It’s that tobacco time of the year

The world of tobacco is shrinking for a number of reasons, not least being that the major tobacco companies are now by and large committed to going smokeless in the medium term and are switching to making alternative nicotine products – vapes, pouches, heated tobacco. This is helped along by hostile government legislation globally (although tobacco sales are often given a bit of a boost by ridiculous anti-vape legislation), to the extent that you might assume that it’s all over for traditional smoking.

But that would be badly wrong, not least being the advent of the festive season, when people let their hair down and indulge in “bad” habits such as smoking and drinking, and increasingly expensive tobacco products can be exchanged as very welcome gifts by those who still indulge, making it most worthwhile for retailers to pay attention to the seasonal uptick in tobacco sales.

The profile of festive tobacco is of course dominated by “celebration” smokes, namely cigars and cigarillos, tobacco products that signify more than normal cigarettes that something is on the special side. For those old enough to recall, there was no experience quite like entering a cigar-smoke-filled pub for a pre-dinner pint at Christmas lunch-time, and literally not being able to see the bar because of the crush of sports-jacketed punters and the fug of corona and Cohiba smoke lying in dense strata from table-level to ceiling: the good old days.

There are still at least six and a half million smokers in the UK (some statistics cite over four million RYO smokers alone), which remains a small-ish but significant proportion of the adult population, and it would be unwise to neglect them over the festive season. Whether it’s treating themselves of a friend or family member to a carton or two of their favourite cigarette brand, picking up a pricey stogie or two, treating themselves to a packet of cigars or cigarillos, or perhaps trying something entirely new, the lead-up period to Christmas is a good time to stock up and (where possible) merchandise or make suggestions for tobacco pleasure over the holidays.

Cigars and Cigarillos

“It’s certainly not a new trend, and retailers won’t need me to tell them, but its typically larger cigars that people will gravitate towards as a bit of a Christmas treat when they are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy it,” says Prianka Jhingan, Head of Marketing at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK.

She says that the latest data shows the total UK cigar category to be worth £322.4m in annual sales, which is a value increase of 10.8 per cent versus the same time last year.

“With the value of tobacco in the UK totalling £13.8 billion in the last year, with the value in the independent and symbol channel accounting for £5.5 billion of that, the market remains a strong and profitable category for retailers. JTI is the number one tobacco manufacturer in the UK, and we hold an impressive combined market share of 43.9 per cent. With existing adult smokers increasingly influenced by price, we have continued to innovate our value product offering, launching new products to meet demand and help retailers to drive sales.”

She emphasises the importance of the winter season.

“Retailers will know that in the run-up to Christmas cigar sales go up, so it’s really important for them to get their range right so they can take advantage of those extra sales opportunities,” Prianka says. “My advice is always to make sure you have brands like our Henri Wintermans Half Corona in stock as it is easily the UK’s best-selling medium / large cigar and has a loyal following due to its quality blend and heritage. And because it’s a real festive favourite, around this time of year we release a limited-edition pack to add a personal touch to the brand and celebrate its long heritage and continuing success. This year’s pack is designed in a timeless pin stripe suit with the logo and information stitched into the fabric, which reflects both the aspirational nature of the product and the attention to detail that goes into crafting these fine cigars.”

The Henri Wintermans Half Corona is easily the biggest brand in the medium / large segment and is now the UK’s fifth biggest selling cigar in value terms, with annual sales worth £16.3m. The new limited edition "Gentleman" pack adds a personal touch to the brand and celebrates its long heritage and continuing success, designed in a pin stripe suit with the logo and information detail stitched into the fabric, which reflects both the aspirational nature of the product and the attention to detail that goes into crafting the cigars. Despite the changes to the packaging, the cigars inside remain the same.

“Retailers certainly won’t need me to tell them that sales of larger cigars go up in the build up to Christmas when adult smokers are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy them. Our Henri Wintermans Half Corona is always a big seller at this time of year and this limited issue Gentleman’s edition pack should only increase sales further. My advice to retailers is to stock up on it.

Prianka says it is vital to know the preferred choices of regular adult smoking customers, and always keep those brands in stock so you don’t give them any reason to shop elsewhere – and particularly at this time of year, make sure to stock larger cigars, so you don’t miss out on the gifting opportunity.

Of course, cigarillos also sell in the category with a seasonal uplift, and STG recently anticipated the coming festive period with two limited-edition designs for its ten-pack tins of both Signature Blue and Signature Original miniature cigars.

Last year Signature celebrated its 60th anniversary since launch, and also announced the return of ten-pack tins to ensure optimal freshness and preservation. Today, annual UK sales of Signature cigars are worth more than £45m a year, with the brand having strong products in both the miniature and cigarillo segments.

