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16
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
MAY/JUNE 2012
NEWS & TRENDS
Harm
Reduction
Update
Camel Snus Mint, which has only been available in
the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, is now being rolled out
to select retail outlets across 27 states, says Richard J.
Smith, spokesperson for RJR.
Those states are: Washington, Oregon, California,
Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin,
Illinois, Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee,
North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and
New York.
“As trends in tobaccousechange, Camel is transforming
by offering adult smokers options, like Camel Snus Mint,
to consider switching to,” explains Smith, who notes
that currently, six styles are offered: Winterchill, Robust,
Mellow, Frost, Frost Large (in select markets) and now
Mint.
RJR expands Camel Snus
R.J. Reynolds is bringing its latest product, Camel Snus Mint, to more retail outlets.
General, Swedish Match’s flagship product, will
now be available in convenience stores and tobacco
outlets in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los
Angeles, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver, Nashville
and throughout the state of Ohio. The company also
recently launched two new flavors in its product
assortment, Nordic Mint and Classic Blend, in Chicago,
Dallas and Philadelphia in mid-2011. Those flavors will
also be available in the new markets, says a company
spokesperson.
“These markets were chosen because they meet a
number of important criteria to maximize the success of
the General brand—from local smoking restrictions to the
number of adult tobacco consumers and the potential
opportunity for the snus category as a whole,” says
Clark Darrah, vice president of Swedish Match’s Next
Generation Products.
“Adult tobacco consumers are increasingly looking for
discrete, satisfying alternatives to traditional smokeless
tobacco and cigarettes,” Darrah continued. “Swedish
snus and the General brand, in particular, has been the
No. 1 choice for discrete tobacco satisfaction among
millions of Swedes for decades, and now American
consumers are finding it to be a superior choice to
traditional American smokeless products.”
Promotional support for the market expansion will
include print and online advertisements, as well as direct
mail, sampling events and a word-of-mouth program
called The General’s Club. More details on The General’s
Club will be announced at a later date.
Swedish Match Expands Snus in U.S.
Company’s General brand of snus will be on store shelves in seven new markets.
Lorillard Buys Blu E-cigs
Manufacturer of traditional cigarettes branches out with acquisition.
In April, blu ecigs announced that it would be acquired by
Lorillard, Inc., the third-largest manufacturer of cigarettes
in the U.S. Industry observers speculate that the move is
an indication that both consumers and cigarette makers
are embracing the category. “I’m pleased Lorillard has
acquired blu ecigs, and am confident this will benefit
e-cigarettes, Lorillard, consumer and public health—a
win, win, win, win,” says Bill Godshall, executive director
of Smokefree Pennsylvania. “I anticipate Altria, Reynolds
and other tobacco companies also will begin marketing
e-cigarettes, which should make these far less hazardous
smokefree alternatives more accessible and appealing to
cigarette smokers, and should encourage millions more
to switch.”