Bosses urge retailers to be wise to trends in roll-your-own
WITH Imperial Brands reckoning that there are 4.5million roll-your-own (RYO) smokers in the UK, the tobacco accessories category provides a substantial sales opportunity for convenience retailers.
The rolling papers category has performed well over the last year, with recent EPOS data figures showing that king size papers represent around 60% of the sales value and, within this, combi papers is the fastest growing segment.
Yawer Rasool, consumer marketing director UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands, said: “Value-savvy consumers are increasingly migrating from king size into combi formats due to the added value and convenience they offer.
“To help retailers tap into this trend, we recently extended our combi range to include a new Classic King Size Combi variant for our iconic Rizla brand.”
Available to buy now at an MRRP of £1.30, the new Rizla Classic King Size Combi includes 32 unbleached king size papers and tips to appeal to the rising number of smokers looking for papers with a more natural look and feel, with the added benefit of tips in the same pack.
Imperial says this ensures Rizla Classic King Size Combi offers everything smokers will need for the perfect, authentic rolling experience.
Rasool added: “To truly take advantage of the sales opportunities within the tobacco accessories category, we’d recommend stocking a range of different Rizla solutions across each segment that reflect consumer demand, such as king size combi papers, as well as flavour cards and tips, including our recently upgraded Rizla Crushball Polar Blast Filter Tips and Rizla Menthol Filter Tips.”
The upgraded Rizla Crushball Polar Blast Filter Tips and Rizla Menthol Filter Tips, are available now for an RRP of £0.99 and £0.79 respectively.
Imperial reckons they provide an instant flavour infusion thanks to increased flavour intensity, giving adult smokers a new and enhanced smoking experience.
Rasool pointed out that, while pricing remains at the retailers’ discretion, it’s important to focus on it to avoid losing out on sales from value-seeking shoppers going elsewhere.
He highlighted the fact that the most expensive Rizla SKU has an RRP of £1.30, ensuring the brand’s high-quality papers are affordable for all.
And he stressed that, given the prevalence of brand loyalty in tobacco, it was vital to stock the most popular ones, such as Rizla.
The marketing boss continued: “There’s now a wide range of different tobacco accessories available on the market, which means retailers need to have a solid understanding of the products they are selling and which customers they are most suited to.
“In doing so, they’ll be well-equipped to effectively support customers on purchasing decisions and can use this insight to shape their range.
“Should the store have a strong RYO customer base, for example, stocking a wide range of filters, papers, flavour cards and lighters is key.
“Alternatively, if they have more cigarette shoppers visit their store, they may want to consider a smaller range and focus rather on the lighters and flavour cards.”
