4-May-2012
The company is negotiating with potential clients from places such as Honduras, Ecuador and Jamaica
Hong-Kong based tobacco company Ray Tobacco has revealed a positive response since exhibiting for the first time at the International Association of Airport Duty Free Shops show in Florida.
Export director Chris Pfister, who joined the company last year from Swiss tobacco supplier Villiger, has helped incorporate whisky and beer, as well as cigarette brands, into duty-free and travel-retail markets worldwide. He said: “Luckily we were able to join forces with Alfa Brands, who represent many different brands and were generous enough to offer us part of their booth to display our products for the first time in this part of the world.
“The response was tremendous with many good contacts made, not only due to Alfa’s large number of clients, but also through independent duty-free operators from north, central and South America. They all showed great interest in our products. We are now in the process of negotiating with potential clients from Honduras, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama, Mexico, Paraguay and duty-free trading companies in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean. Besides out main Walton and Ray cigarette brands our Walton Royal Blend whisky has created quite a stir.”
According to Pfister, some operators have ordered full containers, while other smaller customers have started with mixed containers of cigarettes, whisky and beer. “Our Walton Royal Blend Whisky has turned out to be a big seller, as those who tasted it were really surprised by the quality and excellent flavour of this blended whisky.”
Ray Tobacco also exhibited at the World Tobacco Exhibition in Dubai, which took place in early April. Pfister commented: “Listing with Dubai Duty Free was our key achievement. We were also visited by potential customers from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Armenia, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Egypt, but only a few from the rest of Africa. The demand for cigarettes as well as our Walton whisky was enormous, although our whisky was not on the shelf.”
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