Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has announced the winner of its Mayfair Gold competition – Imran Ghaffar, of Wilsons Supermarket, Kirkcaldy, who has driven away with a brand-new Mini Cooper.
The competition opened in September 2024 to support the launch of the Mayfair Gold Rolling Tobacco (RYO) and to continue momentum for already successful Mayfair Gold Ready Made Cigarettes (RMC).
Running until the end of February, the competition was open to all retailers signed up to JTI360. Participants earned entries by scanning the barcodes of Mayfair Gold RMC or RYO outers using the JTI360 scanner. Each scanned code acted as an entry ticket. Each week, five tickets were drawn, with retailers winning prizes such as £100 gift cards, iPads, and headphones.
At the end of the competition period, one overall winner was drawn from all of the previous entries. The competition gained a massive 142,000 entries, and lucky entrant Imran Ghaffar emerged as the grand prize winner.
“I was delighted to get that call that I had won,” said Ghaffar. “My family and I were very excited. I am going to give the car to my daughter, so she is very happy.”
Lisa Anderson, Marketing Director at JTI UK, said the competition was a “fantastic opportunity” for them to continue supporting “hard-working retailers” across the UK.
“We recognise the vital role they play in communities up and down the country, and we're proud to offer initiatives like this that reward their hard work and dedication. We congratulate Imran and hope he enjoys his new car,” Anderson added.
With existing adult smokers increasingly looking for products that offer premium quality at an ultra-value or value price point, JTI continues to invest in the category with recent innovations such as Mayfair Gold, the fastest growing new tobacco brand in 2024, and seeks to give back to loyal retailers.
Mayfair Gold represents JTI’s cheapest offering in both the RMC and RYO sectors, demonstrating JTI’s commitment to the Ultra Value sector – which remains the fastest growing in share terms at 17.6 per cent of the combined tobacco market.
“Over 70 per cent of shoppers who purchase tobacco in convenience say price is the main reason for their visit and the majority of tobacco customers said price is important when purchasing the product in store, therefore, retailers should ensure they remain competitive by selling at RRP,” Anderson suggested.
“Retailers can take advantage of the Margin Calculator on JTI360, JTI’s retailer hub, to establish their profit per pack [of JTI brands], making it easier to set competitive prices without sacrificing profitability.”
Ghaffar added: “Mayfair Gold has been one of my best-selling cigarettes, we have stocked it ever since it launched. Mayfair Gold RYO has also been selling well ever since we began stocking it in September last year. The price is what keeps our customers coming back, with many increasingly looking for good value cigarettes and rolling tobacco.”
