Heated tobacco is part of a growing number of nicotine alternative products, also including nicotine pouches and vapes.

There’s no doubt that the heated tobacco category provides a big opportunity for retailers. It is currently worth £105 million in traditional retail[1] and is expected to be worth about a quarter of a billion pounds by 2025[2].

But the category is still new for many retailers who are unsure on the best way to sell heated tobacco products to their customers and how to merchandise in store.

JTI has created a five-part video series to help educate retailers on the category. Tom McKenna, Ploom brand manager, visited Pramit Patel at his Epping News store to discuss all things heated tobacco and introduce the new Ploom X Advanced device.

The bitesize videos will give retailers everything they need to know about heated tobacco – see a summary of what to expect below:

Video 1: What is heated tobacco?

The first video equips retailers with a basic understanding of heated tobacco to help them confidently speak to customers about the growing category, and explains the difference between heated tobacco and vaping.

Heated tobacco is real tobacco that is heated rather than burned. It can offer a familiar taste experience to existing tobacco users, but produces no smoke, no smoke smell and no ash.

Video 2: What is the opportunity for retailers with heated tobacco?

In this video, Pramit discusses the demographics of his heated tobacco customers.

Ploom brand manager Tom Mckenna also provides further background about the size of the opportunity for retailers and how heated tobacco fits into the existing range of tobacco and nicotine alternative products.

“Heated Tobacco provides choice to existing adult smokers who are looking for an alternative but familiar experience to traditional tobacco,” explains Mckenna.

Video 3: How should retailers merchandise heated tobacco products?

The third video in this series looks at the all-important topic of how to merchandise heated tobacco in-store.

Pramit explains how POS materials around the till helps raise awareness of the Ploom X Advanced device, whilst the video also explores how training staff on the merits of the category and features of heated tobacco devices can help to support sales.

Video 4: How should retailers talk to customers about heated tobacco? 

The cost-of-living crisis is fuelling the growth in lower-priced nicotine alternatives, and 70% of heated tobacco consumers are switching from value tobacco lines.

This video looks at the potential cost benefits to consumers who switch from traditional to heated tobacco and the profit margins available to retailers.

Video 5: Introducing the new Ploom X Advanced device and how to sell Ploom in store.

JTI has recently launched Ploom X Advanced. The enhanced heated tobacco device is available in selected key multiple grocers and in accredited independent and convenience retailers in the Greater London area.

The final video of the series introduces retailers to the product, and also highlights how the Ploom X Advanced bundle caters for consumer demand for lower-priced tobacco alternatives. 

The videos are being published every week from 16 October 2023, so check back for the latest instalment.

You can also read about the recent heated tobacco roundtable here Heated tobacco: Networking roundtable in partnership with JTI UK – Better Retailing. JTI hosted nine retailers at the roundtable to educate them about the category and advise on best-practice when it comes to selling heated tobacco.

JTI is committed to supporting the trade. For more details on how to stock Ploom X Advanced, contact your local JTI Business Adviser.

[1] Circana Market Place, Value Sales, Total T-Vapour Category, Total UK, MAT Mar 2023

[2] Circana Market place value & JTI Estimates of Non-Traditional channels, 2023