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IN JULY, A SMALL SHOP OPENED
ever so quiet-
ly inWilliamsburg, the trendy Brooklyn neigh-
borhood known as a habitat for the hippest of
hip young New Yorkers.The first of its kind on
American shores, the 300-square-foot store-
front’s modest size belied the ambitious goals
behind its launch: to introduce snus—an alter-
native to combustible cigarettes that has yet to
gain traction in the U.S.—to trendsetters.
“The idea originated in Sweden, where we
the company experimented with a location that
was part historical, part library, and part cus-
tomer experience, and found that it was an ex-
cellent branding element for us—a way to talk
more about Swedish Match and the brand and
our message,” explains Joe Ackerman, market-
ing director at Swedish Match. “Since one of
the things that is difficult in tobacco today is
raising awareness, when we considered some of
the markets that we wanted to penetrate, we
thought, ‘What if we tried a similar approach
on a pop-up basis to see if the concept would
work in the U.S.?’”
The company decided to debut two versions
of the idea in two different markets relatively
simultaneously, choosing Los Angeles’ Venice
Beach and Brooklyn, New York as test markets.
“In both stores, the intent was to blend Swed-
ish culture and heritage with things indigenous
to the area,” explains Ackerman. “For example,
in Brooklyn we use subway tiles on the counter
and Swedish artwork on the walls.”
EAST VS. WEST
Both locations offer a selection of General brand
snus and lounge areas in which to experience
them, but almost everything else about them is
different—even the names. The Swedish Tobac-
conist in Williamsburg is very much a neighbor-
hood shop, relying primarily on word-of-mouth
marketing and seeking to cultivate a base of
regular customers.The 700-square-foot Swedish
Snus Store in Venice Beach, on the other hand, is
a far more extensive presence, providing an array
of seating options conducive to relaxation and to
serving as a workplace alternative.
Left: Located in what was once a
dilapidated surf bungalow, Swedish
Snus Store offers patrons a place
to socialize, work and—of course—
experience snus.
Right: Joe Ackerman, Marketing
Director at Swedish Match
14
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016