Comparing the prices of premium cigarettes

Behind the numbers

This week’s data shows that despite the growing popularity of value lines in tobacco, retailers are still banking on customer loyalty to widen their margins on more premium cigarette lines. Every line this week is charged above its most common price by a majority.

At £19.49, Marlboro Gold King Size 20s has the highest recorded price, £1.50 higher than Benson & Hedges Silver King Size 20s. Seventy-three per cent are charging above its common price of £14.20, meaning the 25% sticking to it could be missing out on some extra profit.

Similarly, 74% are selling Benson & Hedges Silver for as much as £17.99, up from £16.49 last year, with just 19% sticking to the most common price of £14. If there are outliers, they’re Rothmans Blue XL and Pall Mall Shift XL, which are the only lines sold above their most-common prices by fewer than 70% of retailers – 57% for Rothmans Blue and 59% for Pall Mall Shift.