S
C
O
O
P
The Latest
54
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNAT
IONAL
MAY/JUNE 2014
compared to the year prior, according to the
Balvor/Nielsen figures. Regarding the latter
observation, Marlboro and Skoal brand snus
are struggling with declining sales, while
Camel stays steady and General grows, reports
the same source.
Bishop reports that there are four major
snus players in the U.S. (Camel, General, Skoal
and Copenhagen), “but it is dominated by one
brand: Reynolds Camel,” he relays. “It was the
first to launch nationally, and it has proven to
be a sustainable offering.” Still, “we have seen
[that] General has been able to grow in recent
years with relatively little distribution,” he
notes.
Furthermore, Swedish Match’s General, a
Swedish snus introduced in the U.S. in 2011,
has pushed further innovation in the category.
Released on the shelves in the first quarter of
this year, General’s “revolutionary packaging”
not only features a premium brushed metal can
with a fresh foil seal, but also an ergonomic
design with a hinged metal lid, which the
company claims is a first for the smokeless
tobacco category, and is intended to provide
an “easy experience for the consumer when
opening and closing the can.” The new cans
are featured in the flavors of Nordic Mint and
Classic.
On a personal level, Goerts from Speedi
became a snus user about six years ago for the
times he “couldn’t light up in 65-mile-an-hour
winds. I tried a free can from Camel and I was
sold.”
So he put it in his store—the Camel snus—
but it came out shortly after. “We tried it and I
put it in my own freezer with ice cream, but the
county health department had a conniption, so
we took it out,” he relays.
But now, with good growth in the overall
smokeless category, he’s ready to put snus back
in. “The top seller is Camel and I’m talking to
my RJR [R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company]
sales rep—as long as we have a contract,
we can get one of the little coolers you have
to merchandise it in,” Goerts says. “Snus is
Camel
81%
MARLBORO
5%
GENERAL
6%
SKOAL
8%
Smokeless
Market Share
