Tobacco Retailer articles from October 2002

Tobacco Retailer archives from October 2002

Be careful out there. (Editor's Note).(Editorial)
October 1, 2002... This is getting serious. Lately it seems that not a day goes by without an item flashing across my computer screen detailing the latest incidents of theft or robbery in the tobacco industry. For example, in the third week of September...

Philip Morris sues Internet vendors. (Industry News).
October 1, 2002... On Sept. 23, New York-based Philip Morris U.S.A. filed eight lawsuits in federal court against certain companies and individuals engaged in the illegal and unauthorized sale and promotion of the company's cigarettes over the Internet. The...

California passes bill raising smoking age. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... In late August, the California State Assembly passed a measure raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products in the state to 21, the highest in the nation. Opponents of the bill have said that this will cause the state to lose some...

New cigarette filters reduce health risks. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... According to independent research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in July, cigarette filters containing a patented antioxidant complex, called the Thione Complex, significantly reduces...

B&W tests high-tech vending machines. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Louisville, Ky.-based Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. has begun a test of high-tech, interactive cigarette vending machines that are designed to ensure that only adults have access to them. Nightclubs and other adult-oriented venues in Cleveland...

IOWA group urges smoking ban. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... The Des Moines (Iowa) Register has reported that Tobacco Free Iowa an anti-smoking group, has begun a statewide effort to ban smoking from all restaurants and bars that serve food, but they're doing it by urging 950 separate local communities...

Missouri tobacco law toothless. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... The Associated Press reported that in Missouri, where a new tobacco law went into effect on Aug. 28, state officials are saying that they can't enforce it because they don't have enough funding to do so. The law bans the sale of so-called...

Germans, British tussle over tobacco ads. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Published reports say that the German government is contesting legislation currently working its way through the British Parliament that would ban tobacco advertising. While Winston Churchill no doubt would blanch at the notion of the...

Study: Tobacco industry tried to limit anti-smoking aids. (The New York Times).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... In August, the New York Times reported that a recent study of tobacco industry documents revealed that tobacco companies tried to pressure drug companies into cutting back on the marketing of anti-smoking aids such as nicotine gum and skin...

Big apple tobacco sales hit hard. (New York City).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... The Associated Press has reported that cigarette sales in New York City have dropped almost 50 percent since the city raised the sales tax on the category from 8 cents per pack to $1.50. There were some 15.6 million packs of cigarettes...

Black-market cigarettes confiscated in New York. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... In August, New York City officials put on display 1,287 packs of cigarettes, totaling 237,420 individual cigarettes, that they said had been confiscated from stores selling tobacco without a license. The city's determination to crack down...

Hawaii goes after cigarette smugglers. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... In August, Hawaii attorney general Earl Anzai told a local television station that he believes that some local businesses are smuggling cigarettes into the state and defrauding the government of owed taxes that could be as much as $20 million...

American Western rightful owner of disputed trademark. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... A lengthy legal battle over trademark rights to cigar brands Celestino Vega, Rum Runner, Island Amaretto and West Indies Vanilla came to a conclusion on July 15 when United States District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott signed an order declaring...

Cupido Cigars inks distribution deal. (Industry News).
October 1, 2002... Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Cupido Cigars has signed a distribution agreement under which Phillips & King International, a Kretek International company, will be the distributor of Cupido's Nicaraguan-made premium cigars. The agreement covers the...

Torano expands Cigar factory. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Miami-based Torano Cigars has just completed a significant expansion to its factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, that will accommodate a 30-percent increase in production. According to vice president Charlie Torano, "These are exciting times for the...

Natural American Spirit celebrates anniversary. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... In 1982, Natural American Spirit cigarettes were created to provide adult smokers with the highest and purest quality additive-free natural tobacco products. Today, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. remains true to its identity as it celebrates its...

Tropical Tobacco merges with producer. (Industry News).
October 1, 2002... Miami-based Tropical Tobacco, Inc., has formed a partnership with the Nicaraguan company AGANORSA, one of the largest growers of tobacco in Central America, forming a new Tropical Tobacco," according to Maria Martin, Tropical's sales and...

Puros Indios moves into new factory. (Industry News).
October 1, 2002... Rolando Reyes Sr., founder and head of Miami-based Puros Indios Cigars, has completed construction of the company's new factory, on the outskirts of Danli, Honduras, and has announced that it is in full operation. He and his workers have...

