Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2014
C-store dollar sales of cigarettes rose three-tenths of a percent in 2014, with units off 1.6%, according to IRI. Elsewhere in the tobacco category, the strongest sales growth continued to be in electronic smoking devices, which IRI defınes to include e-cigarettes and vaping products, and in pipe tobacco, up by double-digit percentages. Chewing-tobacco dollars rose nearly 5% to hit $5.3 billion, but units were up less than 2%.
| Category | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Cigarettes | $52,532.9 | 0.3% | 8,512.8 | -1.6% |
| Chewing tobacco/snuff | $5,313.3 | 4.7% | 1,257.2 | 1.9% |
| Spitless tobacco | $205.5 | 14.2% | 52.9 | 1.9% |
| Total smokeless tobacco | $5,518.9 | 5.1% | 1,310.1 | 1.9% |
| Cigars | $2,444.0 | 2.7% | 1,613.8 | 6.8% |
| Electronic smoking devices | $663.6 | 22.5% | 66.3 | 31.3% |
| Lighters | $555.7 | 1.4% | 370.7 | -1.0% |
| Smoking accessories | $246.0 | -1.3% | 150.0 | -6.7% |
| Pipe tobacco | $71.8 | 22.8% | 10.0 | 21.2% |
| Roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco | $59.1 | 1.3% | 10.4 | -7.7% |
| Total all other tobacco products | $130.8 | 12.0% | 20.4 | 4.6% |
Source: IRI
* Percent change from a year ago
Distributor Data: Cigarettes
Calendar year 2014
Shipments of cigarettes from McLane grew 1.2% in 2014, as measured in dollar terms by average shipments per store per week.
| Segment | APSW** (in dollars) | APSW dollar growth | PCYA* |
| Premium | $7,173.45 | $57.74 | 0.8% |
| Generic | $1,530.54 | $46.96 | 3.2% |
| Subgeneric | $158.10 | $8.23 | 5.5% |
| Private label | $21.70 | -$4.99 | -18.7% |
| Total | $8,883.78 | $107.93 | 1.2% |
Source: McLane Co.
** Average shipments per store per week
Distributor Data: Premium Cigarettes***
Calendar year 2014
Marlboro brands made up nearly 60% of premium-cigarette cartons shipped by McLane to c-stores and travel plazas in 2014.
| UPC | Share of premium cartons | Share of total cigarette cartons |
| Marlboro Gold Box King | 12.1% | 9.8% |
| Marlboro Red Box King | 7.2% | 5.8% |
| Newport Menthol Box King | 6.1% | 4.9% |
| Newport Menthol Box 100 | 5.6% | 4.5% |
| Marlboro Special Blend Gold Box King | 3.9% | 3.2% |
| Marlboro Gold Box 100 | 3.2% | 2.6% |
| Marlboro Special Blend Gold Box 100 | 2.9% | 2.3% |
| Marlboro Red Box 100 | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| Marlboro Silver Box King | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Marlboro Special Blend Red Box 100 | 2.1% | 1.7% |
Source: McLane Co.
*** C-stores and travel plazas
Market Share By Brand
| Brand | Share of premium dollars | Share of total cigarette dollars |
| Marlboro | 59.0% | 47.7% |
| Newport | 15.3% | 12.4% |
| Camel | 12.7% | 10.3% |
| Winston | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| American Spirit | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| Kool | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Parliament | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Virginia Slims | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Salem | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| Capri | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Benson & Hedges | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Other | 0.4% | 0.4% |
Source: McLane Co.
Cross-Category Opportunity
According to a 2014 analysis of c-store retail POS data by Management Science Associates, the products most often purchased with cigarettes included:
- CSDs
- Hot dispensed beverages
- Alternative packaged beverages
- Newspapers
- Chocolate bars
- Bottled water
- Cigars
- Snack cakes/pastries
- Smoking accessories
- Juice
CONTINUED: Top 10 Branded Discount Cigarettes
Distributor Data: Top 10 Branded Discount Cigarettes*
Calendar year 2014
Six of the top 10 branded-discount cigarette UPCs shipped by McLane in 2014 to c-stores and travel plazas were Pall Mall labels.
| UPC | Share of branded discount cartons | Share of total cigarette cartons |
| Pall Mall Red Box 100 | 10.6% | 1.9% |
| Pall Mall Blue Box 100 | 8.0% | 1.4% |
| Pall Mall Menthol Box 100 | 5.8% | 1.0% |
| Pall Mall Blue Box King | 5.7% | 1.0% |
| Pall Mall Red Box King | 5.7% | 1.0% |
| Pall Mall Orange Box 100 | 4.5% | 0.8% |
| L&M Box 100 | 4.2% | 0.7% |
| L&M Box King | 4.2% | 0.7% |
| L&M Blue Box King | 3.3% | 0.6% |
| L&M Blue Box 100 | 3.2% | 0.6% |
Source: McLane Co.
