According to Irakli Kurdadze, Commercial Director of the company “Frixx”, a productive meeting regarding prices was held at the government administration.

Kurdadze stated that the Prime Minister, ministers, and commission members are well aware of the essence of the problem, and he hopes that concrete steps will be taken in the near future.

“The main problem is complex, but the demand for high margins and cashback from the chains is the biggest barrier for Georgian manufacturers to achieve both price regulation and, more broadly, to survive. Price reductions are possible if the chains cut their margins; this must come out of someone’s pocket, and today that’s the chains, who control the market. Accordingly, the chains must optimise.

Over the past five years, neighbourhood shops have closed down; chain stores have already taken 90%. Accordingly, they dictate to the market the terms which we manufacturers must comply with. If we don’t comply, we will be removed from the shelves. Therefore, I call on everyone, distributors, manufacturers, chains, to develop fair rules of the game with government involvement, which will enable us both to achieve price regulation and to protect Georgian production,” Irakli Kurdadze stated.