Ten-piece Packs Gaining Share in Bulgaria

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 12/16/2010

Philip Morris Bulgaria (PMB) is to introduce Marlboro cigarettes in packs of 10, according to a Novinite story. Marlboro Red and Marlboro Gold will retail at BGN2.70 for a pack of 10, which compares with BGN5.20 for a pack of 20. PMB apparently told the Dnevnik newspaper that while it was generally opposed to sales of smaller packs it was having to bow to competitive pressures. Dnevnik cited cigarette manufacturers' data as showing that smaller cigarette packs were close to accounting for five per cent of the Bulgarian market, up from three per cent at the beginning of this year and from 0.3 per cent in the fall of 2009. With the exception of Imperial Tobacco and Karelia, all of the tobacco companies in Bulgaria, including British American Tobacco, Bulgartabac and Japan Tobacco, are now offering smaller packs. Bulgartabac's King brand, which includes the cheapest 10-pack cigarette, has the largest share of the small-pack sector. At the moment, according to Dnevnik, 18 EU countries ban sales of cigarettes in packs with fewer than 19 or 20 cigarettes. Enditem