Tobacco

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 […]

Every year, the tobacco category gets hit with some kind of twist that convenience store owners and operators must accommodate. Five years ago, it was the deeming rule from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that lumped electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and other tobacco products (OTPs) in with cigarettes. At the end of 2019,…

Swisher has appointed a veteran in the adult consumer products market as vice president of corporate innovation. Zack Crafton will lead a new team that will be working to diversify Swisher’s products and brands. “This is a significant appointment for our company and we welcome Zack’s wealth of innovation experience and leadership that will move…

Electronic cigarettes first arrived on the U.S. retail scene in 2006, and since then, this other tobacco product (OTP) segment has gained a substantial customer base within the convenience store channel. The addition of open-system vaporizers and pod devices further expanded inventory selection of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Early on, ENDS of all types…

The eventual possibility of selling cannabis is highly appealing to many convenience store retailers. With typical declines in tobacco sales, more fuel-efficient and electric cars impacting fuel volume, and the pandemic impacting foot traffic, this opportunity cannot come fast enough. Currently, the sale of cannabis is fully legal in 17 states and Washington, D.C., and…