Tobacco Retailer articles from December 2004

Tobacco Retailer archives from December 2004

War drums sound.(EDITOR'S NOTE)(price reduction of Timber Wolf snuff product of Swedish Match North America Inc.)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... Anyone in the mood for a price war? As 2004 was entering its final month, there certainly seemed to be one percolating in the moist snuff category, spurred by the Nov. 30 announcement by Swedish Match North America that it would be lowering the...

Altria preparing to break up company.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Altria Group Inc.)
December 1, 2004... In November, New York-based tobacco and food giant Altria Group Inc. indicated that it is moving ahead with preparations to break itself up into two or three businesses, according to an Associated Press report. "Although the precise timing...

Dimon to acquire Standard Commercial.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In November, the Associated Press reported that Danville, Va.-based Dimon Inc., the world's second largest dealer of leaf tobacco, had agreed to acquire rival Standard Commercial Corp., Wilson, N.C., in a $670 million stock swap. Standard...

R.J. Reynolds settles hip-hop lawsuit.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Winston-Salem, N.C., has reached a settlement with three attorneys general regarding the use of hip-hop in its Kool MIXX advertising. The company agreed to pay $1.5 million and reduce the use of hip-hop in its...

New York counties consider raising smoking age.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A bill introduced in November in the Suffolk County, N.Y., Legislature would increase the legal age to purchase cigarettes from 18 to 19. According to anti-smoking advocates who support the "Tobacco 19" bill, high school seniors are buying...

Michigan tax increase taxes retailers, wholesalers.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(hike in the cigarette tax)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Michigan's retailers and wholesalers are paying a high price for the hike in the state's cigarette tax. According to the Michigan Distributor and Vendors Association, the state's retailers and wholesalers have lost 25 percent of their...

New York won't collect taxes from reservations.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Defying a 2003 mandate by the New York state Legislature to start collecting taxes on Indian sales of tobacco and motor fuels to non-Indian New Yorkers, the state Tax Department has unilaterally pulled the plug on drafting regulations to...

Consumers prefer plastic to paper for payment.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In a recent Study of Consumer Payment Preference, it was determined that today's consumers are pulling out the plastic more often than cash when making purchases. According to the study, the preference is clearly for credit, debit or...

Court ruling could mean more credit-card competition.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2004... On Oct. 4, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal in the case allowing banks that offer MasterCard or Visa to also offer their own credit cards. USA Today reported that the court's decision should heighten competition...

Antitrust verdict favors R.J. Reynolds.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In October, a jury in Federal Court, North District of Illinois, unanimously ruled in favor of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, N.C., in an antitrust suit brought against the company by Cigarettes Cheaper, a retailer headquartered...

Senecas working to thwart underage sales.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2004... The Seneca Indian Nation is taking steps to block underage consumers' access to tobacco products. According to a report in Newsday in October, Seneca leaders have adopted rules created to help prevent minors from purchasing cigarettes via...

Heavenly Cigar teams with German company for international distribution.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Heavenly Cigar Company, Naples, Fla., has appointed European Tobacco Connection GmbH as its exclusive German importer/distributor, for the entire Heaven lineup of flavored cigars. "With our ambitious marketing in the U.S. and other European...

Puros Indios regains distribution rights to Cuba Aliados brand.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Puros Indios Cigars Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... "When my grandfather, Rolando Reyes, Sr., escaped Castro's regime and arrived in the United States in 1972, one of the the few possessions he brought with him was the 'Cuba Aliados' trademark," said Carlos Diez, vice president of Miami-based...

Torano cigars offering Merchandise on Web site.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In answer to Torano "Insiders'" desire to "show their colors," the cigar manufacturer has added a new Merchandise page to its www.torano.com Web site. The Insiders are Torano devotees who enjoy benefits that include sampling pre-release cigars...

General Tobacco streamlines Silver distribution.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In November, Miami-based General Tobacco announced it would begin directly distributing its Silver brand cigarettes. General Tobacco intends to introduce Silver on a nationwide basis to capitalize on the success it has had in those states in...

Tobacco firms lose British ad-restriction challenge.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Tobacco companies lost a court fight in November to overturn new restrictions on advertising in places where cigarettes are sold in Britain, reported the Associated Press. Justice Richard McCombe of the High Court rejected the companies'...

RJR victorious in N.Y. health-care case.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The highest court in New York ruled in October that health-care insurance companies cannot legally sue tobacco companies for deceptive practices and recover damages for the health care costs of the people they cover. The New York Court of...

