Comparing the prices of roll-your-own tobacco
Behind the numbers
The economy segment of roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) makes up 51% of the category, as shoppers increasingly look for value, and is growing by 4% each year – as shown in this week’s data. Independent retailers can drive extra margin from RYO tobacco, but any price differences of examined lines are narrow.
Take Amber Leaf 2 in 1 30g. Twenty-seven per cent of retailers charge the most-common price of £16.95, but there’s scope to drive profits, with 73% pricing as high as £18.
Similarly, 30% of retailers are selling Golden Virginia 2 in 1 30g for £16.95, while 70% are going as high as £18.99, highlighting an opportunity to boost margin.
The most noticeable difference between the highest and most-common price in this week’s data can be found with Sterling 2 in 1 50g. Fifty-nine per cent of retailers charge up to £24.99, £2.19 more than the most-common price of £22.80, set by 41%.
Roll-your-own tobacco price checker
LAMBERT & BUTLER ORIGINAL 2 IN 1 INCL. PAPERS 30G
Use the price-checker chart to see what the most common prices are for a key line in the category.
Retailer views on roll-your-own tobacco
“We have around 10 different RYO brands. I’ve noticed over the past couple of years that menthol smokers have shifted to rolling tobacco along with buying flavour cards and crushable tips to emulate a menthol feeling. Since Covid-19 and post-Brexit, RYO sales have risen because people aren’t travelling as much, so there aren’t as many people bringing back duty-free stock. We have noticed more people are buying 50g packets, and we’ve started listing more varieties because people are looking for more value, but we still sell more 30g.”
“We stock nine different varieties of rolling tobacco. Trade is the same week in, week out with the same recurring customers. We mark it up by 10% above RRP. It’s the usual brands – Sterling, Holborn and Amber Leaf – which are the bestsellers. We sell 30g and 50g, with 50g bags being more popular. Sales haven’t changed for us after Covid-19 and Brexit. We saw sales go up a little bit during Covid-19, but so did sales of everything, so that went hand in hand. Way before restrictions eased, our rolling tobacco sales dropped down anyway.”
Roll-your-own tobacco price distribution
Use the price distribution table to see the range of prices being charged on 12 key lines.
| Product name | Lowest price | Most common price | Highest price |
| Holborn Yellow 3 in 1 Pouch incl. Papers and Filters 30g | £13.85 | £14 | £15.50 |
| Amber Leaf 2 in 1 incl. Papers 50g | £28.10 | £28.62 | £29.99 |
| Sterling 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £13.90 | £13.90 | £15 |
| Sterling 2 in 1 incl. Papers 50g | £22.80 | £22.80 | £24.99 |
| Amber Leaf 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £16.95 | £16.95 | £18 |
| Cutters Choice Original 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £17 | £17.20 | £18.99 |
| Cutters Choice Extra Fine 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £14.25 | £15.30 | £17.14 |
| Pall Mall Fine Cut 30g | £13.80 | £13.90 | £15.99 |
| Lambert & Butler Original 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £13.90 | £13.90 | £14.99 |
| Gold Leaf JPS 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £13.90 | £13.90 | £15 |
| Gold Leaf JPS 2 in 1 incl. Papers 50g | £21 | £22.86 | £24.99 |
| Golden Virginia The Original 2 in 1 incl. Papers 30g | £16.95 | £16.95 | £18.99 |
Roll-your-own tobacco products
Use the must-stock products chart to see the percentage of retailers charging above, below and at the most-common price.
Read more Pricewatch and get expert product price comparison analysis and retailer insight on all the key products in your store
Data supplied by the Retail Data Partnership, a specialist data and EPoS supplier committed to serving the independent retail sector
