The Sheremetyevo International Airport is Moscow’s and Russia’s largest airport, with about 31 million passengers yearly. Here the famous Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov just opened a brand and accessories shop.
The Kalashnikov Concern shop will sells non-military souvenirs like clothing as T-shirts with “I love AK”, flash cards, pens and bags.
For sale are also non-lethal models of the Kalashnikov rifles and later this year their hunting clothing line and equipment will be released under the “Baikal” label. I guess more people than I will think “what about airport security?”
According to an airport official, offering novelties including pens, umbrellas, bags, hats, camouflage gear and various morale T-shirts poses no problems.
“Model guns, for instance semi-automatic pistols and assault rifles are clearly imitations.”
Some of the imitations look rather good in the video. Or can you tell these from real ones? (Ruptly TV)
“Kalashnikov is one of the most popular brands that come to mind for most people in the world when they hear about Russia,” Vladimir Dmitriev, Kalashnikov’s head of marketing, said in a press release.
“So, we are pleased to provide the opportunity for everyone to take away from Russia a souvenir with our company brand.”
You can also avoid Airport Security and shop online: shop.kalashnikov.com (exports to USA are unlikely to happen unless sanactions are removed)
The store will offer civilian unlicensed and souvenir products developed under the Kalashnikov brand, and the products of our company partners
I am not sure if they support export shipping from the online shop.
By the end of 2015, the shop will be filled up with two hundred civilian goods, including the weight-and-size weapon prototypes, glasses and headphones designed for target shooting, clothing items, T-shirts, caps, sweatshirts, pens, bags, and other souvenir products bearing the Kalashnikov symbols.
“By 2020, the civil goods are supposed to provide about 50% of the Kalashnikov Group total earnings. We are planning to achieve this result by introducing the new product categories accessible for the mass-market customers, such as clothes, souvenir products, weapon prototypes and various associated goods for sports and other activities,” the Marketing Director Vladimir Dmitriev said. “We trust that during the following 3-5 years, this business line will be able to bring up to 5% of the total sales volume. We are working on expanding our retail network and, in this respect, opening the brand online store is considered to be an important step in that direction”.
Link the the Kalashnikov Koncern http://kalashnikov.com/en/