Maintaining Strong Cigar Sales

Maintaining Strong Cigar Sales

Despite a demand from adult consumers, retailers are continually forced to defend their right to sell flavored cigars responsibly. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor While tobacco has long been a bread-and-butter product for convenience stores, accounting for millions in individual unit sales and boosting the profits from the average smoker’s market basket, it remains a [...]

Ontario Fights Contraband Cigarettes

Ontario Fights Contraband Cigarettes

“Cigarette butt studies conducted in London, Ontario show the consumption of contraband cigarettes at 20% and at local high schools, as many as 35% of cigarettes smoked by youth were illegal,” says CEO of OCSA. The Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) is pleased to recognize the work and support of all members of the London [...]

FDA Scrutiny Clouds Cigar Outlook

FDA Scrutiny Clouds Cigar Outlook

While flavored and pre-priced cigar sales are booming, FDA’s pending regulation of the category could upset trends and profits. by Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. Tedeschi Food Shops does a strong cigar business, and with 3-4 feet of space reserved for cigars on the back bar, consumers take notice. Sales on cigars were up for the [...]

Dispelling the Myths of Tobacco Control

Dispelling the Myths of Tobacco Control

A response to the recent misleading “Deadly Alliance” report implicating convenience stores. By Seth A. Mailhot, Special Counsel, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. This is the first of what will be a continuing series on the regulation of tobacco retailing. In future articles, I will address the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) regulation [...]

White Owl Silver Cigarillos

White Owl Silver Cigarillos

Ever been asked, “What’s the hottest new flavor?” Now you have the answer: The hottest new flavor is actually unflavored. Introducing White Owl Silver Cigarillos. Unflavored HTL Cigarillos is the fastest growing segment in the cigar category, almost doubling in the last year, according to CMPP 2010 v 2011, Oct. YTD. White Owl Silver offers [...]

Lawsuit Aims To Protect Promotion and Sale of Legal Tobacco Products

Lawsuit Aims To Protect Promotion and Sale of Legal Tobacco Products

Trade associations and seven tobacco manufacturers team to fight tobacco ordinances. On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets Inc. (NATO), the Cigar Association of America Inc. (CAA), along with Lorillard Tobacco Co., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., American Snuff Company, Philip Morris USA Inc., U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Manufacturing Co. LLC, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco [...]

Wood Tip Cigars

Wood Tip Cigars

New from Kretek International: Djarum natural leaf wood tipped cigars in five-packs and 25-count upright units. These new cigars are offered in four new clove blends including Classic, Vanilla, Cherry and Rum. Each blend carries a unique clove signature, smoothed by the imported natural leaf wrapper and a blend of mild tobaccos. Each wood tipped [...]

NACS 2011 Swedish Match

NACS 2011 Swedish Match

“Fresh as the day they were made!” HTL cigar brands exhibited at NACS; Garcia Vega, Game and White Owl. White Owl sweets and Green Sweets. 100% Freshness Guarantee is key to Swedish Match’s product offerings. New and improved line of Game cigarillos with new wrap. White Owl White Grape with a slow burning wrapper. Foil [...]

Blueberry Cigarillos

Blueberry Cigarillos

Extending its product lineup with a new flavor, Swisher has introduced the new Swisher Sweets Blueberry Cigarillos. The new product features special introductory pricing as well as Swisher’s innovative Sealed Fresh foil wrappers. Reaction to the new flavor among consumers has been extremely positive, and the special introductory pricing is expected to help Swisher Sweets [...]

Kretek

Kretek

Today’s cigar smokers are looking for quality, value, variety and taste. Watch this video from Kretek to learn how adding DJARUM Natural Leave Wood Tipped Cigars in four premium flavor blends: classic clove, cherry, vanilla and rum, combined with Kretek’s strong introductory program, display allowances, promotions and merchandising will increase your cigar sales.

New Lagunas Premium Cigarettes

New Lagunas Premium Cigarettes

Kretek International Inc. has launched Lagunas brand premium imported cigarettes by Djarum in the U.S. The Lagunas blend was developed by an international team from Djarum and Kretek over a two-year period of blending and testing. Lagunas’ taste is characterized by a unique combination of tobaccos from the U. S., Brazil Indonesia, Turkey and Greece, [...]

Strong Demand for Cigars

Strong Demand for Cigars

Flavored and single-serve cigars represent a real opportunity for convenience stores to boost tobacco sales. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor. With flavored cigarettes no longer available in the U.S., flavored cigars are in line for sharp sales gains. But with FDA having declared last year that it’s got the cigar industry in its sights, retailers [...]

Two-Pack Filtered Cigar Pouches

Two-Pack Filtered Cigar Pouches

Tantus Tobacco has added two-pack filtered cigar pouches to its Red Buck and Richwood product lines. The new packaging is currently in production at Tantus’ facility in Russell Springs, Ky. The Red Buck foil fresh pouches are available in five flavors: Regular, Special Blend, Mild, Menthol and Cherry. The Richwood foil fresh pouches are available [...]

Menthol Ban Could Fuel Black Market

Menthol Ban Could Fuel Black Market

The FDA is considering a ban on menthol cigarettes in the U.S., a move some fear could have unintended consequences, such as a skyrocketing black market for the products. “What we’re currently facing in the U.S. is the (potential) banning of a currently legal product. We’re very concerned that would create an immediate black market [...]

Sweetening Cigar Sales

Sweetening Cigar Sales

Small filtered cigarellos represent a real albeit temporary opportunity for convenience stores to rack up sales, so get going before the window of opportunity slams shut. These diminutive cigars have gained strong appeal among smokers laboring to afford cigarettes in the wake of multiple tobacco tax hikes. The price differential between filtered cigars and cigarettes [...]