What’s new and exciting in your category?
Seeing the modern oral category become such a staple has been interesting to watch- Brands like Zyn, On, Rogue, and now Velo Plus, have all exploded in the last two to three years and they continue to pick up steam. It has been exciting to see the growth there, but that growth has also come with new challenges finding space in existing [planograms]. Juggling existing contracts while trying to evolve and meet consumer demands has been a real challenge, but a necessary step in keeping the tobacco category headed in the right direction.
What do you love about your category?
The tobacco category is such an enigma. It is a messy, complicated puzzle, and at any given time you feel like you do not have the necessary pieces to complete the puzzle. I love the challenge of working through the different contracts, keying pricing and identifying areas within the category to promote or focus on to help drive units and dollars for the company.
What trends are you watching?
We have fully embraced the modern oral products and the strong trends within that segment. I am also watching the vape category--as the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Justice continue to seize illegal e-cigarettes, I am hopeful this will bring back customers to those outlets that refuse to sell the “illegal” product.
What products performed well in the past year?
The modern oral products performed great this last year. The big names in the industry carried most of the weight, but we also saw a ton of incremental sales in smaller, less known brands, only helping out those great trends in modern oral.
What are your goals/most looking forward to in 2025?
I am looking forward to finishing up our tobacco resets we started at every location in the summer of 2024. This was a huge undertaking, and it was years in the making. The resets were necessary to keep up with the changes that have happened in the category over the last couple years, like cutting back on cigarettes in areas to make more room for modern oral and vape products.\
What are the biggest challenges the category is facing?
The decline in cigarette usage is the number one challenge we are facing right now. For us, it is no longer a “how bad will it get”—it has become a “how are we going to deflect or overcome this decline, no matter how bad it gets.” The pressure for cigarette consumers to find an alternate, healthier solution, paired with constant price increases from manufacturers, does not bode well for slowing these declines.