
all customers are supplied directly by Famous Beers.
The remaining thirty per cent obtain their supplies via a
distributor. So, we asked Iavor Todorov, why does his firm
handle the distribution activities itself? "That was a deliberate
choice we made. It helps us keep a fmger on the pulse.
We can see what's going on in the market, and so we can
identify any new trends in good time. What it means is that
we supply some 500 outlets ourselves. This autumn our entire
fleet of delivery vehicles will be replaced and modernised."
As Mr Torodov sees it, the success Heineken in Bulgaria is
also attributable to the special invoicing system he uses.
"We apply the principle that customers only pay after they
have sold the beer. If a customer asks for two cases of
Heineken Beer, then he only pays for those two cases when
his next order is delivered. The reason for this system is
simple: Bulgaria is a poor country and so Heineken Beer is
also a costly article for the customer. In this way we stimu
late sales of Heineken, since the customer does not need to
invest anything himself."
SEASONAL PRODUCT
Bulgarians like to drink a good glass of beer. They prefer a
half-litre bottle, which features prominently next to a plate
with food. This is because in the eyes of many Bulgarians
beer simply belongs with a meal. But beer is also a season-
