It’s been a year of change for the tobacco category. Despite these changes, the market for roll-yourown (RYO) and make-your-own (MYO) tobacco accessories remains buoyant according to tobacco accessories supplier, Republic Technologies (UK) Ltd.
“The UK tobacco accessories market is currently worth £256.4m, with NPD and increased focus on merchandising driving growth in the category,” says Gavin Anderson, General Sales Manager for Republic Technologies.
“With consumers demanding more from the category, suppliers need to innovate to make their mark and this is a priority for Republic Technologies. We’ve worked with our customers to understand shoppers’ needs, enabling retailers to drive sales of tobacco accessories in-store.”
Republic Technologies has recognised the need for greater choice with NPD that taps into consumer trends, including:
• Swan Ultra Slim; the thinnest ever Swan filter and a premium quality product aimed at smokers looking for a smoother taste while reducing the amount that they smoke for health or financial reasons.
• Swan ‘Eco’ filters; the most environmentally friendly Swan product ever, the filters are biodegradable, featuring a naturally coloured filter and unbleached paper wrap.
• Swan Kingsize Cigarette Tubes; appealing to cash-conscious consumers looking for an alternative to ready-made cigarettes, the Swan tubing machines allows consumers to make cigarettes with ease, with packs available featuring both 100 and 200 tubes in both Standard and Menthol variants.
• OCB Virgin Slim & Tips; consumers are looking for a less refined paper and a softer smoke, with unbleached papers being the most popular choice. OCB Virgin Slim & Tips offers consumers a convenient pack, complete with 32 slim papers and filters for easy rolling.
Merchandising
“To make the most from this category, it’s vital that retailers stock the right range of tobacco accessories and merchandise them accordingly to see the best results,” says Anderson.
“It’s important to remember that although filters is the most buoyant area of the accessories category – valued at £76.3m* – it’s important to stock a broad range of products to meet customer needs. “We would always recommend stocking a wide selection including core range filters, papers, matches and lighters, as well as the latest NPD.”
Pack formats are also important, says Anderson
“Space saving packs such as vertical packs of Zig-Zag King Size papers (50% space saving compared to traditional King Size packs) and Poppell 45 pack lighters help retailers to merchandise more effectively, while pack formats such as Swan Slim Pop-a-Tip Filters offer a convenient alternative (vs Swan Slim Loose Filters) for on-the-go consumers.”
Following the introduction of EUTPDII, retailers can also look to use display stands and off gantry fixtures for tobacco accessories to signpost the tobacco category in-store.
Offering a core range of papers (Green, Blue and Silver in both standard and King Size variants) plus other options such as Unbleached and flavoured, and stocking multipacks to combat the discounters, will also help to drive sales.
“Republic Technologies has an extensive sales force team, offering specialist expertise and crosschannel category insight to our trading partners,” Anderson concludes.
“Follow these simple steps, and you’ll see great results from your tobacco accessories offering and, in turn, the tobacco gantry.”
* IRI £Sales 52 wk MAT to 3 Dec 2017
REPUBLIC TECHNOLOGIES
Tel: 01494 492230
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