CARY, N.C. -- The Pantry Inc.'s more than 1,500 Kangaroo Express stores are adding Ballantyne Brands LLC's Mistic brand of electronic cigarettes.
In Dec. 2012, Kangaroo Express was the first retailer to sell Ballantyne Brands' NEO e-cigarette brand.
"The Pantry will be taking a more dominant position as it relates to the exposure we give e-cigs. It's a growing category, and we want to make sure we capitalize on the brands that make sense," said Jen Eaton, category manager at The Pantry. "Mistic was a very clear decision in this category, especially to leverage their growing user base and capitalize on Mistic residual cartridge sales in our stores."
This agreement between Ballantyne Brands and The Pantry is beneficial to both parties with Mistic products that fit the e-cig needs of Kangaroo Express customers. The Pantry is the among the first national retailers to offer a Mistic BLACK soft-tip disposable e-cig, which will be offered in both tobacco and menthol in all stores at a retail price point of $5.99.
The number of retail outlets nationwide carrying Mistic e-cigs since the beginning of 2013 has grown from slightly more than 3,000, to in excess of 15,000, according to John Wiesehan III, vice president of sales for Ballantyne Brands. He said the company expects 25,000 retail locations to carry Mistic by the end of this year.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Ballantyne Brands offers rechargeable and nonrechargeable e-cigarettes in both traditional tobacco and menthol flavors at a variety of nicotine levels.
Based in Cary, N.C., The Pantry is a leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States and one of the largest independently operated c-store chains in the country. As of May 7, 2013, the company operated 1,567 stores in 13 states under select banners, including its primary operating banner, Kangaroo Express.
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