Vector Group announces restructuring.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Miami-based Vector Group Ltd. has announced that it is restructuring the operations of Liggett Vector Brands Inc., the company's sales, marketing and distribution agent for its Liggett Group Inc. and Vector Tobacco Inc. subsidiaries. ...

Philip Morris challenges fraud ruling.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Philip Morris Inc.)
December 1, 2004... In November, the Associated Press reported that Philip Morris USA, Richmond, Va., was challenging a $10.1 billion consumer fraud ruling, telling the Illinois Supreme Court that its "light" cigarettes performed as advertised. Attorney James...

Santa Fe Natural honors those with "Spirit of the Land".(INDUSTRY NEWS)
December 1, 2004... In September, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co., Santa Fe, N.M., announced the winners of the "Natural American Spirit Creative Arts Competition: Spirit of the Land." Participants competed for $25,000 in cash prizes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

KSS launches advanced cigarette-pricing capability.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... KSS Inc. has announced the launch of advanced cigarette-specific pricing capabilities for its PriceStrat merchandise pricing and promotions solution. PriceStrat's cigarette-pricing capabilities include: * Complete gross margin analysis...

New York governor vetoes tribal tobacco-and-gas tax-collection bill.(WASHINGTON REPORT)
December 1, 2004... On Nov. 15, New York Gov. George Pataki vetoed a bill requiring the collection of taxes on Indian sales of motor fuel and tobacco products to non-Indians starting Jan. 1, 2005. The governor gave the following reasons for his decision to...

FDA not a-ok: how close was federal regulation of the tobacco industry? And what brought about its eventual demise?(FDA REGULATION)(Food & Drug Administration)
December 1, 2004... The threat of U.S. Food & Drug Administration authority over the manufacturing, wholesaling, distributing and retailing of tobacco products--and just how deleterious the effects would be on CTS and other tobacco retailers--has lingered like a...

Strength in numbers: industry analyst Martin Feldman assesses the impact of the RJR/B&W Merger.(RJR/B&W MERGER)
December 1, 2004... In one of the biggest developments in the tobacco industry this year, R.J. Reynolds was combined with the United States business of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. on July 30, becoming a wholly owned unit of Reynolds American. Recently,...

The battle is joined: with federal regulation of Internet sales stalled, states began their own enforcement crusade.(INTERNET SALES)
December 1, 2004... If the "he said, she said" atmosphere that surrounds the question of just how much the Internet sale of cigarettes is affecting brick-and-mortar sales and the ability of governing bodies to collect the proper excise taxes were the plot for a...

Customer focus.(THE PERSONNEL TOUCH)
December 1, 2004... With an over-saturation of purchase options, coupled with the fact that consumers today are more sophisticated and educated than they were a few years ago, it is absolutely imperative that retailers are connected at their customer's hip in...

FDA regulations defeated.(NATO NEWS)(Food & Drug Administration )
December 1, 2004... The intensive grassroots lobbying efforts of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets and its members helped defeat the proposed Food and Drug Administration tobacco regulations in Congress. NATO president Velma Hartley declared that...

General Tobacco debuts Champion cigarettes.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... General Tobacco has launched its latest brand of cigarettes. Champion cigarettes enter the market to provide distributors and retailers additional revenue options and brand variety. Champion is made with premium-quality Colombian blend tobacco...

Stokkebye adds to McClintock tube line.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Peter Stokkebye International, Ltd., has introduced two additions to its McClintock brand: Light tubes and Menthol tubes. The new tube types join the regular Full Flavor tubes as part of McClintock's make-your-own product line. McClintock Light...

Dean's Lil Cigars latest M&R release.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... M&R Holdings, Inc., makers of Farmer's Gold and Farmer's Golden Leaf rolling tobaccos, has announced its latest product line: Dean's Lil Cigars. These high-quality cigars come in four blends: Full Flavor, Menthol, Cherry and Vanilla, and are...

ElimiTaste "ZAPs" the gum category.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Inhale Solutions, Inc., has rolled out nationwide ElimiTaste ZAPP! Intense ElectraMint, the first of several gum products that will be released under the company's ElimiTaste brand. ZAPP! Intense ElectraMint, which is sugar-free, satisfies a...

