GEKOS - Pristina

Authorized importer and distributor for TKS portfolio on the Kosovo market

TKS established its presence on the Kosovo market, with its portfolio (BOSS family and FILTER 57) in 1999 under conditions of unstable political surrounding in the region and unsettled conditions on the cigarettes market. Since that period, the collaboration between TKS and Mr. Alban Malici, who succeded according to the principle of wholesale, dates, under conditions of presence of intensive activity of the competition on behalf of the international companies, to create pre-requisities for development of TKS business in Kosovo, in compliance with the criteria of volume and presence of brands.

The establishment of legal pre-requisities on the concrete market, Mr. Alban Malici, in compliance with the local legislation, in 2001, registered a private company Gekos, with a registered seat in Pristina.

On the basis of the strategy for development of the firm, in compliance with the modern world standards, Gekos manages to establish internal high level organization structure in all relevant segments with concrete sectors for a relatively short period of time. Sale, Finances, Analysis and Marketing. Totally 34 persons are employed in Gekos at the moment, for whom, depending on the activities of each individual, there are efforts for their education and promotion, so as to be able to follow the realization of the TKS development strategy properly.

In a context of the basic activity of the company - distribution, there are two systems in function:

1. Wholesale from the two central storagehouses in Pristina and Urosevac (sale from storagehouse and direct distribution to the wholesalers with two branded vans); and

2. Direct distribution system to the retail network. In order to ensure presence of TKS brands on the Kosovo market, Gekos is the only company in Kosovo to develop the regional concept through registration of offices and storagehouses in the biggest regional centers: Pristina, Urosevac, Gnilane, Prizren, Djakovica and Pec. Depending on the number of retail points according to regions, there are 13 travellers employed with the exact number of branded vehicles (with tendency to increase the number in the current year), who following precisely determined daily plans according to the retail spots implement the sale activities from vehicles and the marketing activities at the sale spots.

The total system for planning and result analyses is implemented and follows the created reporting system, which continually develops in all quality segments.

It is evident, that thus established business quality strategy of Gekos, gives positive results regarding the sale volume after the successful launch of the West family in October 2002 and the already present BOSS family and FILTER 57, and reached 12% market coverage and presence of TKS brands (averagely over 85%) on the whole market. These results are a motivation for their permanent development.

The permanent increase in the volume and the brand presence percentage, is certainly affected by the engagement of the Gekos Marketing Sector in the realization of the TKS strategy in the marketing segments and trade-marketing support of TKS brands.

Gekos confirms its successful operation with the collaboration on a level of exclusive contract on the Kosovo market with one of the major world companies for production and sale of alcohol drinks DIAGEO, whose portfolio includes the world famous brands: Johnny Walker, Smirnoff, J&B, which at the moment cover 60% of the market, and according to the producer's criteria, Gekos is one of the most successful local distributor companies.

Gekos is a company with great potential and ambitions for future to develop on basis of highly-professional organized level with basic strategic provisions:

1.      The leading distribution company on the Kosovo market according to the TKS brands sale criteria (following the TKS strategy towards broadening the portfolio in all quality segments) and professionalism in distribution;

2.      Permanent distribution system development in compliance with the TKS principles, from which it expects a permanent know-how support;

3.    Continual loyal operation and financial solvency.