As a longtime staple in the convenience store industry, tobacco has always been a key category on which retailers have focused. In recent years, however, increasing regulations have forced c-stores to repeatedly revamp their backbars to stay in compliance with changing rules, particularly around vape. Now, c-store operators are keeping an eye on the Food…
Handmade Cigars
Cuban Rounds Premium Cigars are imported, handmade and affordable. Its value begins with premium wrapper tobaccos and filler blends that deliver smooth, medium-mild taste profiles. Cuban Rounds cigars are offered in two wrappers: Nicaraguan Natural and Maduro, as well as Connecticut Shade, made in the Dominican Republic. Nicaraguan Naturals are available in six sizes, from […]
New Clove Smokes
Kretek International’s new nicotine-free Djarum Bliss Special offers the traditional clove-smoking smoothness, built on years of popularity of Djarum Special clove-filtered smokes. In contrast, Djarum Bliss Java is completely new, with an amazing blend of coffee and clove aromas. Both new filtered styles feature Djarum’s long-time signature brown wrapper. Djarum now offers six distinct zero-tobacco […]
The Future of the Tobacco Section Is Up for Grabs
Each time c-store management thinks they have a timetable for the ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or the White House resets the play clock. So far, the FDA has moved its “effective date” for its bans from May 2023 to October 2023, to “end of the year,”…
FDA to Reexamine Vape Marketing Decisions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been ordered to reconsider its decision to bar two makers of flavored liquid for e-cigarettes from marketing their products. The order was issued by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It reversed a previous decision made by a three-judge panel of that court in July…
What’s the Difference Between Moist Snuff and Dry Snuff?
Convenience store personnel are generally pretty good at answering customers’ questions and speaking knowledgeably about the products they sell, but they have a harder time doing so when it comes to the varieties of smokeless tobacco — for example, the differences between moist and dry snuff — if they don’t understand how they work. Indeed,…
USTC Acquires VP Distributors
The consumer products division of US Tobacco Cooperative Inc. (USTC), Premier Manufacturing Inc. of Chesterfield, Mo., has acquired VP Distributors LLC of Williamston, W.V. This strategic move is poised to strengthen USTC’s position in the market and broaden its distribution network, offering an enhanced range of products and services to an even wider customer base.…
FDA Seizes $18 Million Worth of Unauthorized E-Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that, alongside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), it has seized approximately 1.4 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products. The estimated retail value of the seized products totals more than $18 million. The seizures were part of a three-day joint operation, which resulted in the seizure of…
Vape Grapples With Shifting Landscape
Looking back over 2023, the vape category has faced many hurdles this past year as retailers adapted to regulations and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) vape product marketing decisions. In May, the FDA issued warning letters to 30 retailers for illegally selling various types of Puff and Hyde disposable e-cigarettes. Shortly after, in June,…
Pilot Opens First Stations in Coast-to-Coast EV Charging Network
Pilot Travel Centers has announced the opening of 17 locations of its electric vehicle (EV) fast charging network, launched alongside General Motors (GM) and EVgo. Now available in 13 states, the network features an elevated charging experience, providing EV travelers access to the same amenities offered at existing Pilot and Flying J locations. “EV drivers…