Swedish Match Announces Market Expansion for General Snus

RICHMOND, Va., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Swedish Match today announced it has expanded into 7 additional US markets with its General brand Swedish snus.  General is the number #1 selling snus in the world and the flagship brand for Swedish Match.  Now General will be available in convenience stores and tobacco outlets in the metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver, Nashville and throughout the state of Ohio with its two new flavors in the product assortment, Nordic Mint and Classic Blend.  Those flavors were launched in Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia in mid-2011.   

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"These particular markets were chosen because they meet a number of important criteria to maximize the success of the General brand - from local smoking restrictions to the number of adult tobacco consumers and the potential opportunity for the snus category as a whole," according to Clark Darrah, Vice President Next Generation Products.

General is authentic Swedish snus crafted from a sophisticated blend of premium tobaccos using a unique GothiaTek® production process ensuring the highest measure of quality.  Snus is sold in pouches that are placed inconspicuously under the user's upper lip, and is a form of smokefree and spit free tobacco that is popular among white-collar professionals throughout Scandinavia, where it first originated in the early 19th century.  While the category is still young in the United States, snus has enjoyed tremendous growth of over 225% since its first introduction domestically in 2006 and is now about 6% of the smokeless tobacco category. 

Darrah adds, "Adult tobacco consumers are increasingly looking for discrete, satisfying alternatives to traditional smokeless tobacco and cigarettes.  Swedish snus and the General brand in particular has been the number one choice for discrete tobacco satisfaction among millions of Swedes for decades and now American consumers are finding it to be a superior choice to traditional American smokeless products."

Promotional support for the market expansion will include extensive print and on-line advertisement as well as direct mail, sampling events and a word of mouth program---The General's Club.  More details on the General's Club will be announced at a later date. 

About General:  General Snus, the worldwide leader, is a smokeless tobacco which has been enjoyed for more than 150 years.  General Snus is fresh, discrete and the ultimate in pure tobacco satisfaction. Go to www.generalsnus.com to learn more.

About Swedish Match: Swedish Match develops, manufactures and sells market-leading brands in the product areas of Snus and American Moist Snuff, Other Tobacco Products (US mass market cigars and chewing tobacco) and Lights.  Some of our well known brands in the US include Red Man, Timber Wolf, Longhorn, General, Garcia y Vega and White Owl.  For more information visit the website at www.SwedishMatch.com.

SOURCE Swedish Match North America