As customers prepared to welcome 2020, c-store retailers were watching legislation drop on tobacco products. The day before President Donald Trump signed the omnibus spending bill on Dec. 20 that raised the national tobacco minimum purchase age from 18 to 21, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) expressed dismay with the lack of a military exemption by…
Wading Through OTP Uncertainty
On Nov. 6, members of the Boston Convenience Store Owners Association, along with independent c-store owners throughout Massachusetts, closed shop for the day in protest of a proposed ban on menthol and mint tobacco products. Their frustration is shared by many in the industry as lawmakers across the country float various bans and new regulations…
Cigars’ Slow Burn
In many ways, Massachusetts is a microcosm of tobacco regulations popping up in communities across the country. Prior to the statewide enactment of 21 as the legal minimum purchasing age for tobacco products earlier this year, various cities adopted the age while others remained at 18. Way before Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker called for a…
A Shifting Landscape for Cigarettes
Next month marks one year since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement detailing possible changes to tobacco regulations, including the intent to issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to ban menthol in combustible tobacco products. Four months later, it released another ANPRM to lower maximum nicotine levels in cigarettes to…
Will Regulations Extinguish Cigar Flavors?
Cigars still sit in regulation purgatory, awaiting federal decisions on a number of other tobacco product (OTP) concerns including the future of flavors, while cities and states are moving forward with local ordinances on tobacco products. Last month, Cumberland Farms announced a lawsuit against boards of health in six Massachusetts cities. The company, which operates more…
Adapting to Tobacco Category Evolution
Throughout the first half of 2019, the tobacco category has been inundated with proposed legislative restrictions. One Hawaii lawmaker attempted to graduate the minimum purchase age to 100 (it soon fizzled out in committee). Last month, the Beverly Hills City Council scheduled a vote to ban the sale of all tobacco products from any retailer…
Gum, Mint Innovation Bubbling
While gum sales have been flat, flavor and packaging innovations as well as better-for-you (BFY) and functional options are opening up opportunities for growth in the gum segment. Earlier this year, Gerrit J. Verburg Co., announced the reintroduction of three classic chewing gum brands: Black Jack, Clove and Beemans. Black Jack lays claim to being…
Smokeless Far From Snuffed
Historically, the smokeless tobacco category in convenience stores hasn’t benefited from a frequent influx of new products, packaging redesigns or special-edition flavors, unlike candy and snack categories that regularly welcome innovations. Over the past several months, however, this other tobacco product (OTP) segment has expanded, which could inject new energy into an otherwise quiet category.…
Rewarding C-Store Loyalty
Recognizing and rewarding personalized shopping styles is the new focus of loyalty programs. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor From an industry research perspective, consumer preferences traditionally indicated brand selection. Then the term started to describe where and how consumers spent their dollars, such as at brick-and-mortar stores versus online retailers. Today, customer preferences include…
New Year for Vapor
Pod vaping systems and e-cigarettes face a new round of federal intervention. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor News of JUUL ruled 2018. First, sales of the pod vaping system delivered unheard of growth. In fact, it ended 2018 with a 304% year-over-year increase in dollar sales for the four weeks ending Dec. 29, according…