Finally, she recommends not to neglect the Signature Action brand, which is currently the UK’s fastest growing single click cigarillo, and an important part of the cigarillo success story within cigars. She reveals that the category barely existed four or five years ago but sales are now worth nearly £142m and they account for more than half of all cigars sold in volume terms.

“The key thing cigars and cigarillos offer retailers that other forms of tobacco don’t is of course great profit margins,” adds Prianka. “On average, they are three times higher than cigarettes, so for example, our Moments Blue brand offers up to 18 per cent margin when sold at its RRP, and there’s not many products in the tobacco category that can match that. However, with cigars, it’s more important to stock the right range rather a big range, so we usually advise retailers to consider stocking the top two or three brands in each of the four main cigar segments, as the top ten biggest sellers overall account for well over 90 per cent of total sales.”

Gemma Bateson, Sales Director at JTI UK, points out that JTI is the No.1 cigar manufacturer in the UK, with a market share of 59.8 per cent, and here colleague, Marketing Director Mark McGuinness, adds, “The cigarillo category continues to see notable growth in both the grocery and convenience channels, now worth approximately £9 million a month.”

JTI responded to this last year by broadening its cigarillo portfolio, introducing Sterling Dual Double Capsule Leaf Wrapped, which features a blend of peppermint and berry mint capsules, providing a dual flavour and enhanced taste.

“Since launching in 2019, Sterling Dual Capsule Leaf Wrapped has continued to be popular and profitable for retailers and is the fastest-growing cigar brand in the UK and the top cigarillo brand, with a 91.8 per cent market share. As existing adult smokers continue to demand innovative flavours, we wanted to build on this by providing retailers with flavours that respond to current trends, with berry and menthol already popular flavours within other categories, such as Nicotine Pouches and Heated Tobacco products.

“What’s more, the low price point and the fact we can offer a 10 pack, means retailers can cater to those shoppers looking for value-for-money tobacco options.”

Trad smokes

Imperial Brands’ Consumer Marketing Director, Yawer Rasool, points out that the tobacco category is still very much alive (alight?), worth a pre-tax £14bn, and therefore still important to convenience retailers. Factory Made Cigarettes (FMC) currently hold the lion’s share of the market, worth 70 per cent of tobacco sales, with Roll Your Own (RYO) accounting for 30 per cent – and Rasool emphasises that the smoker is retrenching in general, favouring budget or “value” smokes as prices continue to rise.

"We’re seeing shopper demand for value rise across the entire tobacco category,” he says. “As a result, products in the lowest pricing tiers now account for the majority of all tobacco sales. In fact, the value tier, combined with the economy sector, now make up a substantial 69 per cent of all FMC sales and 54 per cent of all RYO sales.”

With the biggest share of all tobacco sales, the FMC category holds a huge amount of value for retailers, and this goes especially for the festive season as purse strings are loosened. “With products in the lowest pricing tiers (economy and value) now worth 69 per cent of all FMC sales, it’s clear the category is very much driven by demand for value.

As such, he recommends the popular Embassy Signature New Crush and L&B Blue New Crush variants to enable retailers to cater to the ongoing demand for value tobacco.

Since menthol was banned, the L&B Blue New Crush Fusion and Embassy Signature New Crush Fusion, can provide the opportunity to enjoy an instant cooling sensation thanks to its “Fusion” large bore filter, which is nearly 20 per cent larger than a standard-size bore

The New Crush Fusion range also features a white tip for the ultimate contemporary look and feel, a resealable foil to guarantee continuous freshness, as well as special tipping paper to provide the innovative cooling sensation.

Gemma Bateson agrees that “It’s no surprise value brands are so sought after in the current climate, so we have made sure we’ve continued to innovate to offer choice to customers.”

In response to this environment, in 2023 JTI repositioned Sovereign Blue to a competitive RRP in line with its other Ultra-Value options.

“As existing adult smokers continue to look for more affordable options in the market, retailers should focus on stocking Ultra-Value tobacco brands now more than ever. From B&H Blue RYO to Mayfair Silver, we are dedicated to innovating in this sector to help retailers answer the current demand,” she added.

Mark McGuinness pointed out that JTI had also expanded its Ultra-Value RMC range with the launch of Mayfair Gold to offer existing adult smokers’ greater variety. “Joining our Ultra-Value offering across all channels last year, Mayfair Gold joined Mayfair Silver as one of our lowest-priced cigarette brands. The product offers the same premium-quality Virginia blend that is synonymous with the Mayfair brand and has sold 1.5 million packs since launch, achieving £16.9 million in sales.”

