Business briefing
The business briefing section offers news and updates from around the vapour industry. It focus mainly on companies and brands, global business, technology advancements and more. In addition, our news stories cover individual company updates, including everything from investment news and legal battles to sales revenue changes. It also covers technological and medical innovations taking place around the world.
PMI subsidiary offers life insurance discount to smokers who switch
Written by ECigIntelligence || 25th April 2019 || Business briefing |
PMI is getting into the life insurance business by creating a subsidiary which offers discounts for switching from smoking to heated tobacco or e-cigarettes ...
Smoking cessation services should use e-cigs more, say UK charities
Written by ECigIntelligence || 18th April 2019 || Business briefing |
A report by two leading UK charities says stop smoking services should look for ways to integrate e-cigarettes into their work – especially for disadvantaged groups, who are more likely to be smokers ...
Harm reduction picture ‘lacking a few pieces’, says JTI vice-president
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 11th April 2019 || Business briefing |
Research into e-cigarettes reaffirms that the scientific basis for harm reduction is essentially sound although gaps in knowledge remain, according to Ian Jones, vice-president of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) ...
VApril is vaping awareness month as UK smokers are urged to switch
Written by ECigIntelligence || 9th April 2019 || Business briefing |
The UK Vape Industry Association (UKVIA) has again designated April as National Vaping Awareness Month, dedicated to helping smokers switch to e-cigarettes ...
FDA announces seizures may be linked with e-cigarettes – or maybe not
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 4th April 2019 || Business briefing |
Outgoing US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Scott Gottlieb has linked e-cigarettes with a “potential emerging safety issue” after reports linking vaping with seizures, particularly among young people ...
US consumer update: key findings from our advanced vaper survey
Written by ECigIntelligence || 2nd April 2019 || Business briefing |
ECigIntelligence's director of market analysis, Eva Antal, presents key findings from our advanced vaper survey undertaken in 2018 in the US ...
E-cigarettes could provide a silver lining for Austrian tobacconists
Written by ECigIntelligence || 25th March 2019 || Business briefing |
Austrian tobacconists, hit by falling cigarette sales, could find salvation in the growing market for e-cigarettes and other tobacco alternatives ...
‘FDA flavour restrictions could devastate industry’, trade body warns
Written by ECigIntelligence || 15th March 2019 || Business briefing |
As much as 90% of the US e-cigarette market could be forced out of business by the FDA’s restrictions on flavours in e-liquids, according to an industry insider ...
IVG purchase plus VaporBeast adds up to a record year for Turning Point
Written by ECigIntelligence || 7th March 2019 || Business briefing |
Kentucky-based Turning Point Brands (TPB), owner of various e-liquid brands in the US, achieved a “solid” and “record” year in 2018, according to its latest financial results ...
Official report gives e-cigs no credit for fall in French smoking rates
Written by ECigIntelligence || 4th March 2019 || Business briefing |
A report from the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction says smoking rates in France are falling fast – but does not credit e-cigarettes for the fall ...
Next-generation products drive profits for British American Tobacco
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 1st March 2019 || Business briefing |
British American Tobacco’s (BAT) 2018 financial results were driven by its reduced risk portfolio, which includes products such as Vuse and Vype and Glo ...
Youth vaping ‘very low indeed’ among never-smokers, UK report concludes
Written by ECigIntelligence || 27th February 2019 || Business briefing |
A report commissioned by Public Health England says e-cigarette use remained low among young people in Britain in 2018, but that the number of those who had tried vaping at least once had risen ...
Trial ‘shows switching to Juul reduces toxins like stopping smoking’
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 25th February 2019 || Business briefing |
A clinical trial funded by Juul purports to show that switching to the company’s e-cigarette products reduces the risk of toxins in a similar manner to stopping smoking altogether ...
BAT and PMI test the legal waters again with F1 sponsorships
Written by ECigIntelligence || 14th February 2019 || Business briefing |
The now-controversial link between Big Tobacco and Formula 1 racing is being renewed, with tie-ups between two leading teams and two tobacco giants facing legal scrutiny ...
PMI credits ‘robust’ performance for revenue growth
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 8th February 2019 || Business briefing |
Executives at Philip Morris International (PMI) say the company closed out a “challenging” year with a “robust” performance, with a net revenue of $29.6bn in 2018, up 3.1% on the previous year ...
The future is not in combustibles, as Altria’s sales continue to decline
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 1st February 2019 || Business briefing |
The 2018 results from the Altria Group, announced this week, revealed a slump in sales of combustibles, as company turns its attention to alternative sectors for continued...
