Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
C-store sales of smokeless tobacco rose 7.6% in 2013, with pouch/can sales up 3.8%, according to IRI. This is in line with the rate of growth in 2012, with both chewing and spitless tobacco (snus and other alternatives) seeing gains.
| Smokeless type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Pouch/can sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Chewing tobacco/snuff | $5,004.1 | 7.7% | 1,214.9 | 3.8% |
| Spitless tobacco | $181.4 | 3.9% | 52.4 | 2.8% |
| Total all smokeless | $5,185.4 | 7.6% | 1,267.3 | 3.8% |
Source: IRI
Smokeless Sales: 20 Large Chains
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013
According to a Nielsen sample that tracks sales at 20 large c-store chains representing about 13,000 sites, smokeless sales were generally up across the board in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013. This sample reflects actual purchases at these large chains, most of which have 500 stores or greater, as opposed to the national database, which is a projection. Moist snuff posted the biggest gains—unit sales rose more than 7%—with low-price and portion-pouch driving the growth.
| Smokeless type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Pouch/can sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Moist snuff | $470.0 | 9.3% | 131.6 | 7.1% |
| Loose-leaf | $14.2 | 8.6% | 2.5 | 4.4% |
| Snus | $21.2 | 7.2% | 6.3 | 4.8% |
| Total smokeless | $505.4 | 9.2% | 140.4 | 7.0% |
| Moist smokeless type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Pouch/can sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Premium | $190.2 | 0.7% | 40.5 | -0.7% |
| Mid-tier | $15.2 | 2.5% | 4.3 | -2.0% |
| Low-price | $201.3 | 16.1% | 69.9 | 10.7% |
| Portion-pouch | $63.3 | 19.1% | 16.9 | 16.5% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
Cross-Category Opportunity
According to research by Management Science Associates that examined two years’ worth of retail point-of-sale data at 200 c-stores, the top 10 categories purchases along with smokeless tobacco included:
1. Salty snacks
2. Packaged beverages
3. Alternative snacks
4. Hot dispensed beverages
5. Publications
6. Candy
7. Foodservice
8. Beer
9. General merchandise
10. HBC
Distributor Data: Smokeless-Tobacco Shipments
Calendar year 2013
McLane shipments of moist smokeless rose more than 5% in 2013, with snus shipments up more than 18%.
| Segment | Avg. shipments per store per week (in dollars) | Avg. shipments per store per week (dollar growth) | PCYA |
| Moist smokeless | $341.90 | $17.53 | 5.4% |
| Snus/stick/strip/orb | $17.19 | $2.65 | 18.2% |
| Smokeless alternative | $4.86 | $2.13 | 78.2% |
| Dry | $0.08 | -$0.02 | -21.6% |
Source: McLane Co.
Market Share by Product: 20 Large Chains
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013
Ninety-three percent of smokeless-tobacco sales at the 20 large chains tracked in the Nielsen c-store sample came from the moist segment.
| Segment | Dollar share |
| Moist smokeless | 93.0% |
| Snus | 4.2% |
| Loose-leaf | 2.8% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
Moist Smokeless Share by Brand: 20 Large Chains
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013
By unit sales, Grizzly was the top-selling brand at the 20 large c-store chains tracked in the Nielsen sample, while premium brand Copenhagen led in dollars.
| Brand | Unit share |
| Grizzly | 33.3% |
| Copenhagen | 29.0% |
| Skoal | 20.9% |
| Longhorn | 5.0% |
| Kodiak | 3.8% |
| Red Seal | 3.2% |
| Other | 4.8% |
| Segment | Dollar share |
| Copenhagen | 32.3% |
| Grizzly | 28.7% |
| Skoal | 24.5% |
| Kodiak | 5.0% |
| Red Seal | 3.2% |
| Longhorn | 3.0% |
| Other | 3.3% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
Chewing Tobacco by UPC: 20 Large Chains
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013
Among the 20 chains tracked in Nielsen’s Large Convenience Chain database, the top-selling chewing tobacco UPC was the 3-ounce Red Man pouch.
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Pouch/can sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Red Man Pouch (3-oz.) | $5.3 | 12.0% | 0.9 | 8.6% |
| Red Man Golden Blend (3-oz.) | $4.6 | 15.1% | 0.8 | 10.6% |
| Levi Garrett (3-oz.) | $3.1 | 4.8% | 0.5 | 1.5% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
Moist-Smokeless Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013
The top-selling brand by unit sales at the stores in the Nielsen Large Convenience Chain sample wasGrizzly, although Copenhagen led in dollar sales. Both enjoyed double-digit growth in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 21, 2013. The top-selling UPC by units and dollars: the 1.2-ounce Grizzly Long-Cut Wintergreen.
| Brands by Can Sales: 20 Large Chains | ||||
| Brand | Pouch/can sales (millions) | PCYA | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA |
| Grizzly | 43.8 | 10.4% | $135.0 | 16.7% |
| Copenhagen | 38.1 | 12.8% | $151.8 | 13.8% |
| Skoal | 27.5 | 0.8% | $151.8 | 0.7% |
| Longhorn | 6.6 | 1.4% | $14.0 | 3.3% |
| Kodiak | 5.0 | 1.1% | $23.5 | 3.1% |
| UPCs by Can Sales: 20 Large Chains | ||||
| UPC | Pouch/can sales (millions) | PCYA | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA |
| Grizzly Long-Cut Wintergreen (1.2-oz.) | 16.2 | -9.1% | $52.5 | -0.9% |
| Copenhagen Fine-Cut Natural (1.2-oz.) | 8.3 | -15.4% | $40.3 | -11.7% |
| Copenhagen Long-Cut Natural (1.2-oz.) | 6.6 | -9.3% | $31.9 | -5.7% |
| Copenhagen Long-Cut Wintergreen (1.2-oz.) | 6.4 | 18.9% | $20.6 | 27.7% |
| Grizzly Long-Cut Wintergreen (5-can roll) | 5.2 | 82.2% | $12.9 | 86.2% |
| Grizzly Pouches Wintergreen (0.82-oz.) | 5.2 | 28.7% | $16.4 | 37.9% |
| Kodiak Wintergreen Long-Cut (1.2-oz.) | 4.1 | -4.4% | $19.7 | -1.4% |
| Grizzly Long-Cut Straight (1.2-oz.) | 3.8 | -10.9% | $12.2 | -3.5% |
| Copenhagen Long-Cut Straight (1.2-oz.) | 3.0 | 14.5% | $9.4 | 22.5% |
| Copenhagen Fine-Cut Natural (5-can roll) | 2.8 | 129.2% | $11.7 | 137.8% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
Distributor Data: Snus by UPC
Calendar year 2013
The most-shipped snus UPC from McLane in 2013 was Camel Snus Frost.
1. Camel Snus Frost
2. Camel Snus Winterchill
3. Camel Snus Mellow
4. Camel Snus Mint
5. Camel Snus Frost (large can)
6. Skoal Snus Mint
7. Marlboro Snus Mint
8. Skoal Snus Smooth Mint
9. Camel Snus Robust
10. General Snus Mint
Source: McLane Co.
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