In Adler caught a shuttle with 13 canisters of luxury perfume

At the Adler airport, a lady was caught who did not declare her perfume, without which a true woman does not leave the house – 65 liters in 13 canisters. The perfume has been confiscated, an administrative offense case (illegal import of a batch of perfumed products) has been initiated, and the new Russian shuttles, bringing us another batch of “luxury” from the Istanbul bazaar, will henceforth be more careful. We have learned how else these actively multiplying businessmen a la the 90s delight their “unsanctioned” fellow citizens.

In the last summer days, customs officers at the Adler airport, checking passengers who arrived from Istanbul, drew attention to a Russian woman whose personal luggage weighed more than 125 kg. The experienced Adler customs decided to inspect the difficult ladies’ burden, but after inspection, gasped: 13 fragrant canisters without a single document for their contents. The lady only said that this is a “concentrate” – that is, when diluted with water, 65 fragrant liters will spill into turbulent rivers throughout the Krasnodar Territory.

– Yes, the prerequisites are the financial crisis, the lack of goods – and the basic principle of the shuttle business is the same as in the nineties, – answers my question “new Russian Natasha” my interlocutor is indeed Natalia, — Auth.) – But before, we either ourselves bought a place in the clothing markets for a fabulous bribe and stuck behind the counter in the heat and cold, every day risking that the paid “roof” would be imprisoned or it would come from a hangover and triple its fees. Or they gave it to the distributors, which is less profitable. And now everything is cultural and safe: all markets are on the Web.

Therefore, every day there are more and more shuttles, after all, many lost their jobs – either during the pandemic, or in companies that left the Russian Federation. Well, the sanctions concern all Russians, it’s just that now the shortage of “sanctions” is not so noticeable yet, but everything will change soon. And with demand – and our range.

– Today, what are the majority lucky? Given the competition and not particularly legal, therefore, it is possible without passwords and appearances, names and cities.

– There are more and more competitors every day, yes. But about “not special legality” you are in vain. There is nothing illegal in shuttle activity. In any case, until the Turks imposed strict export restrictions. For 30 years, they have already lost the habit of shuttles, and now Russians, Ukrainians, and Poles have reappeared, so the transport allowances will be introduced again, this is a matter of time.

In the meantime, only our customs is looking, and then on the principle of “somehow too much.” For a long time no one brought 65 liters of perfume in personal luggage. But now we will also remember the nineties and impose a tax on the shuttles. So we must hurry to earn, while relative freedom. And as for legality, in Russia there is even a trade union of buyers, and a buyer is a traveling salesman-buyer, that is, in fact, the same shuttle.

– So, maybe the trade union will protect, if that?

– I’m afraid that after the permission in March of parallel imports, buyers are our main competitors. Its essence is that the Russian Federation allowed to purchase goods of brands that have left us by roundabout ways, through third parties – for example, through a company registered somewhere in the ex-republic that did not fall under sanctions.

At the same time, although the goods are imported without the consent of the brand owner, which is called “gray import”, at the same time, the non-sanctioned intermediary company receives from the seller and transfers to the Russian purchaser all quality certificates – this is parallel import.

The list of goods allowed for it does not include anything: from industrial equipment and materials, machinery, auto parts and furniture to the same perfumes and gaskets. And, of course, big players want to completely crush this niche under themselves, gradually strangling the competition of single shuttles. So it’s not profitable to create a permanent niche for yourself, as in the nineties, when one specialized only in men’s swimming trunks, and the other only in bathroom curtains, now it is unprofitable. You have to look at current demand.

Shoes and clothes are always needed, but it is better to order from specific people, and not for the mass consumer, yet the stores are full of clothes. So far, only pharma – medicines and exclusives – niche and branded perfumes are win-win.

– If I understand correctly, then today, due to the permitted parallel import, it will not surprise anyone that “luxury” is brought to you, say, from Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan? And at the same time, everyone knows that a respected brand does not even know that they are traded through the cotton republic?

– Quite right. And that is why “luxury” can be safely bottled somewhere in the cotton field with cans – and so that no one would guess, neither the brand nor the buyer.

Read the report “I brought 15 pairs of sneakers, a suitcase of medicines”: the exploits of Russian “shuttles”