烟草在线据Journal Now报道编译　　瑞典火柴加快生产鼻烟，希望争夺由雷诺的骆驼鼻烟品牌主导的美国市场份额。

　　该公司的美国女发言人Fowler-Jones于2月24日表示，位于瑞典斯德哥尔摩的瑞典火柴从2006年以来就在美国出售其鼻烟产品。

　　英格兰聚光灯想法公司的管理合伙人兼行业分析师Stephen Pope说，瑞典火柴是美国第三大鼻烟制造商。

　　瑞典火柴的主要品牌是将军，在包括焦油脚跟烟草商店和四兄弟便利店等的当地商店出售。该公司正在芝加哥、达拉斯和费城试销装在矩形罐内的两种新风格的鼻烟。

　　据雷诺称，骆驼鼻烟是迄今为止最大的竞争对手，在第四季度拥有75%的市场份额。2006年4月，雷诺开始在试销市场上销售骆驼鼻烟，2008年10月进入全国的经销渠道。

　　无烟烟草，包括试销市场上的三种可溶性产品，可在雷诺转变为“全烟草公司”的过程中发挥重要作用。”该公司强调无烟烟草，因为在监管和社会的压力下，卷烟的销售在持续下滑。

　　对于烟草制造商来说，考虑到美国有4200万个成年吸烟者，而相比之下只有800万人使用湿鼻烟，300万名成年人使用鼻烟，这种转变是令人生畏的。

　　瑞典火柴新一代产品的副总裁克拉克·达哈说，该组织的策略包括研究目前关键市场上的鼻烟销售、最适合的客户人口统计、调整分销渠道和应对吸烟限制越来越多的市场。

　　“我们认为我们的产品能在市场上脱颖而出，”达哈说。“虽然我们的大多数销售额来自传统商店，但是我们知道大部分的鼻烟销售正在便利店内销售，这将是我们的焦点。”

　　雷诺的发言人大卫·霍华德说，对于瑞典火柴想增加其美国市场的占有率，公司并不感到奇怪。

　　著名的活动家无烟宾夕凡尼亚州组织的执行主任比尔·高德寿，倡导使用无烟产品作为戒烟的一种手段。

　　“占有大市场优势的骆驼鼻烟、万宝路鼻烟和干杯鼻烟，是雷诺和奥驰亚的产品，已经在大多数烟草零售店内站稳了脚跟，”高德寿说。

　　“很多人开始时使用骆驼鼻烟或万宝路鼻烟，很可能最后转向瑞典火柴的鼻烟产品。”

　　“骆驼鼻烟更像干杯品牌产品，而瑞典鼻烟更像是哥本哈根品牌产品，”高德寿说。“大多数的湿鼻烟新用户开始时使用干杯品牌，一些人随后转向尼古丁含量更高的哥本哈根品牌。”

Swedish company hopes to chip away at Reynolds' snus market

Journal Now
Feb 25, 2012

　　Swedish Match is ramping up production of snus in hopes of chipping away at the dominant U.S. market share held by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s Camel Snus brand.

　　Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Swedish Match has been selling its snus product in the United States since 2006, Sandy Fowler-Jones, a U.S. spokeswoman, said Friday.

　　Swedish Match is the third-largest producer of moist snuff in the United States, said Stephen Pope, an industry analyst and managing partner of Spotlight Ideas in England.

　　The main Swedish Match snus brand is General, which is sold locally at outlets that include Tar Heel Tobacco shops and Four Brothers convenience stores. The company is testing two new styles of snus in rectangular cans in Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia.

　　Camel Snus is by far the largest competitor, with a 75 percent market share in the fourth quarter, according to Reynolds. Reynolds began selling Camel Snus in test markets in April 2006, going national with distribution in October 2008.

　　Smokeless tobacco, including three dissolvable products in test markets, could play a pivotal role in Reynolds' transformation into a "total tobacco company." The company is emphasizing smokeless tobacco as cigarette sales continue to decline amid regulatory and social pressures.

　　The transformation is daunting for tobacco manufacturers, considering there are 42 million adult smokers in the United States compared with 8 million adults who use moist snuff and 3 million adults who use snus.

　　Clark Darrah, vice president of next-generation products for Swedish Match, said the group's strategy includes researching current snus sales in key markets that best fit its customer demographics, adjusting distribution channels and responding to markets with increasing smoking restrictions.

　　"We believe our products will differentiate themselves in the marketplace," Darrah said. "While we have more of our sales in traditional tobacco stores, we know the majority of snus sales are taking place in convenience stores, and that's where our focus will be."

　　David Howard, a spokesman for Reynolds, said the company is not surprised Swedish Match is aiming at increasing its U.S. market share.

　　Bill Godshall, executive director of SmokeFree Pennsylvania, is a prominent advocate for using smokeless products as a means of helping smokers quit.

　　"The big-market advantages for Camel Snus, Marlboro Snus and Skoal Snus are that Reynolds and Altria have already located those in many/most tobacco retail stores," Godshall said.

　　"Many people who begin using snus with Camel Snus or Marlboro Snus are likely to end up trying and switching to Swedish Match snus products.

　　"Camel Snus is more like Skoal, while Swedish snus products are more like Copenhagen," Godshall said. "Most new moist snuff users begin with Skoal and some switch to Copenhagen, which has more nicotine."