Tobacco Retailer articles from August 2002

Tobacco Retailer archives from August 2002

The new and improved Tobacco Retailer. (Editor's Note).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Chris Traczek Well, what do you think? No need to answer right away. Sit back, relax and savor it, like a fine cigar. Of course, I'm talking about the new look of Tobacco Retailer, which debuts with this issue. I'm biased, but I think it...

ITE files suit over takeover attempt. (Industry News).(International Tobacco Expo)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In June, the International Tobacco Expo and the International Cigar Expo, Inc., a trade show dedicated to retailers and manufacturers of tobacco products, filed suit in Clark County Nevada District Court, alleging that two former employees...

Non-MSA companies sue over escrow laws. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In July, several tobacco companies who were not parties to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement sued a group of state attorneys general over state laws that force them to contribute payments to escrow accounts to cover future tobacco litigation...

New York City increases cigarette tax. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In June, New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed a bill raising the city's cigarette tax to $1.50 a pack beginning on July 2, giving the city the highest cigarette tax in the nation and pushing the price of some brands to more than $7 a...

Journal calls for broader ad controls. (Industry News).(Journal of the American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In a "special communication" in the June 12 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers called for broader controls on tobacco advertising, including a new excise tax to finance anti-tobacco campaigns and a...

Ohio enacts cigarette tax increase. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In May, Ohio lawmakers passed a budget package that includes a 31-cents-per-pack cigarette tax, significantly less than the 50-cent increase that had been on the table just a few weeks ago. Gov. Bob Taft subsequently signed the tax-increase...

New Jersey blocks tax hike. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In late June, New Jersey state senators rejected a 10-cents-per-pack cigarette tax increase. A handful of Senate Democrats joined Republicans in opposition to the tax increase the Hackensack Record reported. The last-minute budget revolt was...

Canada hikes cigarette taxes to '90s levels. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Aiming to cut tobacco consumption, Canada's federal government raised its tax on cigarettes in late June by $3.50 (United States $2.60) to $13.50 per carton, and a number of provinces tacked on their own higher cigarette taxes, Reuters...

Mexico moves to ban all tobacco advertising. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Although the "Marlboro Man" still appears on late-night television in Mexico, the government has said it would ban all tobacco advertising on radio and TV starting next year, Reuters reported. The measures also call for a gradual...

Almsberger joins XIKAR full-time. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Effective March 1, Scott Almsberger came aboard Kansas City, Mo.-based XIKAR, Inc., as full-time vice president and director of products development. Almsberger has been a partner, along with XIKAR's president, Kurt Van Keppel, since they...

Oregon smokers fight proposed tax hike. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Oregon smokers, who are fighting a proposed 75-cents-per-pack cigarette tax increase, are rallying to the cause in part through an education campaign launched by the Oregon Neighborhood Store Association to distribute cards urging smokers to...

Birthday line added to Illinois teens' licenses. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Illinois lawmakers have passed a requirement that teenagers' drivers licenses must carry a line that gives the exact date the bearer turns 18 so sales associates do not have to refer to calendars or calculators, the Daily Herald reported in...

Study shows Omni safer in mice. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In June, Miami-based Vector Group Ltd. announced that its reduced-carcinogen cigarette, Omni, produced significantly fewer skin tumors in laboratory mice than the leading national brand in the Dermal Tumor Induction test, according to...

Oregon City bans self-serve cigarette sales. (Industry News).(Beaverton)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In June, the Beaverton, Ore., City Council passed an ordinance banning the sale of cigarettes in packs of fewer than 20 and prohibiting self-service displays of tobacco products, the Oregonian reported. The new ordinance, which takes effect...

Nevada to consider cigarette tax raise in 2003. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Nevada task force set up to distribute the state's share of tobacco-settlement money voted unanimously in June to seek a bill to raise the state's cigarette tax, currently 35 cents, to $1 per pack, The Associated Press reported. The bill...

Delaware passes strict public-smoking ban. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Delaware's Senate approved a bill in May that bans smoking in bars, restaurants and casinos. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner subsequently signed the bill, making Delaware's anti-smoking law one of the nation's toughest, the Wilmington News Journal...

California seeks to raise smoking age. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The California Legislature may soon consider a bill that would raise the legal smoking age in that state to 21, the highest in the nation. Assemblyman Paul Koretz, chief sponsor of the bill, is the author of one of the nation's first laws...

Zippo launches retailer of the year contest. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The 2002 Zippo Manufacturing Company, Bradford, Pa., "Retailer of the Year" will win an all-expense-paid trip to the biggest sporting event of the year, Super Bowl XXXVII, January 2003, in San Diego, courtesy of Zippo and Sports Illustrated...

