Tobacco Retailer articles from April 2002

Tobacco Retailer archives from April 2002

Cosmic alignment. (From the Editor).(Brief Article)(Column)
April 1, 2002... Some times things just have a way of coming together. At least that's what I hope you'll think as you're perusing this latest issue of Tobacco Retailer. As I was looking over the edit calendar in preparation for this issue, the topics...

R.J. Reynolds decries "tax profiling" of smokers. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In February, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed raising the cigarette tax from 8 cents to $1.50 a pack, on top of the state cigarette tax of $1.50 per pack, to raise $250 million. Numerous state governments are also eyeing cigarette...

Imperial, Reemtsma deal consolidates tobacco industry. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Britain's Imperial Tobacco struck a deal on March 7 to send it into the top tier of world cigarette companies with confirmation of its purchase of Germany's Reemtsma in a 5.8 billion euro ($5.1 billion U.S.) deal, as reported by Reuters. ...

Industry fights Florida smoking ban. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The tobacco industry is taking a public stance against Florida's proposed constitutional ban on smoking in restaurants and workplaces, the Orlando Sentinel reported in February. The proposed amendment would prohibit smoking in restaurants,...

Connecticut raises cigarette tax to $1.11 per pack. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In March, Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland signed into law a 61-cent cigarette tax increase, after Democratic lawmakers tried and failed to pass a 65-cent increase, The New York Times reported. Effective April 3, Connecticut's cigarette tax...

Lorillard sues over "Truth" anti-tobacco ads. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Greensboro, N.C.-based Lorillard Tobacco Co. has sued the American Legacy Foundation, which was created as part of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement to produce anti-smoking ads, saying American Legacy has exceeded its mandate under the...

UST wants to call products "reduced harm". (Industry News).(U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., Greenwich, Conn., has asked the Federal Trade Commission to issue an opinion that would allow UST to run ads identifying its smokeless products as "reduced harm" products as compared to cigarettes, The Associated...

Vector to launch nicotine-free "Quest" cigarettes. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Vector Group Ltd., Durham. N.C., has announced that its new, nicotine-free cigarette product will be named Quest and will be available nationwide beginning in the third quarter of 2002. Quest cigarettes will be sold in Lights and Menthol Lights...

American Western acquires new brands. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In March, Cincinnati-based American Western Cigar Co. announced that it had acquired seven cigar lines from National Cigar Co., Frankfort, Ind. The Dry Slitz, Emerson, Oden, Van Dam, Lord Clinton, Budd and YB cigars will now be...

MPAAT awards tobacco-research grants. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) has awarded almost $2 million in grants for seven innovative research projects that will support more effective initiatives to reduce tobacco use in Minnesota. "Tobacco use costs...

Indianapolis residents favor lower-toxin cigarette. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Nearly 75 percent of all Indianapolis residents favor the introduction of a cigarette with less toxins to the market as quickly as possible, according to a consumer perception assessment study completed in March by Walker Information, a...

Smoking rate in Canada at lowest level ever. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Smoking rates in Canada hit their lowest level ever recorded last year, Toronto's Globe and Mail reported as 23 percent of Canadians aged 15 or older reported smoking in the first half of 2001. Canada's government has said it hopes to...

Canadian tobacco companies challenge ad restrictions. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Canadian tobacco companies have challenged the government's regulations that force them to display health warnings and gruesome pictures of diseased organs, The Associated Press reported. The lawsuit, brought by Rothmans Benson and Hedges,...

Vector's low-nicotine tobacco likely to be approved. (Industry News).(Vector Group)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... A study by the United States Department of Agriculture confirmed the low levels of nicotine in genetically engineered tobacco and found that the crop poses little risk to the environment, in a step that could lead to the removal of restrictions...

Washington cigarette tax pushes smokers over borders. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The Idaho Statesman has reported that faced with Washington state's $14.25 tax on a carton of cigarettes, smokers there are flocking to neighboring Idaho and Oregon, cutting deeply into Washington retailers' sales and state tax revenues. ...

California group calls for raising smoking age. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Members of the California Medical Association have voted to urge the state to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21, The Associated Press reported. Forty-seven states have a minimum age of 18 to buy tobacco....

Oklahoma cracks down on tobacco sales to minors. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... One in four Oklahoma retailers that sell tobacco products sold cigarettes in 2001 to people under age 18, according to a report by the state Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, the Daily Oklahoman reported. "This certainly is...

Philip Morris provides "Options" to control smoke. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... If an establishment accommodates both non-smokers and smokers, retailers know that cigarette smoke drift and odor can be a challenge. To help them address the issue and find reasonable approaches to public-places smoking, New York-based Philip...

Nicotine-replacement therapy helps stop smoking. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Since nicotine replacement therapy became available as a non-prescription treatment to help Americans stop smoking, the number of adults attempting to quit smoking significantly increased to nearly 40 percent, according to a study of United...

