Despite a demand from adult consumers, retailers are continually forced to defend their right to sell flavored cigars responsibly. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor While tobacco has long been a bread-and-butter product for convenience stores, accounting for millions in individual unit sales and boosting the profits from the average smoker’s market basket, it remains a…
OCSA Lauds Local City Motion Against Contraband Tobacco
“The OCSA will continue to offer its support to any and all municipalities that wish to join the fight against contraband tobacco,” says Dave Bryans, CEO of the Ontario Convenience Store Association. The Ontario Convenience Store Association (OCSA) applauded members of the Thunder Bay City Council, who passed a motion against contraband tobacco at a…
More Smokers Turn To E-Cigarettes
E-cigs “are growing in popularity . . . no question about that,” says Chad Maynard, spokesman for ElectronicCigarette.net on the category. Electronic cigarettes might not be marketed as smoking cessation aids, but recent studies posted in the American Journal of Public Health suggest that many smokers are turning the the product for that reason. Smokers…
E-Tobacco Shows No Signs of Slowing
Although the electronic cigarette category in the U.S. is barely five years old, a dizzying number of brands are vying for the attention of retailers—and more are entering the fray just about every day. By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor In a report released in May, UBS Investment Research likened the chaotic e-cigarette category to the e-commerce…
Leveling The RYO Playing Field
In recent years, roll-your-own tobacco machines have surfaced at various retail locations putting convenience stores at a competitive disadvantage on price. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor America, and in particular its lawmakers, remains caught in a love-hate relationship with tobacco. That push-pull has resulted in very well-publicized attempts to dissuade Americans from using tobacco, or…
Understanding Today’s Tobacco Customers
MSA and Paradigm Sample, in partnership with Convenience Store Decisions, examine the purchasing habits of adult tobacco consumers at U.S. convenience stores. By Trish Temmerman, Management Science Associates, and John Lofstock, Editor. The tobacco industry continues to face challenges on multiple fronts, namely ongoing legislative initiatives and the ever-present high rate of taxation. These persistent…
Decoding Haverstraw’s Questionable Tobacco Display Ban
With various federal laws banning or limiting certain cigarette product advertising, cigarette packaging itself has become a commercially accepted form of advertising. By John Lofstock, Editor. In early April, the Village of Haverstraw, N.Y., adopted a first-of-its-kind ordinance in the U.S. that requires retailers to keep tobacco out of public view. To learn more about…
RAI Improves Its Strategies Online
Reynolds American Inc. aims to achieve market leadership through its new, online transformation strategy. Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) announced that its www.reynoldsamerican.com Website has added a new “Transforming Tobacco” section to inform visitors about the company’s strategic framework. “We find ourselves at RAI helping to resolve controversial issues on tobacco and advancing commercial objectives at…
Tobacco-Less Buzz From Nicotine
Altria releases a new smoking product that contains no tobacco. U.S. tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. moved into uncharted territory this week as it released the Verve: a tobacco-less nicotine product. The maker of Marlboro plans to launch a non-dissolving, lozenge-shaped nicotine disc called Verve in the next several days. It’s the latest advance by…
ABC Cracks Down on Illegal Sales in Virginia
Reports find that about one in every eight stores in Virginia sells tobacco or alcohol to underage buyers. The Virginia Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) now has a program to see if alcohol and tobacco retailers follow the law when it comes to selling to underage buyers. The state conducted more than 9,700 underage…