Also still available is Imperial’s Embassy Signature Silver Edition which it brought back for a limited time, and which benefits from premium features, including the finest tobacco blend, reduced smoke smell paper and high-quality packaging with a resealable foil. The latest launch now also offers a new diamond-shaped bore filter for a unique smoking experience, all for the very attractive low price point of £12.75 per pack of 20s.

Yawer Rasool, Consumer Marketing Director UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands, comments: “As consumers continue to seek out the greatest value for money possible, many adult smokers are increasingly buying tobacco products in the lowest price tiers. In fact, over a quarter of tobacco sales are now within the low-price tier and this is also the largest sector in growth. However, while shoppers are looking for value, many don’t want to comprise on quality.

“Through the launch of our Embassy Signature Silver Edition, we’re directly addressing both of these consumer needs with a completely unique product that offers exceptional quality and premium features from the well-known Embassy brand, all at a great value price point. The new packs will only be available for a limited time only so we’d recommend that retailers stock up now to take advantage of the summer sales on offer while they can.”

Loose tobacco

With consumers remaining money conscious, Roll Your Own (RYO) product sales within the value price sector are on the increase, making it the fastest growing segment, accounting for almost a quarter (24 per cent) of all RYO sales.

Data also shows that 30g packs of rolling tobacco are now the most popular with this format now making up a significant 69 per cent of all RYO sales.

According to JTI’s McGuinness, with 6.7 million kilograms of RYO sold in the UK each year, the category offers a significant opportunity for retailers to maximise sales by stocking up on value RYO Essential Rolling Tobacco.

“To cater for this demand,” says Rasool, “it’s key that retailers stock the right RYO product offering and we would highly recommend offering a wide range of leading brands such as Embassy Signature, Riverstone and Players JPS. Although 30g formats may be proving the most popular for shoppers, larger formats still account for 31 per cent of RYO sales so ensuring a range of 50g formats is available should also be a focus.

”We would add that in the festive season, the price point of 50g RYO packs could be perfect for gifting and would certainly be appreciated by recipients.

And while products in the value and economy price tiers make up over half of RYO sales, Rasool adds, the premium price sector in fact holds the largest share of the RYO market at 36 per cent. “This really demonstrates that, despite the focus on value, there are still many adult smokers who remain brand loyal and are willing to pay a more premium price for a brand that they know and trust.”

He recommends that retailers stock a range of leading premium RYO brands, including Golden Virginia – and a few months back, Imperial announced the extension of its the range with the launch of a new rolling tobacco blend, Golden Virginia Amber Blend – the first to have been launched by the brand in 15 years.

It features a smooth, rich and aromatic flavour profile, alongside lower moisture content from sun dried leaf, designed to elevate the smoking experience. The product has been well-received during consumer testing, indicating a strong appeal amongst adult smokers and is available in a 30g pouch, the ideal product for those looking for premium quality rolling tobacco at an affordable price point. The new blend also benefits from a new zip click feature, ensuring freshness from the first to the last use.

JTI’s Ultra Value Mayfair Gold also recently made a debut as an RYO tobacco 30g (RYO).

Ultra Value remains the fastest-growing segment in the tobacco category, and Mayfair Gold Rolling Tobacco guarantees premium quality Virginia tobacco at an Ultra Value RRP of just £18.50 per 30g pouch.

The launch builds on the success of Mayfair Gold ready-made cigarettes (RMC) which have achieved a retail sales value of £46.7M since launching in September 2023 and is the fastest growing RMC brand in Independent & Symbol Groups in the last 12 months.

“We fi­nd new product launches are helpful for our business across all categories, even in tobacco where customers are more brand loyal," said Aruna Patel, Rons News, Worcestershire. "Mayfair is a popular brand, and we’d recommend Mayfair Gold to other retailers, as price is the main factor for our customers.”

To celebrate the launch, JTI is also offering retailers a chance to win prizes including a gold wrapped Mini, £100 gift cards, iPads, and headphones as part of a competition launching on its retailer hub, JTI 360.

As of 9 September, for 24 weeks, all retailers that are signed up to JTI 360 are eligible to enter by scanning the barcodes of the Mayfair Gold RYO or RMC outers using the JTI 360 scanner, with each barcode acting as an entry ticket. Five tickets will be drawn each week for 24 weeks. At the end of the 24-week period, one ticket will be selected to win the gold wrapped Mini.