Cusano Corojo cigars earn "guarantee of quality" label. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Boxes of Cusano Corojo premium cigars, which are distributed by Sarasota, Fla.-based DomRey Cigar, Ltd., now proudly bear labels emblazoned "ProCigar Guarantee of Quality." This authentication is issued by the Association of Dominican Cigar...

Torano Cigars launches 2002 marketing campaign. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Miami-based Torano Cigars has springboarded off a solid 2001 into the first phase in its 2002 market expansion program. It combines an ongoing program of dealer incentives, limited to their most active retail shops, with the addition of new,...

Camilleri new Philip Morris president, CEO. (Industry News).(Louis Camilleri)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In March, the board of directors of New York-based Philip Morris Cos., Inc. announced its intention to elect Louis C. Camilleri as president and CEO, effective April 25. Geoffrey C. Bible will continue as chairman until his scheduled retirement...

Strom new U.S. Cigar director of sales. (Industry News).(Marcus Strom)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... U.S. Cigar Sales, Inc., Greenwich, Conn., has named Marcus Strom to the newly created position of director of sales. U.S. Cigar Sales, a unit of UST Inc., markets premium cigars with the Don Tomas, Don Tomas Dominican Selection and Astral...

Justice Dept. targeting cigarette sales, marketing. (Washington Report).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department is seeking a number of new restrictions on the sale and marketing of cigarettes, including elimination of slotting fees paid to retailers, an end to trade promotions and...

In the bag: Adding snacks and beverages can perk up profit margins. (Cover Story).
April 1, 2002... The CTS industry is typically perceived as a world where only top-notch tobacco and accessories set a store apart from the competition. But today, CTS retailers are showing interest in another category -- snacks and beverages. Snacking and...

Tied in knots: Thanks to manufacturer demands, CTS owners have little flexibility when it comes to product display. (CTS Retailing).
April 1, 2002... When it comes to arranging their store, cigarette/tobacco store owners must first contend with the long list of demands cigarette manufacturers place on them. Most of the large manufacturers want huge percentages of retail space and place heavy...

2nd to none: Premium brands get headlines, but price-value lines gaining share in smokeless market. (Tobacco).
April 1, 2002... If the recent NCAA men's basketball tournament taught us anything about life, it's that there's room for the little guy. Sure, the Dukes and the Kansases of the world may hold the inside track to Final Four berths and elite recruits. But the...

CCTV goes digital: Keeping an eye on the store has never been easier. (Operations).(closed-circuit television)
April 1, 2002... It's hard enough selling products and getting a good margin without having to watch it walk right back out the door in the form of shrink. According to the 2001 National Retail Security Survey, which is conducted annually by the University of...

www.heavencigars.com. (Smoke Screens).
April 1, 2002... One of the goals of any Web site is to ensure repeat traffic. Naples, Fla.-based Heavenly Cigar Company hopes it has come up with a unique reason to guarantee repeat visits -- at least once a month. Dubbed the "Heaven's Angels Calendar," the...

www.a1candle.com. (Smoke Screens).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... While many people love the taste of a good cigarette, few have been heard to extol the virtues of cigarette smoke. Coachlight Candle Factory, Clemmons, N.C., has taken steps to ensure that cigarette smoke doesn't become a nuisance with its line...

www.sequioaman.com. (Smoke Screens).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... After completing a short registration process, the visitor is transported to the Internet home of Richmond, Va.-based Swedish Match's Sequoia brand of smokeless tobacco. The site aims to present the use of Sequoia as a lifestyle choice with...

www.kretek.com. (Smoke Screens).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... As the distributor of many of the country's most popular import cigarettes, the Internet home of Moorpark, Calif.-based Kretek International is chock full of information on its product line, from Djarums to Dreams to Liquid Zoo. You can also...

Tobacco compliance & the sales associate. (Personnel Touch).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... There are few industries and businesses in general that are under as much microscopic scrutiny as those retailers who sell tobacco products. Compliance checks, often referred to as "stings" by both retailers and their employees, have increased...

Deductions that keep money in your pocket. (Tax Tips).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... * Club dues and entertaining at the club No, your club dues (country club, luncheon club or the like) are not deductible. But often because of this terrible rule, some people think all other expenses at the club are not deductible. Not...

Ten marketing mistakes small businesses make. (Guest Column).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... How do you judge the effectiveness of your small-business marketing efforts? Easy. Does it produce results? Great-looking ads, fancy logos and flashy Web sites are worthless if they don't bring business to your door. This list of 10 common...

Winston introduces Evo extension. (Products). (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s Evo Flask tobacco products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's Winston brand has launched in limited distribution nationwide a line extension -- the Evo Flask -- that offers two styles of an evolved premium-tobacco blend combined with a completely redesigned cigarette...

