Cigarettes in Norway

PROSPECTS

Migration to vapour products and increased duty-free shopping underpin decline for cigarettes

Long-standing health concerns of combustible tobacco and increased travelling and duty-free shopping by consumers continued to contribute to declining volume sales for tobacco in 2017. Cigarettes is a mature category in Norway, particularly with the long-standing popularity of snus and more recent emergence of vapour products throughout the review period as viable alternatives to cigarettes.

Increased market consolidation and cross-border trade expected as plain packaging is implemented

After a somewhat lengthy legal process, plain packaging has come into effect in Norway, meaning that all products launched after 1 July 2017 are sold in standardised packs without logos, symbols, images, colours or other forms of design elements. There is a transition phase for products that were already on the market before this date until 1 July 2018 to comply with the new regulation.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Cigarettes remains highly consolidated in 2017

Category shares in cigarettes saw little movement in 2017 and remained very consolidated. Category leader British American Tobacco Norway AS dominates with long-standing popularity and loyalty for its Prince brand, followed by Philip Morris Norway AS with a solid position for its Marlboro brand.

Products from Conrad Langaard gain share before new plain packaging legislation kicks in

Conrad Langaard is the fourth biggest player in cigarettes, the smallest of the players whose brands have a wide distribution in Norwegian grocery stores. The company is Japan Tobacco’s Norwegian distributor, and launched three products in May 2017, in an otherwise quiet market with few product launches.

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