Then there is Sterling value RYO tobacco. “Currently the UK’s leading value RYO brand, we reformatted Sterling Essential Rolling in 2023,” says McGuinness. “Featuring rolling papers, an enhanced blend and a convenient zip pouch, the new features offer an easy and accessible format for existing adult smokers, with everything they need in one pouch.”

RYO looks like a perfect gifting opportunity for the increasing number of value-seeking UK smokers.

HNB: smoke without fire

Fair enough, these Heat Not Burn (HNB) devices do not fit the traditional tobacco category, and strictly speaking belong in a Next Generation feature. But ... they do actually use real – treated and re-formed – tobacco, and even if there is neither fire nor smoke (merely heat; just enough to release the taste without any harmful chemicals due to combustion), they can legitimately take their place in a Festive Tobacco feature, not least because they make such perfect gifts for the wavering smoker at Christmas-time.

There are two major market HNB devices in the UK, and both are massively increasing their footprint and share year by year. The initial outlay for an HNB device need not be prohibitive (although as personal devices, beautiful luxury versions are available), and offers on starter kits are frequently offered. On top of that, the tobacco sticks also make great gifts.

Victoria Lopez Aguas, Reduced-Risk Products Director at JTI UK, points out that the Heated Tobacco category was worth £105 million in the last year in Traditional Retail, with a growth of 25.9 per cent YOYY, with over 20.3 million Heated Tobacco unit sales – a YOY growth of 20.8 per cent.

“The Heated Tobacco market continues to grow as existing adult smokers search for alternatives that can be used instead of, or alongside, their traditional tobacco products," she explains. “The Heated Tobacco category was worth £105 million (in the past year in Traditional Retail), presenting a huge opportunity for retailers.

In September 2023 JTI launched Ploom X Advanced, an updated version of the Ploom X device. It featured an optimised “HeatFlow” system, with higher vapour volume during initial puffs offering an enhanced user experience, and faster charging, it now takes less than 90 minutes to achieve a full charge – and has proven a great success, winning Product of the Year, taking market share from the tobacco sector and attracting new vape and next gen adherents.

Ploom X Advanced is now available in a selection of strong-value pre-packed bundles: the Ploom Essential bundle (£17), the Ploom Flavour Bundle (£24) and the Ploom Starter Bundle (£29) – all brilliantly priced as gifts.

“Existing adult smokers could also save up to £3,600 a year with Ploom, based on comparing the average cost of 20 cigarettes with 20 EVO Tobacco Sticks per day,” adds Lopez Aguas. After the budget, they could save even more!

The other innovative and successful HNB device is IQOS from Philip Morris. There is apparently no truth to the rumour that it stands for “I Quit Ordinary Smoking”, but the description remains true for very many people who are flocking to it as their choice for enjoying tobacco. Back in February, Philip Morris International (PMI) announced total global net revenues of IQOS actually surpassed sales of its Marlboro cigarette brand at the end of 2023 to become PMI’s number one international nicotine brand on this measure. The company called it a key milestone on PMI’s journey to becoming a smoke-free company.

In September, Philip Morris Limited (PML – the UK element of the global entity) expanded its flavour portfolio for IQOS ILUMA with the launch of TEREA Pearls – now available for Festive purposes.

PML explains that the TEREA Pearls range features innovative capsule technology, enabling users to switch seamlessly from a traditional tobacco blend to a unique flavour with a single click – an enhancement that elevates flavour delivery, offering an enriched experience for users.

It means the TEREA flavour range now has thirteen flavours including the four new ones: Abora Pearl (Tobacco Blend with Strawberry and Basil), Amelia Pearl (Tobacco Blend with Watermelon with Menthol), Starling Pearl (Tobacco Blend with Green Apple with Menthol) and Twilight Pearl (Tobacco Blend with Blueberry with Menthol).

“The responsible use of flavours is a critical factor in helping adult smokers switch to better alternatives,” explained John Rennie, Commercial Director. “With capsulated combustible cigarettes no longer available in the UK, capsulated heated tobacco products offer retailers a unique proposition for legal-aged nicotine users to seamlessly switch from traditional tobacco blends to unique flavour blends,” he said.

“The TEREA Pearls range strengthens the flavour portfolio of IQOS ILUMA with a real tobacco alternative that elevates the heated tobacco experience in a market where demand for capsulated products remains strong,”.

Retailers can benefit from profit-on-return (POR) offers on select TEREA Pearls, which are used exclusively with IQOS ILUMA.

IQOS ILUMA complements gantries because, when used with TEREA, it delivers real tobacco taste and satisfaction, while emitting 95per cent less harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes and enables savings of up to £3,000 a year.

Accessorize!

Tobacco accessories can make perfect stocking fillers for Christmas, from lighters and fancy matches to pipe cleaners and cutters, cases and pouches, and of course the colourful and varied world of cigarette papers.

Imperial Brands has just released an eye-catching cigarette paper design, created by a customer, that brings a unique appeal to a new limited-edition range of king-size slim papers from the Rizla brand.

The Super Thin Silver papers come in three attractive – one might even say festive – designs, which form a complete image when placed together: the perfect mini gift.

The final design – featuring an interpretation of Michelangelo’s sculpture of David, with each version having a differing vibrant and colourful background – was chosen from more than 580 entries submitted via Instagram for a global competition which reached an audience of more than two million people.

The new papers provide retailers with an additional sales opportunity – and further demonstrate how the iconic Rizla brand continues to deliver strong visual appeal backed by unrivalled product quality.

Yawer Rasool explained: “King size slim papers ( created and introduced to the market in the 1970s) seem to have lost none of their popularity with customers and that was one of the reasons we decided to add new limited-edition papers to the line-up – and ask our customers to come up with an eye-catching new design which would work with our established brand look.

“The Instagram competition was hugely popular and drew a vast range of entries, meaning our judges had a really tough time picking a winner to be used on the new packs.

“In the end they went for a novel design where each pack works individually but also in combination with the other two to form a larger image. The design truly reflects the unique image of the Rizla brand, delivering the iconic look and feel which continues to appeal to millions of smokers worldwide. We believe the trio of designs will definitely catch the eye of customers to pick up a pack – or even all three!”

Each bright and colourful pack contains 32 king-size papers and is available to buy at an MRRP of just £0.99 and represent the latest chapter in Rizla’s unique journey which, for more than two centuries, has seen the brand pioneer major developments in this category – from the world’s first hand-rolling machine to the launch of rolling papers with gum, and papers with cut corners.

Gavin Anderson, Sales & Marketing Director at Republic Technologies, says that choice remains key in the diverse tobacco accessories market, and never more so than when customers are thinking of treating themselves or others during t festive season.

Retailers who offer tobacco accessories to shoppers a broad range of products are benefiting most from the continued growth of the £376m market, which is currently growing at +10.2 per cent [Circana Total Marketplace 52 w/e 18/02/24] year on year.

“Shoppers in this category have a range of different usage occasions and purchasing habits, so choice is absolutely key in maximising engagement and sales in tobacco accessories,” says Anderson.

“Those retailers who offer a varied selection of product formats, from king size papers to eco-friendly filters are seeing the highest levels of repeat purchase which is a key driver for incremental sales.”

Backed by category-boosting NPD and sustained marketing support for all its leading brands, Republic Technologies currently accounts for approximately 40 per cent of total marketplace sales, with a diverse range of brands and products designed to meet the needs of every RYO shopper’s needs.

Papers remain the highest value subcategory in tobacco accessories, worth over £115 million and growing YOY. Republic Technologies’ eco-friendly OCB range continues to outperform other papers in both value and volume growth, maintaining its position as the UK’s fastest growing paper brand in the tracked market, at +40 per cent [Circana Total Marketplace Paper Sales 52 w/e 26/11/23].

Tobacco accessories can also be used as a signpost for related products and Republic Technologies’ space efficient Perspex units are driving both awareness and demand. The multi brand units feature interchangeable inserts for multiple bestselling brands.

“They enable retailers to create eye-catching off-gantry displays, and not only do they draw attention to new products, generating interest and impulse purchase, they also create more opportunities to upsell, as retailers can site them close to other tobacco related products,” says Anderson.

As shoppers continue to seek value in their everyday purchases, Anderson is also highlighting the benefit of stocking multipacks.

“Multipacks offer better value for both retailers and consumers at a time when rising numbers of cost-conscious shoppers want to get an even better return from their sales across the tobacco accessories category,” he adds.

Anderson stresses that NPD continues to underpin the growth of the tobacco accessories category and explains how Republic Technologies is accelerating demand for its strong performing OCB range with the introduction of OCB Authentic REAL Rice Papers.

“We know that OCB Rice Papers will appeal to the growing number of roll your own consumers who are now looking more closely at products with natural ingredients. OCB always delivers on quality and value, which has led to strong levels of loyalty with shoppers,” adds Anderson.

Organic and chlorine free, OCB Rice Papers are made from a blend of rice and organic hemp. The unbleached, ultra-thin papers deliver a premium rolling and slow-burning experience in a natural, brown paper.

Featuring 32 papers per pack, OCB Rice is available in both Slim and Slim & Tips.

Make sure Santa stops at your store this year.