The UK tobacco market continues to shine, buoyed by its many heritage brands.
By Gaelle Walker
The strength and resilience of the UK’s £14bn tobacco market has been clearly demonstrated by the raft of milestone anniversaries that have taken place in recent weeks, with a number of the UK’s biggest brands marking their ongoing success with celebratory packaging updates and engaging retailer activities.
Marking the 60th anniversary of its Signature cigar brand, STG UK recently launched a range of limited-edition packs to inject further excitement and interest to the cigar category over the buoyant summer sales period.
Available now, the celebratory packs highlight the brand’s longevity and “the consistent quality that has made it a preferred choice for well over half a century.”
In further exciting news for the brand, STG also recently confirmed that its iconic tins will be permanently returning for packs of Signature Blue 20s and Signature Original 20s.
Commenting on the brand’s anniversary celebrations, STG’s UK Marketing Manager Nataly Scarpetta says: “Sixtieth anniversaries are usually celebrated with diamonds and there’s no doubt Signature has always been the jewel in our crown, representing 60 years of quality, experience and craftsmanship. Since its arrival back in 1963, Signature has become a truly global brand which is now sold in over 80 countries worldwide.
“Here in the UK, the brand portfolio is currently worth nearly £50m in annual sales, with strong products in both the miniature and cigarillo segments. We’re proud to celebrate such an important anniversary for Signature and want to thank all the convenience retailers who have played such a vital role in its continued success.”
JTI UK meanwhile, is also celebrating the 150-year anniversary of its well-known Benson and Hedges brand. As part of the festivities, JTI is hosting a ‘Great £150 Giveaway’ for retailers. Hosted on the new dedicated Benson and Hedges trade microsite, the trade competition will reward 50 winning retailers with £150 each.
To enter the draw and be in with a chance of winning £150, retailers simply need to log on to the JTI Advance microsite with their username and password. Winners will be picked fortnightly at random until 11 August.
Commenting on the landmark anniversary, JTI UK Marketing Director Mark McGuinness says: “We couldn’t be prouder to have reached this extraordinary anniversary and still have such a successful brand that retailers can rely on to provide their customers with great quality cigarettes and rolling tobacco.
“It’s important for us to celebrate the brand’s heritage, but we know our success is also down to the support of our retailers throughout the years.
“So, in this very special year, we want to shine a light on our trade partners and this prize draw is just one way of giving back and thanking retailers, with other activities to follow later in the year too. We want to continue looking forward for this heritage brand and can’t wait to see what the next 150 years of Benson and Hedges brings.”
- Merchandising: Stay on top of any new trends within the tobacco category to ensure maximum sales impact. Value products are much more popular than premium products at the moment, so make sure that you are responding to this trend in order to grow sales.
- Availability: Make sure that stock levels are continuously maintained to help improve your sales.
- Training: Ensure that you and your staff are fully trained and prepared to provide customers with a personalised experience, in-order to build loyalty and ensure repeat visits. Keep on top of the latest industry trends and news and features in the trade media.
With over 200 years of heritage, Imperial Tobacco’s Rizla brand is also continuing to play a pivotal role when it comes to helping independent retailers make the most of the Roll Your Own (RYO) tobacco opportunity, which is continuing to grow.
With many shoppers looking to cut down their household spending, Imperial Tobacco says it has “noticed a significant increase in the number of RYO sales,” with the category now accounting for almost half the total market. Within RYO, the economy priced segment accounts for 56% of sales and is growing at 5% year on year.
The growth in RYO is of course having a positive impact on accessories, with recent figures showing that filter tips are now worth a sizeable £114m of sales, according to Imperial Tobacco.
Regular papers also account for £44m, king size papers for £29m, and combi papers £33m.
“With over 200 years of heritage, Rizla is the No.1 Rolling Paper in the UK and the perfect brand to stock to tap into this trend,” Imperial’s Head of Consumer Marketing Tom Gully says.
“One product that is proving particularly popular with value-savvy tobacco customers is Rizla King Size Combi Silver.
“With an RRP of £1.20, it offers both papers and tips in one pack to provide shoppers with the ultimate convenience,” he adds.
Imperial Tobacco recently announced the launch of its new Regal Signature range, developed exclusively with the Scottish market in mind.
The latest edition from the Regal brand includes new cigarettes and rolling tobacco products which have been designed to offer adult smokers “premium quality” and “great value.”
The brand features a fine-quality tobacco blend, firm filter, high-quality paper and a rounded-cornered box for a “more contemporary and premium feel”.
The range includes Kingsize and Superkingsize formats and is available to buy now in packs of 20 at an RSP of £11.60.
The Regal Signature rolling tobacco range meanwhile, provides a high-quality blend with a portrait pouch for a modern look, as well as a resealable zip lock to ensure continued freshness.
Offering both papers and tips in 30g packs and papers in 50g packs, Regal Signature rolling tobacco provides shoppers with an added value format that Imperial says “offers the ultimate convenience”. The rolling tobacco range is available to buy now with RSPs of £16.30 and £26.75 respectively.