Study backs e-cigs over NRT for effective smoking cessation
Written by ECigIntelligence || 31st January 2019 || Business briefing |
An important study comparing e-cigarettes with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) found vaping to be more effective than NRT for smoking cessation, when both methods were backed up by behavioural support ...
JT shows two new higher-temp HnB devices for Japan
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 21st January 2019 || Business briefing |
Japan Tobacco (JT) is launching two new heat-not-burn (HnB) devices in the Japanese market on 29th January as it tries to catch up with Philip Morris International (PMI)’s IQOS and British American Tobacco (BAT)’s Glo in its home...
Praise for Public Health England’s demonstration of smoking harm
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 15th January 2019 || Business briefing |
A video made by public relations firm Freuds for Public Health England (PHE) – whose involvement with the company has caused controversy – has been praised for its portrayal of vaping versus smoking ...
At your UK convenience – Dinner Lady now serving in selected Spar stores
Written by ECigIntelligence || 10th January 2019 || Business briefing |
E-liquids made by independent British manufacturer Vape Dinner Lady are to become available in more mainstream high-street shops across the UK with a deal to supply convenience store chain Spar ...
US International Trade Commission investigates 23 over ‘Juul-like’ e-cigs
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 9th January 2019 || Business briefing |
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is investigating 23 companies, including five in China and one in Uruguay, for US patent infringement of Juul’s e-cigarette cartridges and components ...
Survey shows state of an Italian industry ready to move forward
Written by ECigIntelligence || 3rd January 2019 || Business briefing |
The Italian vaping industry is ready to shake off the shackles of past regulation and taxation, according to the coordinator of a major private study ...
Threats and promises: the shape of vaping things to come in 2019
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 31st December 2018 || Business briefing |
The year just gone has been an intense one for the vaping industry – and don’t expect 2019 to be any less so. ECigIntelligence looks ahead to the developments that can be expected in both regulation and markets...
BAT announces two new e-cig models with new blade technology
Written by ECigIntelligence || 28th December 2018 || Business briefing |
British American Tobacco (BAT) has announced the launch of two new models of electronic cigarette that will be added to the company’s vaping portfolio. The devices, called iSwitch and iSwitch Maxx, are the first to use efficient puretech blade...
Mission accomplished: Altria confirms its $12.8bn investment in Juul
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 20th December 2018 || Business briefing |
The rumours have been confirmed: Altria is investing $12.8bn for a 35% percent stake in the Californian start-up Juul Labs, the company has announced ...
Australian firms set up one-stop shop for prescriptions and e-liquid
Written by ECigIntelligence || 17th December 2018 || Business briefing |
Two vaping companies have found a way to cut through Australian red tape, integrating the country’s tricky regulatory scheme into their business model ...
Vape store chain is revealed as Scotland’s fastest-growing company
Written by ECigIntelligence || 11th December 2018 || Business briefing |
One of Britain’s largest vape store chains has been named as the fastest-growing private company in Scotland. Vaporized was placed 24th in an annual list of the UK’s 100 fastest-growing companies ...
Altria kills off MarkTen and Green Smoke brands, buys into cannabis
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 7th December 2018 || Business briefing |
US tobacco giant Altria is to stop selling its MarkTen and Green Smoke e-cig brands, just days after speculation emerged that it was close to buying a substantial stake in Juul Labs. The company is also investing heavily...Sense and sensibilities behind Juul’s rumoured deal with Altria
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 5th December 2018 || Business briefing |
A possible agreement between Altria and Juul, with the tobacco giant rumoured to be seeking a minority share in the successful e-cig company, could have major implications for the US vapour market ...
Is Juul’s social media blackout simply good PR at little cost?
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 4th December 2018 || Business briefing |
Juul’s decision to scale down its social media activities may only be scratching the surface – because almost all of its online presence comes from enthusiasts, not the company itself ...
IQOS versus Glo: PMI takes on BAT in Japanese HnB patent battle
Written by ECigIntelligence || 3rd December 2018 || Business briefing |
Philip Morris International (PMI) is suing British American Tobacco (BAT) in Japan for infringement of the patent for IQOS, claiming the rival company has copied the technology for its own Glo device ...
Juul advances UK presence in deal with major supermarket chain
Written by ECigIntelligence || 30th November 2018 || Business briefing |
Controversial US vaping firm Juul Labs has secured a deal to sell its vaping product in one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.The most publicised player in the US e-cigarette market started selling its vaping product in its...
