In response to the credit crunch, Imperial Tobacco plans to launch a new economy brand, JPS Silver, on 3 November 2008.

Rachel Smith, a UK brand manager for Imperial Tobacco, said the economy price cigarette sector – those priced at GBP 4.60 (EUR 5.93) and below for packs of 20 – have been experiencing growth since 2006.  “Growth in the economy sector has doubled since January and it should have a 12.5 per cent share of the market by the end of the year. This accelerated growth is a result of the recent economic downturn.”
Imperial expects the JPS Silver range to capture 2.5 per cent of the UK cigarette market within three months of the launch, or 15-20 per cent of the economy sector. All variants will be available in both standard and price-marked packs. (pi)