sales of iQOS heat not burn product in Atlanta market
Henrico County-based tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. has started its first U.S. sales of the iQOS product, an alternative to conventional cigarettes that has gained millions of consumers overseas.To get more news about
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The iQOS device, which heats tobacco but does not burn it, is being introduced first in the Atlanta area as part of a “lead market” before the company’s planned rollout of the brand in other parts of the U.S.
“We are taking a test-and-learn approach with the Atlanta market,” said David Sutton, a spokesman for Altria, a major employer in the Richmond area and the parent company of top U.S. cigarette maker Philip Morris USA.
“We want to put iQOS in front of adult smokers who are interested in an alternative to cigarettes, educate them about the product, do a guided trial with them if they are interested, and begin them on a conversion journey so that hopefully, we can get them to fully switch to iQOS,” he said.
The iQOS device was first introduced in overseas markets in 2014 by Philip Morris International Inc., a former Altria subsidiary that was spun off in 2008. Philip Morris International says that about 8 million smokers have switched to the product, which is available in 48 countries.In May, the FDA approved the introduction of iQOS in the U.S., where Altria has the rights to sell the product under an agreement with Philip Morris International.
The long-awaited start of the lead market in Atlanta comes as Altria has been investing in alternative nicotine products to help offset declining sales of conventional cigarettes.
For instance, last year Altria paid $12.8 billion for a 35% stake in Juul Labs, a California-based maker of the most popular e-cigarette devices. The vaping industry has since come under pressure because of an outbreak of illnesses linked to vaping, and Juul has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny because of rising rates of underage vaping.
