煙草在線據《便利店決策》報道編譯　　卷煙一直是美國便利店的一個主打產品，卷煙盒裝和條裝銷量達數十億包，提高了煙民購物籃的平均利潤水平。

　　2012，在便利店，卷煙總銷售額總計超過了520億美元，略降低了1.68%。銷量下滑了2.05%，至87.5億支。

　　雖然銷售在下降，但是卷煙客戶對便利店行業的價值不能被夸大。根據大和解協議和消費者觀察小組樣本顯示，大約50%的卷煙顧客反映，他們每周至少兩次去便利店購買卷煙。另外三分之一的每周至少2-3次去便利店。所以盡管卷煙銷量可能下滑，但是去便利店的煙草客戶依然如故，這提供了提高市場購物籃的一個穩定的機會。

　　為了了解不同價位的吸煙者青睞的卷煙品牌，消費者觀察小組的參與者被詢問：“對你最常買的卷煙，你認為屬于哪一類？”

　　在卷煙買家中，四分之三的表示，他們最常購買的卷煙為高端價格品牌。考慮到絕大多數的卷煙是有計劃購買，了解品牌的偏好便于煙草零售商管理單品庫存分類，并庫存消費者青睞的品牌來滿足他們的客戶需求。

　　管理問題

　　目前有兩起聯邦訴訟挑戰美國食品和藥物管理局(FDA)的圖片健康警語標簽。兩起案件都向不同的美國上訴巡回法院起訴六個支持圖片警語標簽的巡回法庭，因為根據憲法和哥倫比亞特區的巡回法院的裁定圖片警語是違憲的。

　　“簡而言之，我們遇到所謂的‘巡回法院之間的沖突’，兩個不同的美國上訴巡回法庭，對相同的問題做出看似矛盾的裁決，”全國煙店協會的執行董事托馬斯·布賴恩特說。

　　當談到制定煙草策略，零售商應該繼續為消費者提供卷煙。“價格是最大的挑戰，等待購買量下降的情況隨著時間和直接庫存的消耗而好轉，”經營東海岸到西海岸的圣喬治石油公司的總裁兼首席執行官阿梅爾·哈瓦特邁赫說。

　　便利店

　　哈瓦特邁赫堅信，這些限制對消費者的影響將減緩。“我們絕對沒有控制它。最終，消費者將不得不適應它。”

US: Cigarettes Remain Dominant in C-Stores

　　Cigarettes have long been a staple at U.S. convenience stores, accounting for billions in pack and carton sales and boosting the profits from the average smoker's market basket.

　　For 2012, total cigarette sales in convenience stores totaled more than $52 billion, down a slight 1.68%. Units sold slipped 2.05% to 8.75 billion.

　　While sales may be down, the value of cigarette customers to the convenience store industry cannot be overstated. According to MSA and Paradigm Sample's Convenience Consumer Insights Panel (cciPanel), approximately 50% of cigarette customers reported that they visit a convenience store at least two times a week to purchase cigarettes. An additional one-third visits at least 2-3 times a week. So while cigarette sales may be slipping, visits to the c-store by tobacco customers remains strong, and that provides a steady opportunity to boost the market basket.

　　In an effort to learn the price tier of smokers' preferred cigarette brands, cciPanel participants were asked: "How would you classify the type of cigarettes you buy most often?"

　　Among cigarette buyers, three-quarters described the cigarettes that they most often purchase as premium-priced brands. Given the vast majority of cigarettes are planned purchases, an understanding of brand preferences is beneficial to tobacco retailers in terms of managing SKU assortment and stocking preferred brands to satisfy their customers.

　　Regulation Concerns

　　There are currently two federal lawsuits challenging the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) graphic cigarette health warning labels. Both lawsuits were appealed to different U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal with the Six Circuit Court upholding the graphic warning labels as being constitutional and the District of Columbia Circuit Court ruling that the graphic warnings are unconstitutional.

　　"In short, we have what is known as a 'conflict between the circuits' with two different U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal making seemingly contradictory rulings on the same issue," said Thomas Briant, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO).

　　When it comes to formulating a tobacco strategy, retailers should continue engaging consumers about cigarettes. "Price is the biggest challenge, and waiting on buy downs that are getting better due to time and direct deposit," said Amer Hawatmeh, president and CEO of St. George Oil, which operates Coast to Coast convenience stores.

　　Hawatmeh firmly believes that the restrictions will actually help ameliorate the effects among consumers. "We have absolutely no control over it. Ultimately, the consumer is going to have to get used to it." Enditem