Imperial Brands Urges UK Government to Strengthen E-Cigarette Sales Guidelines and Promote Refillable Devices

Key points:

·Company urges: Imperial Brands calls on the UK government to strengthen e-cigarette usage guidance to reduce electronic waste. 

·Specific recommendations include suggesting the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) require pods to be sold separately and compatible with reusable e-cigarette devices. 

·Cost-effectiveness advantage: Imperial Brands emphasizes that purchasing pods separately is more cost-effective than buying multiple devices. 

·Environmental impact: The company aims to reduce electronic waste by promoting the use of replaceable pods. 

·Market promotion: Imperial Brands plans to promote best practices by educating consumers and offering a variety of pod flavors.

【2Firsts News Flash】According to a report by Scottish grocer on July 29, Imperial Brands is calling on the UK government to strengthen guidance on e-cigarettes to prevent consumers from discarding refillable e-cigarette devices.

The company stated that guidelines from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) require that refill containers (pods or e-liquid bottles) must be sold separately and readily available for consumers to purchase in-store at any time.

In addition, Imperial Tobacco also stated that all pods must be compatible with reusable e-cigarette devices sold in retail locations.

Deirdre Healy, legal affairs director of Imperial Tobacco UK and Ireland, stated:

“The ban on disposable e-cigarettes is meaningless unless consumers also purchase e-cigarette pods separately and use multiple pods on the same reusable e-cigarette device.”

Hill said that consumers purchasing pods individually and installing them on reusable devices is more cost-effective than buying multiple reusable devices.

“We sell Blue-cigarette pods with 15 flavors at 35,000 retail points in the UK. We hope the ban on disposable e-cigarettes will be effective. We aim to reduce electronic waste in the UK. We encourage consumers to use replaceable pods in reusable e-cigarette devices.”

Hillary said.

As the ban on disposable e-cigarettes is still in its early stages, it remains important to continue promoting best usage practices to consumers. This includes educating them on purchasing pre-filled e-cigarette pods separately and using multiple pods with a reusable e-cigarette device. Pods are a more cost-effective option for customers and also helps increase loyalty in retail stores.

Hill said that the suggested retail price (RRP) of Imperial Tobacco's Blu Bar Kit and Blu Box Kit - both of which include one device and one Blupod - is the same as the suggested retail price of a single pre-filled Blupod, which contains two Blupods, with an RRP of £5.99 (approximately $7).

Hillary said:

“Retailers can benefit by providing this value to shoppers. Actively encouraging consumers to return to the store to repurchase pre-filled pods will help enhance in-store loyalty and drive additional purchases. Ensuring consumers are aware of the available e-cigarette pod flavor options will support sales initiatives.”