Silver Series pipe tobacco targeted to small retailer.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Peter Stokkebye International, Ltd., has added to the offerings in the bulk pipe tobacco segment with the creation of the Silver Series. Consisting of six of Stokkebye's most popular bulk tobacco blends, the Silver Series is packaged in...

Legal Limit keychain can defuse duis.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Legal Limit, a personal breathalyzer inside a discreet keychain, offers a solution for those wondering if it is safe to drive after having a couple of drinks. Simply break open the one-time use sealed tube and blow into it for six seconds. If...

Wildfire Flavored Tobacco latest republic offering.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Republic Tobacco L.P. has introduced Wildfire Cigarette Tobacco, available in five exotic flavors. Wildfire features the flavors of peach, strawberry, vanilla, margarita and cherry, providing an aromatic, smooth and natural tasting smoke....

DjEEP "Heavy Metal" lighters to hit the shelves in January.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... DjEEP will launch its new Heavy Metal graphic series of lighters beginning in January. The Heavy Metal lighters feature five different stamped and punched metallic surface patterns in chrome, brass and steel-like graphic finishes. The surface...

Alec Bradley revamps Spirit of Cuba cigar line.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Alec Bradley Cigar Company has unveiled the Spirit of Cuba all-tobacco, handmade bundled premium cigars, an expansion of the original handmade, all-tobacco Spirit of Cuba line, into three wrappers and strengths: a mild-to-medium natural; a...

New features highlight Credo Synchro Cutter.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Arango Cigar Co., is now offering the new Credo Synchro Cutter. Credo's patented double-axis, gear-synchronized blades converge uniformly at the center of the opening, which prevents a common problem among double-bladed cutters: off-center...

Puros Indios adds new Corona Gordas to lineup.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... The Puros Indios "Classic" line of premium cigars has grown to include a new Corona Gorda shape. Two sizes are offered: a #5 (5 X 66) and a #10 (10 X 66), with the heads of both pre-cut. Like all Puros Indios Classic cigars, the Corona Gordas...

Felipe Gregorio debuts Poschl Tabak tobaccos.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Felipe Gregorio, Inc., the exclusive U.S. distributor for Poschl Tabak pipe tobacco, has introduced three new brands of connoisseur pipe tobaccos by the Poschl family. Golden Blend is available in four flavors, while Blue Train and Thomas...

Arango exclusive distributor of Dean Swift fancy dry snuff.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Arango Cigar Co. is now the exclusive importer and distributor for Dean Swift Snuff, a broad line of fancy British dry snuff. Although this snuff is manufactured in England, it is blended exclusively for sale in the United States, where it is a...

Rough Rider display promotes impulse buying.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... A new, low-profile display is available to retailers for Rough Rider Sweets flavored, rough-cut cheroots by Indianhead. The display is designed for countertop usage, at the request of many Rough Rider retailers. Its footprint is 12 inches wide...

Visual Marketing offers Visual Tobacco Solutions.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Visual Marketing, Inc., has introduced a modular merchandising system for any size store. The Visual Tobacco Solutions system allows retailers to maximize their selling space, lower the appearance of out-of-stocks and design their own...

Heavenly Cigar introduces 10-packs for Cherub line.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Heavenly Cigar Company has begun offering European-style hinged tins for its line of Cherub mini-cigars. All Cherub flavor selections will be available in the new clam-shell pocket tins: Heavenly Vanilla, Heather's Honey Nut, Raging Rum and...

Eliminate lottery errors with new LotteryPen.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... The new LotteryPen from Global-Win, Inc., is a quick and easy method for lottery players to fill in their lottery tickets error-free. Using a LotteryPen to fill in tickets takes half the time it takes using a regular ball-point pen because of...

Venturi introduces Disposable Toothbrush.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Venturi, Inc., has introduced the SmileSaver Disposable Toothbrush Value Pack. The pack includes five individually wrapped, use-and-toss, soft-bristle toothbrushes with paste. Each individual brush is hygienically sealed to maintain its...

Zippo takes to the track with Motorsports line.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Zippo Manufacturing has created the Motorsports line of lighters. Dubbed "The Official Lighter of Race Fans," the lighters pay homage to some of the top drivers on the NASCAR circuit: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Michael...

Category Merchandise Manager provides better inventory control.(PRODUCT NEWS)
December 1, 2004... Republic Tobacco L.P. has created the cigarette paper Category Merchandise Manager, designed to meet your corporate and in-store category-management needs. The Category Merchandise Manager is designed to use less than one-half the counter...