Trends & New Products from the NACS Show: Tobacco (slide show)

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ATLANTA -- The trend may no longer be new, but once again, electronic cigarettes were seemingly everywhere at the NACS Show. R.J. Reynolds and Altria offered retailers a sneak peek at their Vuse and MarkTen offerings (currently only available in Colorado and Indiana respectively) while established leaders including Lorillard’s blu and NJOY showcased new products and a bevy of TV ads.

Extending from the e-cig trend was the increased presence of e-liquids or juices, which offer smokers the option of creating their own “blend” of flavored liquid nicotine to vape. Kretek, V2 Cigs and 21^st Century Smoke were just a handful of companies showcasing their new e-liquid and vaping products in Atlanta.

Here’s a look at some of the major new tobacco product releases--including some non-electronic entrants--we found on the NACS trade-show floor:

Easily one of the most anticipated tobacco products of this year’s NACS Show was Altria Group Inc.’s new electronic cigarette offering, MarkTen. Samples were only provided to retailers in attendance. Offered in “classic” and “menthol” flavors, MarkTen is currently being tested in Indiana markets.

While disposables have been driving e-cig trials, Kretek International believes consumers will ultimately move toward rechargeable models, such as the company’s new Cig2o Pro Kit. Described as the brand’s “Cadillac” package, the Pro Kit includes two batteries, a USB charger, a wall charger and six cartomizers.

Capitalizing on the popularity of NJOY Kings, the company is now offering a “game-changing” 5-pack. Retailing at a rate of $5.99-per-e-cig, the NJOY King 5-pack gives consumers the same product they love with a $10 savings vs. the single packs.

Not a new product per say, but Cigalectric showcased new merchandising solutions for retailers leery of moving electronic cigarettes to the back bar. Though many fear e-cigs need to be on the front counter to catch consumers’ eyes, Cigalectric’s bright green rack provides great visuals that are sure to stand out, even from the back bar.

CB Distributors--makers of 21st Century Smoke electronic cigarettes--were one of many suppliers making the leap from e-cigs to e-liquids with their Vapin Plus liquid vaporizer pen. This new product boasts “twice as much vapor” and will include at least a dozen varieties of e-juice flavors.

For more high-end vapers, there’s the Ploom modelTwo, an extension of Ploom’s popular Pax product. The Ploom modelTwo is a pen-like handheld device that retails for approximately $40 and vaporizes proprietary tobacco pods.

Of course it wasn’t all about e-cigarettes and vaporizing; Scandinavian Tobacco Group Lane launched its Havana Honeys cigars at this year’s NACS Show. The petite cigars come in c-store-friendly foil packaging to ensure freshness and feature natural-leaf wrappers. They are offered in five flavors: original, sweet honey, menthol mojito, spiced rum and classic cognac.

Tantus Tobacco was also in on the foil packaging trend with its new Red Buck premium cigars. The cigars not only come with fresh packaging, but also have a cigar cutter attached so consumers can enjoy their premium cigar right away.

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