Alec Bradley increases sales force. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... An intensive hiring program has rewarded Alec Bradley Cigar Company, Plantation, Fla., with a new cadre of sales representatives to call on tobacco retailers throughout the United States. "Sales of our lines of premium cigars had outpaced...

Republic Group, Altesse appoint presidents. (Industry News).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... In conjunction with its acquisition of Altesse GmbH in Vienna, Austria, by affiliate D.T. Technologies, the Republic Group has named Philippe Parcevaux as its European Group president. While actively overseeing the integration and expansion...

Attorneys general attack Ariva. (Washington Report).
October 1, 2002... Star Scientific, Inc., Chester, Va., the manufacturer of Ariva, has responded to charges from 42 attorneys general, saying they are "factually flawed and without merit" and contain serious "misstatements" and "mischaracterizations." As...

Importing new strategies: high state taxes are having an affect on the import cigarette market inventory management may be the key. (Cover Story).
October 1, 2002... When it comes to the state cigarette tax increases that have hit consumers and retailers across the United States recently, no one is immune. Increases in state taxes on cigarettes are having an affect on all brands and types, including those...

Sweet smell of success: odor-eliminating candles decrease tobacco stench, increase sales. (Product Profile).
October 1, 2002... Billy Chandler, owner of Roxboro, N.C. -based O'Ryans Tobacco Express, is not a cigar smoker by habit. But he knows the tobacco business and product well--and he understands the heavy, musky smell of tobacco can be somewhat overwhelming. ...

Help wanted: hiring the "I've never held a job before" worker. (Retailing).
October 1, 2002... "So tell me about your previous job." "What were your responsibilities?" "Describe a situation in which you solved a tough problem for a customer." All great interrogation when you're hiring for an entry-level job. Seasoned...

Safety first: sophisticated safes have become an invaluable asset in managing cash flow. (Operations).
October 1, 2002... For Danny Ocean, it took 11 guys and a well-though-out plan equipped with, among other things, feigned heart attacks, a corrupt blackjack dealer and a whole bevy of explosives. For Ocean, George Clooney's character in the 2001 block buster...

RTDA review: retail tobacco dealers of America. (Show Review).(Retail Tobacco Dealers of America )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... The Retail Tobacco Dealers of America celebrated 70 years of service to the CTS industry with its annual Convention and International Trade Show in late July at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. Show Review Nearly 300 companies...

Looking forward. (Music City Marketing).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... With the variety of challenges the tobacco industry is facing, tobacco retailers are, now more than ever, looking for new ways to diversify their product lines and attract a broader range of customers. In addition, they are looking for...

www.europeancigarettes.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Randolph, N.J.-based European Cigarette Imports, Inc., is the official importer and distributor of GF and BR cigarettes in the United States. GF and BR are produced by SEKAP, S.A., a Greek cigarette company. Under the Products link, you can...

www.musiccitymarketing.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... An Internet trip to the home of Nashville-based Music City Marketing is akin to being a kid on Christmas. With its exhaustive list of smoking products and accessories, Music City has something for every type of CTS retailer. Under the Giftshop...

www.pstokkebye.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... The understated Internet abode of Charlotte, N.C.-based Peter Stokkebye International, Inc., starts with a short history of the company, which was founded in 1882 by Danish tobacco-shop owner Erik Peter Stokkebye, who rolled his own cigars...

www.humetrics.com. (Web Directory).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Because it can be difficult to find good c-store employees, the process needed to locate them is often daunting. That's why Houston-based Humetrics, Inc., has come up with an automated hiring process that incorporates job hotlines, a company...

Selling time. (The Personnel Touch).
October 1, 2002... The one thing you and your customers have in common is not having enough time. Whether you're a tobacco, convenience or grocery store, saving your customers time with their buying experience is one of the most important business strategies you...

Calico launches new line of lighters. (Product News).
October 1, 2002... Ontario, Calif.-based Calico Brands, Inc., has made the latest introduction into the lighter marketplace, the electronic lighter. While the mainstay of Calico's business has been the spark-wheel lighter, technological advances have paved the...

Natural American Spirit offers tower displays. (Product News).
October 1, 2002... Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co., Inc., Santa Fe, N.M., has introduced Natural American Spirit tower displays, which are designed to hold up to four cartons of cigarettes, feature up to eight styles of Natural American Spirit cigarettes and save...