A Mississippi tobacco retailer is questioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s plan that will require tobacco makers to include graphic health warnings and graphic images on cigarette packaging and advertisements, “It’s another form of Big Daddy trying to tell people what to do,” said Frank Williams of Gulfport, who owns three Smokey’s Discount Tobacco…
Smokeless Sales Show Promise
While managing new products and planograms is vital, retailers will need to keep an eye out for federal tax increases and FDA intervention over the next 12 months. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor. Smokeless tobacco has outperformed expectations for three straight years—which, while good, leaves many in the industry fearing it’s only a matter of…
FDA Sends Warning Letter To Adult-Only Tobacco Stores
As FDA cracks down on adult-only tobacco stores, NATO seeks clarification from FDA on whether a “bouncer” is needed at the door to check IDs. Some adult-only tobacco stores have been receiving warning letters regarding a failure to ensure that no minors enter the store, and for failure to have a staff member checking IDs…
Emphasizing Category Management
By: John Lofstock, Editor. Convenience Store Decisions‘ annual Category Management Outlook issue is routinely one of my favorite issues of the year because it gives the CSD staff an opportunity not only to analyze the industry’s performance over the past 12 months, but to forecast the sales trends retailers can expect to see over the…
Renewed Optimism for Cigars
Amid the chaos of legislation and taxation, convenience store retailers remain optimistic they can retain OTP customers and even pick up some new ones trading down from cigarettes. By: Joe Bush, Contributing Editor. Not much been predictable about the tobacco category over the past 18 months. Huge taxes increases have renewed questions about just how…
TPE 2011 Kicks Off in Las Vegas
E-cigarettes are a big trend on the show floor, with several new manufacturers showcasing electronic products. The Tobacco Plus Expo International (TPE) opened in Las Vegas on March 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, bringing together a broad array of tobacco, tobacco products and accessories under one roof. On the show floor, the major…
Seizing Smokeless Opportunities
The tobacco customer is changing, along with consumers’ product options, which is driving optimism for a strong 2011. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor. Eric Choncko is a 31-year-old locomotive engineer living in North Texas. He also is a regular snuff user and a core convenience store customer. He chose that tobacco product over cigarettes several…
Dissolvable Tobacco Products Under Attack
This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that GlaxoSmithKline PLC has asked the FDA to remove dissolvable smokeless tobacco products from the market until companies that manufacture the products demonstrate to the FDA that the marketing of such products is appropriate for the protection of the public health, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO)…
Maintaining Strong Smokeless Sales
The slew of new regulations governing the sale of tobacco products has convenience store operators scratching their heads and wondering where the next assault will come from and what to do about it. For example:• The federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act) went into effect on June 29, 2010. Its goal is to…
PACT Act Confusion
The federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act) goes into effect today, June 29, 2010. PACT Act is set to regulate the sale of cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco and smokeless tobacco sold over the Internet or by mail order to consumers. But, one provision of the PACT Act has caused some confusion, according to the…