Swedish Snus Tobacco Maker Sets Sights on U.S. Market

(Wall Street Journal) Smokeless-tobacco giant Swedish Match AB, the dominant maker of snus in Scandinavia, plans to begin a major push into the category in the U.S. in the coming months.
The company, which to date has only dipped its toes into the small-but-growing segment of the U.S. smokeless-tobacco industry, is unveiling two new versions of its General brand for American consumers and sharply expanding retail distribution starting this month. Initial markets will be Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia, executives said in an interview Thursday.
The effort underscores tobacco makers' rising interest in expanding a product style that is popular in Sweden and Norway but relatively new in North America. Snus—a type of oral tobacco that comes in small pouches and requires no spitting—accounts for about 2.5% of smokeless-tobacco sales in the U.S., up from virtually no sales just a few years ago, according to Swedish Match. Continued