Avail adopts pharma’s strategy – and pharma business strategist
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 27th November 2018 || Business briefing |
As American federal regulators get tougher on flavours, and brands such as Juul are two-stepping to avoid the proverbial stick, companies like Avail Vapor see a way of making tough regulation work in their favour ...
BAT acquires Germany’s biggest vape store chain, Highendsmoke
Written by David Palacios Rubio || 26th November 2018 || Business briefing |
British American Tobacco (BAT) has acquired the German company Quantus, which operates a chain of more than 80 vape stores across the country under the name Highendsmoke ...
PMI hopes to ‘make an impact’ with IQOS store in South Africa
Written by ECigIntelligence || 23rd November 2018 || Business briefing |
Philip Morris International (PMI) is to open an IQOS flagship store in Johannesburg, South Africa next year – with a welcome from the local e-cig industry ...
Brands leap to toe the FDA’s not-yet-drawn line on youth access
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 22nd November 2018 || Business briefing |
A number of vaping manufacturers will restrict advertising and sales in support of the US FDA campaign against youth access to e-cigarettes – before they even know full details of the agency’s plans ...
Vitamin vapes – trending now, but do they actually work?
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 20th November 2018 || Business briefing |
A long-standing niche habit of vaping vitamins appears to be becoming a trend in the US. The big question, though, is: Does it work? And the answer appears to be: Probably not really ...
French anti-smoking campaign gives cash support to vaping groups
Written by ECigIntelligence || 19th November 2018 || Business briefing |
The French government has for the first time granted funding to pro-vaping initiatives for their involvement in the annual “Month without tobacco” (Mois sans tabac) ...
Firms deny newspaper talk of e-liquid flavours ‘luring children’
Written by ECigIntelligence || 15th November 2018 || Business briefing |
Vaping companies in the UK have rejected claims in a leading national newspaper that the range of e-liquid flavours available makes them appealing to under-age users ...
Vape stores and tobacconists locked in battle for the French market
Written by ECigIntelligence || 14th November 2018 || Business briefing |
As their traditional trade slumps, French tobacconists are moving into the vaping market – to the great displeasure of most vape stores ...
China Tobacco launches new HnB system on South Korean market
Written by ECigIntelligence || 14th November 2018 || Business briefing |
China Tobacco is taking on Philip Morris International (PMI), British American Tobacco (BAT) and KT&G in South Korea with the launch of a new heated tobacco device, the Mok ...
Juul heads the rush to fall in line with FDA restrictions on flavour sales
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 13th November 2018 || Business briefing |
Some members of the American vaping industry appear to be embracing the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s restrictions on flavours, expected to be officially announced today ...
Study reveals just how much world press accentuates the negative
Written by Barnaby Page || 12th November 2018 || Business briefing |
Media coverage of ENDS around the world is much more likely to be negative than positive, and to focus on health effects rather than e-cigs’ use in smoking cessation, a new study suggests ...
22nd Century set to try again with very-low-nicotine cigarette Brand A
Written by Barnaby Page || 8th November 2018 || Business briefing |
US biotech company 22nd Century Group says it plans to resubmit a very-low-nicotine cigarette (VLNC) to the FDA by the end of this year, while rebutting criticisms made on an influential investment website ...
Imperial to double Blu spending while JTI plans Japanese launches
Written by ECigIntelligence || 8th November 2018 || Business briefing |
Imperial Brands is to double its spending on its premier e-cigarette range, Blu. Meanwhile, JTI is hoping two new additions to its Ploom Tech range can improve the heat-not-burn brand’s fortunes in its home market of Japan ...
Vape shops are ‘good for the high street’ says UK public health charity
Written by ECigIntelligence || 6th November 2018 || Business briefing |
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) says many vape shops provide a social setting similar to the traditional pub – and that they are helping to make Britain’s towns and cities healthier ...
Altria’s e-vapour profile will barely be dented by dropping pods and flavours
Written by Daniel Mollenkamp || 5th November 2018 || Business briefing |
Altria’s third-quarter results indicate that 80% of its volume from vapour products will survive its commitment to remove most of its non-tobacco e-liquids and pods from the US market ...
French tobacconists begin to move with the times, embracing vaping
Written by ECigIntelligence || 30th October 2018 || Business briefing |
French tobacconists are embracing e-cigarettes, switching towards vaping in response to the rising price of combustible tobacco and hoping to keep their existing customers by converting them to e-cigs ...