E-cigarette maker Juul Labs issued a statement responding to its settlement agreement with the state of North Carolina reached on June 28 in a lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General Josh Stein alleging Juul marketed its products to minors. The company agreed to pay $40 million to North Carolina and the e-cigarette maker will…
Newly Redesigned Website
Calico Brands Inc. announced the launch of its newly redesigned corporate website at www.calicobrands.com. The new website features a streamlined, modern design, improved functionality and navigation, and easy access to essential product information. The site showcases all product lines available under the Scripto and King brand names and features updated product descriptions and details. It […]
What Are Modified Risk Tobacco Products?
The term ‘modified risk tobacco products’ came onto the scene after regulators became concerned that tobacco products marketed using words like “light” or “mild” might give consumers the impression that the products posed less of a health risk than other tobacco products. Consequently, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, enacted into law in…
Shaping the Tobacco Back Bar
Last month, in a National Advisory Group (NAG) webinar titled “The Future of Tobacco: Reshaping the back bar amidst legislative threats and PMTA,” Grier Bailey, executive director of the Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association, shared key advocacy goals and considerations for convenience store retailers. “We have to protect — to the degree that we can…
Cigars Face New Challenges
The late-April announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it plans to effectively ban all flavors of mass-produced cigars (as well as menthol cigarettes) within the next year sent a loud warning signal to c-store operators, for whom flavored cigars are a popular item. The proposed ban is intended to “help significantly reduce…
Modern Oral Nicotine Sales Bolster Smokeless Segment
Smokeless category sales have climbed at c-stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the modern oral nicotine segment lifting the category. Retailers are optimistic about the category in the year ahead, but also eyeing both regulatory and economic headwinds for the remainder of 2021. Sales of smokeless tobacco rang in at $8.30 billion, up 6.4% for…
Lighters See Double-Digit Growth at C-Stores
Pandemic lockdowns led to customers stocking up on their favorite products wherever and whenever they could find them, and the data reflects this: Smoking accessories saw a massive 23.5% increase in dollar sales and a 16.3% increase in unit sales for the latest 52 weeks ending April 18, 2021, according to IRI Total U.S. Convenience…
Why Are Some Smokers Switching to Smokeless Tobacco?
For generations, cigarettes benefited from the textbook definition of brand loyalty. Smokers rarely switched from one brand to another once they landed on a product they preferred. The smokeless tobacco segment also enjoyed a similar level of customer consistency. What’s more, smokers and smokeless tobacco users traditionally represented two distinct customer demographics. Although brand loyalty…
Cigarette Sales Show Strong Rebound
When c-store operators talk cigarettes these days, they inevitably end up talking taxation and legislation. And as America struggles to find the proper balance between individual rights and societal responsibility, retailers everywhere are getting squeezed. But as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is reason for optimism as cigarettes over the past year have…
Limited-Edition Packaging and Contest
Swisher Sweets announced the launch of an exciting contest, Life is Sweet, along with limited-edition Swisher Sweets Red packaging. From June 21 through Aug. 27, adult consumers can enter the Life is Sweet contest by uploading a photo or video with a caption describing why they are the No. 1 Swisher Sweets fan. There will […]