Value brands leading the way for tobacco.

Publication: Europe Intelligence Wire

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Financial Times Ltd.

(From Off Licence News)

The premium sector is down, but there's good growth in the budget cigarette brands and in new pack sizes

Cigarette brands are showing a similar pattern in off-licences as in other retail outlets, according to Jeremy Blackburn, trade communications manager with Gallaher, and value-for-money brands like its own Mayfair King Size lead the way.

In the economy sector Imperial Tobacco's Lambert & Butler King Size is the top selling cigarette, both in off-licences and the UK market as a whole. Tobacco, the company says, is still an important product category and represents a huge sector in the UK.

BAT UK has also noted a decline in the premium sector and a steady growth in brands like Royals, Mayfair and Richmond.

The fastest growing UK cigarette brands in terms of the biggest percentage change since last year are, according to Gallaher, Mayfair King...

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