Philip Morris, Star Scientific clash over tobacco patent. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... New York-based Philip Morris U.S.A. has asked a federal court to discount proprietary claims by Star Scientific, Inc., Petersburg, Va., on a longstanding practice of curing tobacco with indirect heat, Reuters reported in July. Philip...

Felipe Gregorio finalizes venture with Poschl Tabak. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Phillip Wynne, president of Felipe Gregorio, Inc., an Alexandria, Va.-based premium cigar maker, has finalized a joint venture with the German firm Poschl Tabak, effective July 1. Under the terms of the agreement, the two have created a new...

Republic Group purchases Altesse. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Northbrook, Ill.-based Republic Tobacco L.P., and French-based Republic Technologies, have announced that their affiliate, D.T. Technologies, has purchased Altesse from Austria Tabak AG & Co KG, a subsidiary of the Gallaher Group, plc. Altesse...

La Tradicion Cubana takes customer service online. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Miami-based La Tradicion Cubana has created a new system that allows free worldwide phone connection direct to the company. The customer simply mouse-clicks the "Click 2 Ring" icon on the company's home page, www.tradicion.com. He can then...

Companies spending more on in-store promotions. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A Federal Trade Commission report released in May found that tobacco companies are spending more than ever on advertising and promotion, despite court-imposed restrictions, The Associated Press reported. In particular, tobacco makers are...

Senate reconsiders FDA regulation of tobacco. (Washington Report).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In early July, the National Association of Convenience Stores reported that Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, had scheduled a date later in the month for a markup of tobacco...

Safe, we do not cross sorry: while many businesses are breaking rules, the lighter industry is actually asking to be regulated. (Cover Story).
August 1, 2002... It isn't often that companies ask the federal government to impose new restrictive rules and regulations on them. Most of the time, in fact, companies spend time and money finding loopholes to the rules that already regulate how they do...

Signs of the times: companies address affordability, make inroads into premium-cigar category. (Product Profile).
August 1, 2002... The CTS industry has come to a crossroads in the premium-cigar segment. Retailers today are finding a whole new customer base for premium cigars -- cigar smokers who either can't afford upper-end premiums or want to smoke their high-end cigars...

Pos-itive feedback: new generation of point-of-sale systems making life easier for CTS retailers. (Operations).
August 1, 2002... Sean Harrell was sitting in his store in Moyock, N.C., on the Fourth of July watching the chaos develop. Harrell, the IT administrator for Southland Trade, runs a business just minutes from the beach in coastal North Carolina, a complex which...

www.philipmorris.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Befitting one of the world's most diversified companies, a first glance at the Web home of New York-based Philip Morris can be intimidating. However, once you make your way to the Philip Morris USA link in the bottom left-hand corner, you'll...

www.westecnow.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A visit to the home of Newport Beach, Calif.-based Westec InterActive Security Inc. begins with a series of six security-related questions that flash across the screen, capped by What can InterActive do for you? To find Westec's answers to...

www.xikar.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The home page of Kansas City, Mo.-based cigar-cutter manufacturer Xikar, Inc., looks like a giant representation of thc company's slanted X logo until you drag the mouse across it and it reveals the page links to its products. Select Cutters...

www.nascigs.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... After entering your birthday to ensure that you are over 21 and choosing the parameters you wish to view the online home of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, access the Who We Are link and click on Customer Testimonials where you will find 45...

A potent partnership: NACS welcomes PEI to make 2002 NACS Show the biggest ever. (Show Preview).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Whenever anything is billed as "bigger and better than ever" the hyperbole alert usually sounds. But when the National Association of Convenience Stores says that its upcoming 2002 NACS Show from Oct. 5-8 at the Orange County Convention Center...

Schedule of events. (Show Preview).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... (AS OF JULY 15) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 8 A.M.-5 P.M.: Exhibitor Move-In 8 A.M.-5 P.M. Exhibitor Registration FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 7:30 AM-5 P.M.: NACSPAC Golf Tournament 8 A.M.-5 P.M.: Exhibitor Move-In 8 A.M.-5 PM.:...

Employee recruiting. (The Personnel Touch).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... For the past several years, the No. 1 business challenge Facing retailers is the ability to find and keep top-notch employees. The best recruiting strategy is an effective retention strategy, which is to say, do everything you can to keep the...

Don't get ripped off by deadbeats. (Legal Advisor).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Deadbeats are a lot like shoplifters. They receive your goods and services but don't pay for them, or don't pay in full. Any business that extends credit to customers can get stung by deadbeats. And even if you don't give credit but do accept...

