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While the approaches and designs of the two
locations differ, the primary goal is the same for
both stores. “It’s more about education than op-
erating a store,” explains Ackerman. “We’re not
judging their success by how many cans we sell.
We’re trying to raise awareness about the com-
pany and the brands and the benefits of using
our products.”
That effort has been an ongoing challenge for
the company, which has been making snus for
more than 200 years but has had difficulty gain-
ing traction in the U.S. market. The company
is hoping that efforts to win a “modified-risk
tobacco product” (MRTP) designation from
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
will change that by enabling the company to
market its products as a healthier alternative to
combustible cigarettes. “It’s frustrating trying
to be patient about getting the word out when
you know you have a product that has certain
attributes,” says Ackerman. “There is a lot of
confusion in the category about the difference
between moist snuff and other tobacco prod-
ucts.Weare waiting for an FDA decision about
our MRTP designation. Our hope is that if and
when that is announced, it will help lead to ad-
ditional interest and awareness so that people
can learn about the benefits.”
In the meantime, the regulatory changes
now under way may help pave the way for a
migration from vaping to snus—which makes
this an opportune time for the pop-up snus
store concept. For now, the Los Angeles and
Brooklyn stores are both deemed temporary,
slated to close at the end of 2016. But if the
response is positive, Ackerman hasn’t ruled out
the idea of a more permanent retail presence.
“We are going through the evaluation process,
assign[ing] what we would do differently,” he
says. “We’re testing the concept to see if it’s
something we want to incorporate into a big-
ger marketing plan and, if so, how—possibly
by making the stores permanent or by taking
them to different cities.”
TBI
16
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016