Imperial Tobacco rolls out first menthol RYO pack to the convenience channel

Imperial Tobacco is expanding its Gold Leaf portfolio with a new menthol RYO Ice Pack launching at the start of July.

Ice Pack contains 30g of Gold Leaf rolling tobacco, 2×40 Rizla regular cigarette papers, and 72 Rizla ultra slim menthol filters.

Imperial Tobacco’s brand manager Jamie Burns-Smith told Retail Express that retailers should make roll your own customers aware of the pack as it meets their buying habits. 

“Imperial’s research suggests that the majority of adult smokers who roll their own cigarettes use tips, and of those consumers, roughly one in five purchase menthol tips,” he added.

Under the Tobacco Products Directive 2, menthol cigarettes will be outlawed by 2020, but Burns-Smith said RYO smokers will be able to continue to separately purchase menthol tips after this date.

The RRP of the Ice Pack is £11, the same price as the standard Gold Leaf 30g handy pack.

Imperial said the Ice Pack is the first all-in-one RYO menthol cigarette and expected independent retailers to integrate it into their range quickly and easily. 

“It is likely that many independent retailers will have a small head start over the major players,” Burns-Smith added.