Match Flap eliminates missing matches. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Advent Product Development, Inc., has begun licensing the patent-pending Match Flap, a new type of cigarette package with a book of matches attached to the side of the package. The goal of this design is to ensure that the smoker always has...

DRUM now available in tins. (Products). (DRUM Premium Select Handrolling Tobacco from Republic Tobacco L.P.).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Republic Tobacco L.P. has announced that DRUM Premium Select Handrolling Tobacco is now available in a 150-gram resealable metal canister, in addition to the classic 40-gram pouch. DRUM Tobacco is a select European blend of premium bright and...

Kretek adds flavors to Dreams line. (Products). (Kretek International's cigarette line).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Kretek International has introduced three new styles of its Dreams Cocktail Cigarettes line -- Chocolate Mocha, Mint and 100-percent tobacco-and nicotine-free Herbal. They join the Dreams line that already included Vanilla, Cherry, Midnight and...

New Skoal flavor "berry, berry" good. (Products). (Skoal Berry Blend tobacco product from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Skoal Berry Blend, a new berry-flavored long-cut product, has been introduced by U. S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. Skoal Berry Blend combines a berry aroma with the smooth, long-lasting flavor adult consumers expect from a premium selection of...

Cougar Mountain releases new POS solution. (Products).(point of sale)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Cougar Mountain Software has announced the development of a program that offers a cost-effective, powerful solution for tobacco retailers to manage financial aspects of their business, and increase profitability. Tobacco retailers can now...

TOP Tobacco goes light. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Republic Tobacco L.P. has announced that TOP Cigarette Tobacco is now available in a light version. New TOP Light, perfect for roll-your-own and make-your-own usage, is packed in both 1-ounce pouches with 36 TOP Cigarette Papers, and six-ounce...

Nu-Era unveils countertop displayer. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The Nu-Era Group has unveiled a countertop display case ideal for the tobacco-retailing market. The case measures 26 1/4 inches high by 17 inches wide by 17 inches deep and sits on levelers to prevent it from scratching countertops. The unit...

Patriotism at heart of Zippo designs. (Products). (American pride collection of lighters from Zippo Manufacturing Co.).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Zippo Manufacturing Company has revived some classic patriotic designs, creating the new American pride collection of lighters. The American Pride collection features traditional symbols of freedom including an eagle, the Statue of Liberty...

Guhrka adds shapes to premium-cigar line. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Beach Cigar Group has expanded its Master Select line of Guhrka premium cigars, adding three new shapes. The latest shapes are the Robusto (50 x 6), Churchill (52 x 7 1/2) and Torpedo (53 x 6 1/2). The filler and binder tobacco is Cuban-seed...

Berger releases first-growth cigars. (Products).(Henry Berger)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Henry "Kiki" Berger has launched a new line of premium cigars that use his new Nicaraguan farm's first crop of corojo wrapper tobacco. In addition to using the farm's first-growth super-select tobacco and aging it for an extended period,...

Prometheus extends cutter line. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Prometheus International, Inc., has launched the Prometheus Cutter S. The Cutter S, with a suggested retail price of $59.95, is a slim, light-weight cigar cutter with ultra-sharp stainless-steel fold-out scissors made in Japan. Available in...

American Western expands Island Collection line. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... American Western Cigar Co. has introduced the latest addition to its Island Collection Flavored Cigars line -- Cool Mint. The new hand-rolled, 100-percent tobacco Cool Mint flavor is popular with younger smokers, women and people preferring a...

Liquid Zoo adds new flavor. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Beginning in April, users of Kretek International's Liquid Zoo flavored cigarettes and Liquid Zoo flavored hemp rolling papers, which are imported from Europe, were able to purchase their favorites in a new vanilla flavor, Kretek's latest...

Felipe Gregorio the one for OneOff Cigars. (Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Felipe Gregorio, Inc., has signed an agreement with OneOff Cigars to be the sole importer and distributor of OneOff premium cigars in the United States. OneOff's entire American offering is limited to 250,000 cigars this year. Retailers are...

Heaven now comes in 5-packs. (Products). (flavored premium cigars from Heavenly Cigar Co.).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Heavenly Cigar Company's line of Heaven flavored premium cigars is now available in 5-packs. The cigars will come to retailers in bundles of five 5-packs. The packs are being offered in six variations: 5-packs of each of the five different...

Tropical introduces new line of Family Series. (Products). (Tropical Tobacco Inc.'s Cacique Martin Family Series of premium cigars).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Tropical Tobacco's new line of Cacique Martin Family Series premium cigars is now available in regular boxes of 24, and also in gift or sampler packages. The hand-made, long-filler cigars are box-pressed and made in the Dominican Republic. The...

ITE redux. (From the Editor).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Did you all have a chance to make it to Las Vegas and the Riviera Hotel and Casino Convention Center for the 2002 International Tobacco Expo the first week of April? This was our first year as one of the sponsors of the event and I hope that if...