Turn a disaster into a miracle. (Tax Tips).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Have you accumulated a large amount of money in an IRA, profit-sharing plan, 401(k) plan or other qualified plan? Or know someone who has? Then, this article will not only save you taxes, but will show you how to dramatically increase your...

XIKAR debuts multi-task cigar scissors. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... XIKAR, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., has unveiled a new folding multi-tasking cigar scissors. The Xi-MTX, a new patent-pending design from Italy, offers two major advantages over existing cigar scissors, being portable and extra-utilitarian. Like...

Alec Bradley introduces latest Criollo. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Criollo 98 by Plantation, Fla.-based Alec Bradley Cigar Co., is a new premium cigar and introduces the latest wrapper to come out of Cuba. The Criollo wrapper's first-generation seeds were imported directly to Nicaragua from Cuba in 1999 and...

Gurkha expands Master Select offering. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Three new cigars have joined the lineup of Gurkha Master Select Cigars, distributed by Miami-based Beach Cigar Group. The newest Master Select shapes are 4-1/2 x 53, 6 x 58, and 8 x 54. The golden, extra-select true Connecticut-grown shade...

RJR launches Camel Turkish Royal. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holding Co., Winston-Salem, N.C., launched an extension of its best-selling Camel brand, Camel Turkish Royal, in July. Packed in a midnight-blue box, the latest Turkish variety has a rich, mellow flavor with a slightly...

Arango revives Flor del Carible line. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... After a six-year hiatus, smokers can once again enjoy Flor del Caribe premium cigars, distributed exclusively by Northbrook, Ill.-based Arango Cigar Co. Villazon & Co. is now producing the newly blended Flor del Caribe handmade, long-filler...

Latest Cupido comes of age. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Smokers this summer will get the first look at the Corona Grande, a Nicaraguan premium cigar that Cupido Cigar, Costa Mesa, Calif., has just released after five years of aging. The 100-percent long-filler, handmade Corona Grande is a...

Puros Indios unveils new shapes. (Product News). (Puros Indios Cigars).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Miami-based Puros Indios Cigars is adding three new shapes of its Maxima Reserve "very full-bodied" premium cigars. A second new offering is the Viejo, the first in an annual series of limited-release collectible cigars. Both lines are...

New Torano Cigar honors Cuban expatriates. (Product News). (launches Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 Silver premium cigar line).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Miami-based Torano Cigars has debuted the new Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 Silver premium cigar line. This premium 100-percent long-filler, handmade cigar honors the Cuban cigar families who escaped Castro's takeover of their lands and factories...

Swedish Match adds White Owl Flavors. (Product News). (Swedish Match North America' s line of flavored cigars).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... White Owl has introduced a new lineup of flavored cigars under the White Owl Flavors brand name. The launch includes Sports Chocolate, Vanilla and Mocho Mint, a chocolate-based cigar with a hint of mint. The new brand look of White Owl Flavors...

Tropical Tobacco creates Casanova Sweets. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Miami-based Tropical Tobacco, Inc., will unveil their new line of Casanova Sweets this summer. The Dominican-made Casanova Sweets are 100-percent tobacco and handmade. Casanova Sweets are available in Miniature (4 x 30) and Corona (5-1/2 x 38)...

Unique shape highlights Alec Bradley's Trilogy. (Product News). (Alec Bradley Cigar Co. launches triangular-press premium cigar).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Alec Bradley Cigar Company, Plantation, Fla., has launched a new triangular-press premium cigar. The 100-percent long-filler, handmade Trilogy by Alec Bradley is available in three distinctively different wrappers that give smokers their choice...

Silent Witness designs modular CCTV system. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... Silent Witness Surrey, British Columbia, has created the world's first modular CCTV camera system. With 13 housings, 10 camera boards and nine lenses, this system lets customers choose from over 1,100 camera combinations at the...

Peter Stokkebye adds to McClintock tobacco line. (Product News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Charlotte, N.C.-based Peter Stokkebye International has announced additions to the McClintock line of cigarette tobaccos. Two new blends, Light and Menthol, are now available in 1.25-ounce pouches, 7-ounce cans and 14-ounce value-sized cans....

Heavenly Vanilla a perfect "10". (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... In April, Naples, Fla.-based Heavenly Cigar Company debuted the new 10-pack, Spanish cedar box presentation for its best-selling Heavenly Vanilla cigar flavor. Heavenly cigars come in five other flavors: Cupid's Cherry Cream, Angel's Spice,...

Puffer Snuffer lets you "save it for later". (Product News). (Zebra International).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Zebra International, Auburn, Calif., has recently made available to retailers an wholesalers the Puffer Snuffer, device designed for the smokers who want to extinguish their half-smoked cigarette and save it for later. The lightweight Puffer...