* C-stores and travel plazas
Market Share by Brand
| Brand | Share of branded discount dollars | Share of total cigarette dollars |
| Pall Mall | 57.3% | 10.1% |
| L&M | 22.2% | 3.9% |
| Pyramid | 4.8% | 0.9% |
| Doral | 3.8% | 0.7% |
| Misty | 3.7% | 0.7% |
| USA | 2.7% | 0.5% |
| Basic | 1.7% | 0.3% |
| Liggett Select | 1.6% | 0.3% |
| Sonoma | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Old Gold | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Other | 1.1% | 0.2% |
Source: McLane Co.
Distributor Data: Top 10 Subgeneric Cigarettes*
Calendar year 2014
Nearly 80% of subgeneric cigarette cartons shipped by McLane in 2014 to c-stores and travel plazas were Lorillard’s Maverick brand.
| Brand | Share of subgeneric cartons | Share of total cigarette cartons |
| Maverick Menthol Box 100 | 23.9% | 0.4% |
| Maverick Box 100 | 18.7% | 0.3% |
| Maverick Gold Box 100 | 10.5% | 0.2% |
| Maverick Box King | 7.9% | 0.1% |
| Maverick Menthol Box King | 6.2% | 0.1% |
| Maverick Gold Box King | 5.1% | 0.1% |
| Grand Prix Red Box 100 | 3.3% | 0.1% |
| Maverick Menthol Gold Box 100 | 2.5% | 0.0% |
| Maverick Silver Box 100 | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| Grand Prix Black Box 100 | 1.8% | 0.0% |
Source: McLane Co.
* C-stores and travel plazas
Market Share by Brand
| Brand | Share of subgeneric dollars | Share of total cigarette dollars |
| Maverick | 78.8% | 1.3% |
| Grand Prix | 8.3% | 0.1% |
| Wave | 3.0% | 0.1% |
| Tahoe | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Silver Eagle | 4.2% | 0.1% |
| Other | 5.1% | 0.1% |
Source: McLane Co.
CONTINUED: RYO, Pipe Tobacco & Cigarette Papers
RYO Trends
Distributor Data: RYO
Calendar year 2014
McLane shipments of cigarette tobacco to c-stores in 2014 fell 3.9%, as measured in dollars by average shipments per store per week.
| Segment | APSW** (in dollars) | APSW dollar growth | PCYA* |
| Cigarette tobacco | $9.00 | -$0.36 | -3.9% |
| Pipe tobacco | $1.33 | $0.06 | 4.5% |
| Cigarette papers | $7.57 | $0.26 | 3.5% |
| Cigarette tubes | $0.82 | $0.09 | 12.4% |
Source: McLane Co.
* Percent change from a year ago
** Average shipments per store per week
RYO Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2014
The top c-store roll-your-own tobacco brand in 2014 by dollars and units was Bugler, according to IRI figures.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Bugler | $33.4 | -9.0% | 6.8 | -11.2% |
| Top | $17.4 | -18.0% | 3.4 | -21.6% |
| American Spirit | $13.8 | 12.3% | 1.2 | 7.8% |
| Drum | $5.7 | 0.1% | 0.6 | 8.7% |
| Gambler | $5.4 | -1.5% | 0.9 | -6.9% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $81.3 | -4.2% | 13.5 | -10.8% |
Sources: IRI, Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane Ltd.
Distributor Data: Cigarette Papers
Calendar year 2014
The most-shipped cigarette paper UPC from McLane in 2014 was Zig-Zag French Orange.
- Zig-Zag French Orange
- Zig-Zag White
- Joker Orange
- Job Gold (1.5, 24-count)
- TOP Gummed
Source: McLane Co.
Pipe Tobacco Trends
Pipe Tobacco by Brand
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2014
Captain Black was the top-selling traditional pipe tobacco sold in c-stores in 2014, with Gambler the top value brand, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| TRADITIONAL | ||||
| Captain Black | $6.4 | -6.2% | 0.7 | -3.2% |
| Prince Albert | $2.6 | -17.5% | 0.5 | -16.8% |
| Carter Hall | $1.8 | -0.1% | 0.4 | -10.7% |
| Admiral | $1.4 | -39.6% | 0.1 | -39.0% |
| Virginia Gold | $1.1 | 82.3% | 0.1 | 96.3% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $19.6 | -13.2% | 2.6 | -12.3% |
| VALUE | ||||
| Gambler | $14.4 | 61.4% | 1.8 | 76.3% |
| Largo | $12.2 | -9.9% | 2.4 | -10.1% |
| Criss Cross | $8.8 | -4.0% | 0.9 | -0.8% |
| 4 Aces | $4.3 | -42.9% | 0.5 | -39.9% |
| The Good Stuff | $4.0 | 82.4% | 0.4 | 97.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $75.5 | 17.3% | 10.7 | 17.0% |
Sources: IRI, Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane Ltd.
