We keep up with quality and traditions
Company “Marine Express” was established in the end of 1996. Main business at that moment was distribution of light alcoholic cocktails, first of them – Greenall’s Gin and Tonic. In the next year we imported first shipments of French and Italian wines and started to distribute them in St.Petersburg HoReCa. Having gained some success, we, as everyone, were stopped by crisis of 1998, that in a flash made all imported goods unobtainable.
Nevertheless, in 1999, the company found ways to recover and resumed it’s operations in full. Light cocktail’s production was brought to Russia, demand for imported wine reappeared and gave reason to resume import, however, mainly of entry-level wines. The important counterpoint of the moment was matter of fair price. We were one of the first who offered wines imported from the countries outside former Soviet Union by prices affordable to wide consumer. That step allowed us to take up larger market share and shortly claim to be an important player in this market.
Later on the company continued growing with especially dynamic growth of sales in developing chain retail. Choosing producers, company managers has been doing with utmost care, aiming to include into portfolio successful products of good quality ( see link “Producers”). International brands included into our portfolio were successfully brought to the Russian market ( see link “Brands”). Thus the current company’s portfolio has been composed, where you can find mass market products, sound products from world famous wine regions and genuine masterpieces of arts as wine-making and distillation.
We have a remoted office in Moscow with strong goal-seeking sales team improving and expanding our distribution in the Russian capital and Moscow region.
In the specialized retail we also have long-term and efficient partners, especially strong and skillful in sales of premium alcohol beverages. They are “Vinissimo” wine boutiques in St. Peterbsurg ( formerly named "Bon Vin") and Moscow. In these 16 outlets one can find practically any item from our list.
The list of our clientele is rather large, it includes chain retail accounts, web-traders, catering companies, hotels and restaurants, regional wholesalers and distributors. The short list includes:
“Aromatniy Mir”, “Auchan”, “Billa”, “Hyperglobus”, “Lenta”, “Metro Cash &Carry”, “Okay,
“Ramstore”, “X5 Retail Group” ; in HoRe Ca – Hotel “Astoria”, Grand Hotle Europe, Novotel in St. Petersburg, Moscow restaurants “Acenti”, Vanille, Scandinavia, those in St. Petersburg – Aquarel, Ginza Project, Palkin, group Probka, Stroganoff Steak House, Shalyapin.
At present, company is in the top-5 of sparkling and champagne wine importers and has position in second ten of still wine’s and strong beverage’s importers ( according to data provided by National Alcohol Association for year 2009).
What’s important, the economical crisis situation has not affected company’s stability and we remain being reliable and sound partners and suppliers.
What is the company mission?
With consideration of our business specifics, it is a bit complicated declaration. Nevertheless, it is undoubted that alcoholic beverages comprise in history and culture of many nations and are the part of everyday food of many people in the world. In contemporary fast-changing world the alcoholic beverages do not loose popularity and diffuse even wider. We keep to the point, that it is the deliberate choice of mature people – consume alcohol or not ; to suffer through thoughtless and unreasonable consumption, or to have pleasure, enjoying bouquets of beverages and drinking within your personal limit.
Corresponding to the actual laws, we care of prevention the people below legal drinking age from consuming alcohol and submission of full information to customers on health care prescriptions and possible consequences of alcohol consumption.
We consider that our mission is as follows:
To strive for building an educated and responsible consumers market, assisting a consumer in realizing the fact that qualities “best” and “expensive” are not obligatory equal, that wine consumption is not something exclusive or the status matter, but perfectly fits usual life habits.
To promote a model of reasonable, i.e. individually and socially safe, consumption of alcoholic beverages of proper quality.
To expand consumer’s choosing ability within limits of existing opportunities and help making better choice.
We aim to:
Distribute knowledge of history of wine production and wine trade, as a part of world’s agriculture and economics in general, contributing to extend consumer’s horizons, to interchange of cultures, as they are reflected in wine-making traditions of different countries. Using acquired competence and skills, to take place in top-10 of Russian importers not only in category of sparkling wines, but in still wines and strong alcohol, as well.
Internationally, we aim to have reputation of reliable and competent partner, able to work as with famous brands, as with products requiring skill of individual sales.
To be a sound supplier of widely available alcoholic beverages with reliable quality, owing to weighed choice of products and sensible price policy.