Ritmeester is reporting strong growth since the introduction of TPD 2 earlier this year, which made cigars the cheapest option in the gantry.

Speaking to Retail Express, Tony Lyles, field development manager for Ritmeester, said sales of Mini Moods are up by 38% year on year in Booker and 23% overall.

“Over the past three months sales have rocketed. Mini Moods are having a sales surge due to retailers and consumers seeing them as a viable alternative to 10-packs of cigarettes,” he said.

Under new tobacco legislation, packs of cigarettes must contain 20 sticks, while packs of rolling tobacco must be over 30g. Cigars are also among the few tobacco products that can still have branding on packs.

The company has met with 322 retailers this year in group sessions and for one-on-one meetings to discuss the opportunity. Its aim is to meet a further 120 retailers by 2018.