The DipTops accessory gives MST or "dip" users the freedom to enjoy their tobacco without the fear of spills, odors or having their habit offend other people. When snapped on to the top of any 8-, 12- or 16-oz. beverage can, DipTops produces a disposable, [image-nocss] spill-resistant spittoon that MST users can take with them anywhere. The product has gained significant traction in the convenience retailing sector in early 2009, according to Brian Goodell, president of DipTops LLC, Dublin, Calif.
DipTops' distinctiveness, ease of use and high acceptance among MST users convinced Phil Oftedahl, merchandise support manager for stores in the company's Chesapeake division, of the notion that DipTops would do well in 7-Eleven stores. A colleague--an MST aficionado and a satisfied DipTops user--first introduced Oftedahl to the product.
"Product uniqueness is DipTops' strongest suit," said Oftedahl. "It's the first product of its kind I've seen that gives center stage to snuff products. In many ways, it's the first accessory that goes with the MST category, much like lighters for cigarettes. Also, MST users seem to be a little more adventurous than the average cigarette smoker or cigar smoker, so they'll want to try something new that fits with their lifestyle."
Approximately 1,030 stores make up 7-Eleven's Alexandria, Va.-based Chesapeake division, and DipTops will be merchandised alongside MST products or on sales counters in more than 600 of those stores beginning in early July, according to Oftedahl. The DipTops Personal Spittoon, he said, will make a palatable and more discreet alternative to other, less-stable receptacles MST users have relied on in the past, such as plain foam coffee cups, which have resulted in users suffering from unsanitary spills or offending people who do not use MST.
"We sell a lot of moist smokeless tobacco, and we also sell a lot of cans of energy drinks, soft drinks and other beverages, so it's a natural fit," Oftedahl said. "People have ended up using an open can or a coffee cup for their moist-smokeless-tobacco use, and this we will be a lot cleaner and less offensive" to non-MST users.
"Some of the industry's biggest retailers and wholesalers have gotten behind DipTops," Goodell said. "This is a product whose time has come in the MST segment, and should strengthen the category overall. The fact that 7-Eleven, which is the largest retailer in the convenience-store industry, is going to carry DipTops is proof of that. We are ecstatic to be in 7-Eleven."
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