Premium Smoking Brands are the largest in-store sales category in convenience stores. This segment accounted for 35.6 percent of total in-store sales per store in 2022.
In this study, seventy-five smokers rated their expected enjoyment and quality of two identical cigarettes that were shown to them and masked (which provided their ‘objective’ ratings). Expected harshness did not predict perceived harshness in sensitivity analyses.
Misty
Misty brand cigarettes provide a luxurious, sophisticated smoking experience. The company’s dedication to innovation and design has helped it build a reputation for responsiveness to consumer demands. Misty is a Liggett Vector Brands subsidiary, and its products are made in North Carolina.
From 2014 to 2019, several brands lost market share, including menthol-only brands Salem and Kool and women-oriented brands Virginia Slims and Misty. However, the premium brands Marlboro and Pall Mall gained market share over this period.
The results indicate that when state excise taxes increase, the relative price gap between discount and premium brands narrows. This finding is consistent with the prediction that specific tax increases should induce smokers to shift upward from discount brands to premium brands. This is expected under a model of choice where the effect of tax changes on prices passes through to prices of all brands in equal proportions.
Capri
In 1987, Brown & Williamson launched the Capri cigarette brand. This brand was specifically marketed to women and light smokers, featuring a slim design that is 17 mm in circumference compared to the 23 mm of a standard cigarette. Capri also came in a longer 120 mm style that was marketed as a luxury length.
The analysis uses longitudinal data from ITC surveys in Canada and the United States to estimate a model of choice of premium and discount brands by smokers, accounting for their individual-specific demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as region. The model estimates show that an increase in the price of discount brands relative to premium brands reduces the probability that smokers choose them. This effect is larger in Canada than in the United States.
Sobranie of London
Sobranie of London cigarettes are made with carefully selected tobacco leaves, ensuring that every cigarette is of the highest quality. These cigarettes offer a rich and full-bodied flavor, making them a favorite among smokers who appreciate a high-quality smoke. The opulent packaging and gold-trimmed tip add an additional touch of elegance, resulting in a luxurious smoking experience.
Although Sobranie of London is a Gallaher brand, the company was originally an independent cigarette manufacturer founded in 1879 by Albert Weinberg, a Russian immigrant who named his brand after the St James area of London where the wealthy elite socialites and European aristocracy gathered to socialize. Today, the brand is owned by JTI.
The brand’s marketing strategy is focused on delivering a premium smoking experience to consumers around the world. The product is available in both regular and mint flavored variants, and it has received excellent ratings from customers worldwide.
L&M
L&M is a premium cigarette brand from the US. It has a smooth button and full-bodied tobacco flavor that makes it a popular choice for smokers around the world. It is a part of the Philip Morris tobacco group and has been in business for over 75 years.
Market share declined for Marlboro and several other high-priced brands, but grew for some discount brands including Basic and Newport. The menthol-flavored Natural American Spirit also gained a significant amount of market share over the same period. These results indicate that, in a post-plain packaging marketplace, the cache earned by decades of branded tobacco marketing still influences smokers’ experiences with cigarette brands.
Chesterfield
In the 1980 film The Blues Brothers, Jake Blues smokes Chesterfield cigarettes. The brand is also mentioned in Jim Jarmusch’s 1984 film Stranger Than Paradise. It is a brand of cigarettes produced by the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The tobacco company named the brand after the Chesterfield County in Virginia.
The brand was a popular choice among entertainers and radio personalities in the late 1950s. Arthur Godfrey, the burly radio personality and a cigarette smoker, did testimonials in which he proclaimed that he smoked two or three packs of Chesterfields a day. Moreover, the brand was a sponsor of Max Biaggi’s Aprilia RSV 250 in the 1994 and 1996 Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons.