THE cigar category currently valued by Symphony IRI at £234.5m still presents an important sales opportunity for retailers who stock tobacco products.
That’s the view of Jens Christiansen, head of marketing and public affairs at Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK.
“The trends we have seen play a major part in the tobacco category since the arrival of the display ban remain much the same,” he said.
“Some consumers are maintaining loyalty to a particular brand, while others seek out value-for-money or niche products.”
STG has products that can serve those different consumer preferences, he argued.
Café Crème is number-one cigar brand in the UK and Café Crème Blue alone accounts for 22.5% of cigar sales making it a must stock for any tobacco retailer, he said.
Priced at £3.83 for a pack of 10, stocking Moments Blue allows retailers to take advantage of the popularity of miniatures, while also responding to two major market demands – trusted brands and value for money, he added.
And, he said, to value-led consumers products such as Break Filter Cigarillos offer value for money with a range price marked at £4.59 for 17 sticks.
The firm’s Henri Wintermans Half Corona and Slims are available for retailers to buy in outers of 5 x 5. The cigars are individually wrapped and bar-coded, allowing retailers to choose between selling them as a pack of five, or as single cigars.
