B) Read and translate the text with the help of a dictionary. The Russian Market of Chocolate

The research of company "Business Analytica"

During the first six months of 2006, chocolates in bulk appeared to be the most sought-after chocolate product in Russia with about 45% of the market. The second runner-up were chocolate bars with 27%. Chocolate gift boxes and chocolate-coated candy bars followed. The popularity of bulk chocolates and bars is accounted for by their lower price compared to gift boxes. Chocolate-coated candy bars stay in demand due to their precise consumer targeting and aggressive advertising.

Early this year, Nestle Group remained the leading player in Russia's chocolate market. Nestle operates the Rossiya, Konditer, Altay and Kama factories. The company is working to maximize its presence in every sector of the chocolate market. It is currently No. 1 for bars and chocolate gift boxes. The nation's top five chocolate producers include two other multinationals: Mars and Stollwerck. In the first half of 2001, foreign companies (including Cadbury) commanded over 43% of the Russian chocolate market. Some of the top domestic players are Babayevsky and SladCo (No. 4 in the top five). In 2001, SladCo launched a new chocolate line slated for nation-wide distribution.

The most chocolate is sold in Central Russia: 29% of the nation's total, which is in line with the population prorate (Central Russia is home to 28.3% of the country's population). The least chocolate is sold in the Far East, a region with merely 3.3% of Russia's population. Overall, regional sales patterns tend to follow population geography.

Nearly 3 out of every 4 chocolate bars consumed by Russians were made at a Russia-based factory controlled by an overseas owner, usually, Nestle, Stollwerck or Cadbury. Their leadership is secured by their extensive output scale, affordable prices and highly efficient distribution. The positions of Russian manufacturers – Babayevsky and Krasny Oktyabr – are rather modest. They do not utilize their full potential. Their marketing policies are weak and their prices are 10% to 15% higher than those of their international competitors. Russky Shokolad is one of the few dynamic, promising domestic producers of chocolate bars. Having entered the market in late 1998, the company won 3% of the country's chocolate bar market by mid-2006.

In 2001, the leading chocolate brands on the market were Stollwerck's Alpen Gold and Aerated. Nestle Classic came third. Stollwerck was marketing and promoting its three anchor brands: Alpen Gold, Aerated and Gifts of Pokrov. Nestle pursued a mixed marketing policy: for Nestle Classic, it used the western branding technique; for the Rossiya chocolate family, the policy was to promote the umbrella brand Rossiya rather than any specific product.

The first six months of 2007 saw the same trend that had become apparent in 2004, continued: regular chocolate was losing ground to aerated, flavored and filled chocolate despite their slightly higher prices. At the moment, filled and flavored chocolate (with nuts, raisins, etc.) takes up 36% of the segment. Regular chocolate (plain and milk) which held the lead a year ago currently comes second.

Chocolate comes in an increasing variety of sizes. Sales of chocolate bars weighing more than 100 g, less than 50 g or between 51 and 100 g have been on the rise, but the "classic" Russian size of 100 g has been losing ground.

The lion's share of filled chocolate bars (more than 90%) is also supplied by foreign companies with factories in Russia: Mars, Nestle and Cadbury. Mars is the unrivalled leader, followed by Nestle and Cadbury far behind. Following a merger between its group member companies, SladCo has positioned itself as the top fourth player in this sector. The Belgorod-based Slavianka factory, which produces filled chocolate bars exclusively, is another domestic player of prominence.

Brand ratings show that, as far as bars are concerned, Mars' Snickers, Mars and Bounty are still the leaders. However, the company's other brands – Twix, Fint and Milky Way – aren't too far behind. Aggressive marketing and advertising are still hallmarks of Mars' policy. Last year, the company launched its Snickers Super, Bounty Magic and Twix Black. The Fint brand created in 2000 specially for Russia now rules 8% of the segment thanks to aggressive marketing. Nestle's Shok holds about 10% of the bars segment. It is also the cheapest of the best-selling chocolate bars on the market.

Nestle's Rossiya is the market leader in chocolate gift boxes. The second runner-up, Stollwerck, is behind by a wide margin. Babayevsky is the leading domestic producer, while Krasny Oktyabr's position has deteriorated. In this segment, local producers usually prevail in their respective markets: Krupskaya Factory and Azart in St. Petersburg, Bulay in Tatarstan, and so on.

The market of chocolate gift boxes has witnessed a particularly formidable growth in the premium sector. Almost 50% of chocolate gift boxes sold are boxes weighing 200 g to 300 g; smaller boxes and boxes weighing 300 g to 400 g have about 20% each.

Bulk chocolate is the only market segment still dominated by domestic producers. The No. 1 is Babayevsky followed by Nestle, Krasny Oktyabr and SladCo.

Babayevsky, Krasny Oktyabr and Rot Front products sell the best in Moscow. Regional markets are largely controlled by local producers and imports from the former Soviet Union. In 2000 and 2001, Russia was inundated with relatively inexpensive bulk chocolate imports, mainly from Ukraine. According to Business Analytica estimates, those imports currently supply over 20% of the segment. Nearly 7% of the segment is supplied by SladCo group companies, who specialize in bulk chocolate.