Philip Morris USA raised prices on some of its brands and made adjustments in its promotional spending, Reuters reports.
The unit of Altria raised prices on brands like Parliament, Virginia Slims, Chesterfield and Merit by USD 0.05 (EUR 0.03) a package. It also cut certain promotional allowances on Marlboro and Basic cigarettes by USD 0.05 per pack, Philip Morris spokesman David Sylvia said.
In other markets, however, the company increased special promotional allowances on certain types of Marlboro offerings, which could result in lower prices in those markets.
Philip Morris gives retailers and distributors promotional allowances that tend to be passed on to consumers in the form of higher or lower cigarette prices, although such price changes are not automatic. (pi)