Distributor Data: Pipe Tobacco
Calendar year 2014
The most-shipped pipe tobacco UPC from McLane in 2014 was the 0.75-ounce Largo Regular.
- Largo Regular Pipe Tobacco (0.75-oz pouch)
- Red Cap Pipe Regular (0.75-oz. pouch)
- Largo Mellow Pipe (0.75-oz. pouch)
- Largo Mint Pipe (0.75-oz. pouch)
- 4 Aces Pipe Tobacco (6-oz. bag)
Source: McLane Co.
CONTINUED: E-Cigarettes & Lighters
E-Cigarette Trends
Shipments of e-cigarettes from McLane in 2014 rose more than 41%, with cartomizers leading in average shipments per store per week dollars.
Distributor Data: E-Cigarettes
Calendar year 2014
| Segment | APSW** (in dollars) | APSW dollar growth | PCYA* |
| Cartomizer | $33.94 | $21.80 | 179.5% |
| Disposable | $32.27 | -$14.48 | -31.0% |
| Starter kits | $22.04 | $15.58 | 241.4% |
| Display | $5.19 | $3.61 | 227.3% |
| Accessories | $1.22 | $1.18 | 0.0% |
| Total | $94.67 | $27.69 | 41.3% |
Source: McLane Co.
* Percent change from a year ago
** Average shipments per store per week
E-Cigarette Sales: 20 Large Chains***
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 20, 2014
A Nielsen database of 20 large c-store chains representing approximately 14,000 stores shows strong cartridge sales in 2014.
| Segment | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Dollar share | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* | Volume share |
| Cartridge | $45.9 | 102.1% | 54.0% | 12.3 | 74.2% | 73.4% |
| Disposable | $30.8 | -21.3% | 36.2% | 3.8 | -21.2% | 22.8% |
| Starter kit | $7.3 | -27.7% | 8.6% | 0.4 | -47.1% | 2.6% |
| Liquid | $0.9 | NA | 1.1% | 0.1 | NA | 0.7% |
| Vaping | $0.2 | NA | 0.2% | 0.1 | NA | 0.4% |
| Total electronic cigarettes | $85.1 | 18.3% | 100% | 16.7 | 31.5% | 100% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
* Percent change from a year ago
*** Nielsen Large Convenience Chain store-level database of 20 chains comprising ~14,000 stores
E-Cigarette Brands: 20 Large Chains***
| Segment | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* | Unit share | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Volume share |
| Vuse | 3.7 | **** | 22.2% | $15.1 | **** | 17.8% |
| blu | 3.4 | 3.8% | 20.3% | $25.5 | 3.0% | 29.9% |
| Logic | 3.2 | 0.9% | 19.3% | $15.9 | -8.2% | 18.6% |
| 21st Century | 1.8 | -37.3% | 10.7% | $5.3 | -42.7% | 6.2% |
| Markten | 1.7 | **** | 10.0% | $8.6 | **** | 10.2% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Swedish Match North America
* Percent change from a year ago
*** Nielsen Large Convenience Chain store-level database of 20 chains comprising ~14,000 stores
**** Increase greater than 1,000%
Distributor Data: Disposable E-Cigarette UPCs
Calendar year 2014
The top disposable e-cigarette UPC shipped by McLane in 2014: blu Classic Tobacco.
- blu Classic Tobacco
- blu Magnificent Menthol
- blu Cherry Crush
- Logic Platinum Label Menthol
- Logic Platinum Label Tobacco
Source: McLane Co.
Category Insight
E-cigarette consumers’ flavor preferences have remained fairly constant over the years, according to an analysis of c-store POS data by Management Science Associates. In 2014, 63% of e-cigarette sales at these retailers were regular flavor, 30% menthol and 7% “other,” a breakdown in share that has held steady over the past two years.
Top 5 Pocket-Lighter Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2014
C-store lighter dollar sales rose 1.4% in 2014, with units off 1%, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| BIC | $357.4 | -2.1% | 237.7 | -3.9% |
| BIC Limited Edition | $76.8 | 1.4% | 44.0 | -0.4% |
| Flick My BIC | $15.9 | 16.1% | 8.9 | 12.9% |
| BIC Pro Series | $14.0 | -5.8% | 7.3 | -9.1% |
| The American Match | $9.7 | 35.0% | 10.8 | 22.8% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $555.7 | 1.4% | 370.7 | -1.0% |
Source: IRI
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