January 17, 2009 - Since acquiring UST the Philip Morris (PM) salesperson is now even more aggressive - young female African American - tells owner the UST sales force will only be handling returns. (UST is one of the few tobacco companies that will give credit for expired products). We wonder if Altria will reduce the size of UST's sales force like they did after the acquisition of John Middleton - Black&Mild Cigars. We know Altria Group Inc., expects to lay off 34 UST employees in mid-March, including two vice presidents and two senior vice presidents and close the UST Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, which employs 350, by the end of the year.
The PM rep looks over the checkout counter area and points out the signage she wants removed. Click on image below to enlarge - bullet-proof glass to the right of checkout counter to be removed: Camel SNUS display, Bailey's Cigarettes sign (upper right corner) and an American Spirit cigarettes sign (lower right corner). Once the store owner signed the PM Retail Leaders Agreement, PM has control of the area around the checkout counter.
The previous C-store update pointed out that PM will be reducing the price of UST's Copenhagen and Skoal Moist Snuff one dollar starting February 1, 2009.
Reynolds American/Conwood is responding by introducing two new flavors of Grizzly and having a special promotion patron gets a free lighter with purchase. Conwood's Kodiak, that competes at the premium moist snuff level with Altria/UST's Skoal and Copenhagen, price will be reduced one dollar.
Take a look at our Camel Snus sign with a digital display below - click on image to enlarge. The c-store owner asked the RJR salesperson if he needed the sign any longer. The salesman indicated the sign will no longer be used (e.g. sign specifies 20-pouches now each can has only 15-pouches) and the store owner could keep it.
We are predicting that the test marketing of SNUS products in the U.S. and Canada will fail. Tobacco companies were in agreement for SNUS to catch on and be a strong seller it's going to require more public awareness and education. But even programs to station a person in c-stores passing out coupons for a free can of Camel SNUS or flooding the market with free cans of Camel SNUS doesn''t seem to work.
Previous C-Store Update.
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January 16, 2009 - Four conservative religious leaders from North Carolina Thursday called on Sen. Richard Burr to drop his opposition to a tobacco regulation bill - Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - he blocked last year. The measure Burr opposes would let the Food and Drug Administration regulate cigarettes and tobacco products, possibly leading to better labeling and, the ministers say, almost certainly saving lives.
Commonwealth Brands Inc., the fourth-biggest cigarette maker in the United States, is introducing two Davidoff Slim cigarette styles (Davidoff Slims Lights and Davidoff Slims Menthol Lights)to the United States this February 2009. 
Commonwealth Brands is owned by 
Imperial Tobacco PLC.
January 13, 2009 - ROCK HILL, S.C. became the first city in the Charlotte-area to ban smoking. On Monday night by a vote of 5 to 2 the city voted to ban smoking in all indoor public places. That includes restaurants, bars, and workplaces. The city called the ban the "right thing to do" because of the dangers from second-hand smoke.
January 12, 2009 - Cigarette sales in France dropped to a record low in 2008, research by British American Tobacco (BAT) shows. BAT France said 54.4 billion cigarettes were sold in 2008 in France, down 2.3 percent from 2007. In 1998, almost 85 billion cigarettes were sold in France. BAT cited 
January 12, 2009 - U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman has dismissed a challenge by General Tobacco (GT), the sixth-largest tobacco company in the U.S. and maker of GT-One brand cigarettes, to the 
John Tung Foundation, the 
