Imperial Brands has launched Paramount, a new cigarette brand designed for adult smokers who seek exceptional value without compromising on quality. To back the launch, Paramount is offering additional support to retailers to enable them to sell at £11.50 or less per pack should they wish to.
Paramount features premium, full-flavour Virginia sun-ripened tobacco, meeting the needs of the majority of UK cigarette smokers, where over 90% of cigarettes sold are Virginia blends and 83% are full-flavour tobacco (IT UK epos data).
Imperial says Paramount’s introduction reflects the growing demand for value options in the UK, with the value sector expanding by 5% in the past year and now representing 30% of the UK cigarette market (IT UK).
The brand is available in both full flavour king-size and super king-size formats.
The UK launch follows the success of Paramount’s debut in Germany, where it is currently the fastest-growing cigarette product since hitting the shelves (Nielsen IQ data). Paramount has also launched successfully in a number of other European markets.
Yawer Rasool, consumer marketing director UK & Ireland at Imperial Brands, says: “The demand for value products that still offer high quality continues to grow. Paramount will be our best value product in the UK market – synonymous with great value and proven success on the Continent.
“Many smokers of value products are open to trying new brands if the price is right. Given its success in key European markets, we anticipate strong demand for the Paramount brand across the UK.”
