SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Circle K has entered into a partnership with NJOY electronic cigarettes for chain-wide corporate store distribution in 3,100 U.S. retail locations beginning in August 2012.
Circle K has been an early leader in the e-cigarette category, and this newly formed partnership further strengthens NJOY's brand, with products available in almost 30,000 retail stores nationwide, including more than half of the nation's top 20 convenience store chains, the companies said.
"Circle K's focus on leadership brands that meet the evolving needs of their customers with innovative new products aligns perfectly with NJOY and its rechargeable and non-rechargeable products," said Vito Maurici, senior vice president of sales and distribution for NJOY.
"While still in its infancy, the electronic cigarette category has thus far been marked by tremendous variation in terms of product quality and consistency," said Trey Powell, director of national procurementfor Circle K. "NJOY has developed a strong reputation for quality, and their performance within the category really underscores the value that consumers have assigned to the brand. We're confident that our customers will do the same."
NJOY said that it has achieved a 38.5% market share of dollars in the category, citing the most recent (May 2012) Nielsen ScanTrack numbers in c-stores.NJOY's market share is now larger then the next five competitors' combined, according to the company.
As part of the rollout, Circle K will carry NJOY's market leading Rechargeable Starter Kits, cartridge refills and the award-winning Onejoy non-rechargeable products. All are available in Traditional, Menthol and in varying nicotine levels.
Scottsdale, Ariz.-based NJOY offers a variety of rechargeable and nonrechargeable e-cigarette products made for adult smokers. These products provide nicotine and tobacco and menthol flavor without smoke or odor, and cost less than traditional cigarettes to use, the company said.
As of April 29, 2012, Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard had a network of 5,803 convenience stores, 4,216 of which include motor fuel dispensing, as well as agreements for the supply of motor fuel to 350 independent operator sites. Couche-Tard's network consists of 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 42 states and the District of Columbia (primarily under the Circle K flag), and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces (primarily under the Mac's and Couche-Tard flags).
In addition, under licensing agreements, about 3,990 stores operate under the Circle K banner in nine countries (China, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Mexico, Vietnam and United Arab Emirates). Following its acquisition of Statoil, Couche-Tard also operates a retail network across Scandinavia, Poland, the Baltics and Russia with approximately 2,300 stores.
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