For non-smokers, the mention of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco very well could conjure up images of cowboys rolling old-fashioned cigarettes beside a campfire. But that’s Hollywood. In real life, RYO tobacco sales still roll in for convenience stores because it continues to appeal to young and old, male and female. Technically, RYO is loose cigarette tobacco…
Tobacco Accessories Tick Up
For years, the most innovative development to hit the subcategory of tobacco accessories was lighter covers highlighting sports teams or colorful designs. There were even the occasional movie- or TV-based themes to attract mega fans. So when BIC introduced the EZ Reach lighter with an extended wand last summer, surely convenience store operators and managers…
Tight Market for RYO
2020 proved a tough year for the roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco segment at convenience stores. “Looking at same-store sales of 2020 versus 2019, we continued to see a downward trend on the RYO category, down 6%; however, that trend slowed some in Q4,” noted Tim Greene, category director of tobacco and general manager for Smoker Friendly.…
What Are ENDS?
ENDS stands for electronic nicotine delivery systems. According to the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA), the first e-cigarette-like product was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 for consideration as a drug delivery device. Despite the agency denying the application, it wasn’t long before e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery…
Vape Sales Push Past Obstacles
Despite a challenging 2020, vape sales have persevered. Electronic smoking devices ended the year with dollar sales in convenience stores up by nearly 5%, thanks to a bump of more than 14% in unit sales per IRI data for calendar year ending Dec. 27, 2020. At the start of 2020, convenience stores began realizing the…
What Is the Difference Between Nicotine Pouches and Lozenges?
They’re both classified as modern oral nicotine products. They’re both tobacco-free. They’re both odorless and spitless. But for convenience store tobacco category managers, there are some key differences to nicotine pouches and nicotine lozenges. Nicotine Pouches Nicotine pouches hold nicotine that has been extracted from tobacco plants and crystallized into salts. The pouch measures about…
What Are Nicotine Toothpicks?
Generally speaking, toothpicks are one of those classic utility items that people don’t expect will ever change. But there have been changes. Introduced to the U.S. market around 2013, nicotine toothpicks serve a different function than simply dislodging food bits stuck between teeth. Oftentimes touted as a smoking cessation option, “nic picks” certainly can substitute…
Cigarettes Burn Brighter
For most convenience store categories, flat year-over-year sales figures would not be considered good news. For cigarettes, however, it signals a reprieve from several years of declining sales. Although IRI market research suggests the top tobacco segment lost a bit of footing in unit sales for the calendar year ending Dec. 27, 2020 — down…
Spitless Shines in 2020
For many convenience stores, the overall tobacco category delivered a welcomed lift for in-store sales, albeit surprising during a historic public health crisis. Many of the subcategories performed well, but none posted as impressive figures as the smokeless tobacco sector, specifically spitless tobacco products, such as modern oral nicotine pouches. According to IRI data, chewing…
FDA Looking Into Social Media Marketing of E-Cig Brands
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued letters to four companies requesting information about their use of social media marketing and influencer marketing related to their electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) brands: Aspire, Joyetech, Vaporesso and Voopoo. FDA said it used a systematic process in selecting Aspire, Joyetech, Vaporesso and Voopoo from among more than…