Tag: Pulze

  • Imperial Launches Pulze 2.0 Heated Tobacco Device

    Imperial Launches Pulze 2.0 Heated Tobacco Device

    Image: Imperial Brands

    Imperial Brands has launched the first all-new upgrade of its Pulze heated tobacco device, as it continues to innovate to create more compelling, potentially reduced harm products.

    Pulze 2.0 offers new levels of convenience with a compact all-in-one design and 25 or more sessions from a single charge.

    Paired with Imperial’s iD sticks now available in 10 different flavors, Pulze offers an attractive, potentially less risky alternative to consumers seeking to switch away from combustible cigarettes, according to Imperial.

    “Our consumer-centric approach to innovation is accelerating the pace of development across all categories,” said Andy Dasgupta, Imperial Brands’ chief consumer officer, in a statement. “Pulze 2.0 is another important milestone on Imperial’s journey to build a healthier future and offers consumers alternative ways to enjoy moments of relaxation and pleasure.”

    Heated tobacco devices such as Pulze release nicotine and tobacco aromas without burning and producing smoke. This means that aerosols produced by Pulze contain substantially lower levels of harmful chemicals than those found in cigarette smoke, research shows.

    Pulze 2.0 is being launched initially in four markets—Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece—and will be rolled out more widely across Imperial’s heated tobacco footprint in Europe during the remainder of 2023.

    Heated tobacco forms part of Imperial’s multi-category approach to building a strong, focused next generation products business. The company has also recently unveiled major product innovations in vape, with the new Blu 2.0 and Blu bar devices, and modern oral with nine new varieties of its fast-growing Zone X brand.

    The launch of Pulze 2.0 comes as Imperial CEO Stefan Bomhard and CFO Lukas Paravicini today present on the progress of the business’ transformation at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

    The presentation by Bomhard and Paravicini starts at 4 pm EST. Participants can register here.

  • Imperial’s Vapor and Heated Product Sales Surge in Europe

    Imperial’s Vapor and Heated Product Sales Surge in Europe

    Imperial Brands is on track to meet its full-year goals. The expectation is bolstered by strong sales of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in Europe, the company said on Tuesday, boosting its shares to a more than two-year high.

    Investors seem “relieved that the firm is on track to hit its full year guidance figures, as it proceeds in its five year strategy to shift to tobacco alternatives,” Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, told Reuters.

    After years of slow growth and market share losses, Imperial CEO Stefan Bomhard laid out a turnaround plan in 2021 focused on its five top markets and expanding next-generation products (NGP) deemed less harmful to health. Together, the United States, Britain, Germany, Spain and Australia account for over 70 percent of Imperial’s revenue.

    Sales of Imperial’s next generation brands, which include Pulze heated tobacco and blu e-cigarettes, were up 8.7 percent to 101 million pounds ($126 million), driven by demand in Europe. In November, the company reported a more than 50% reduction in losses in the business.

  • Imperial to Test its Heated Tobacco Product in Greece

    Imperial to Test its Heated Tobacco Product in Greece

    Photo: Imperial Brands

    Imperial Brands has stepped up market testing of its heated tobacco products through a national rollout in Greece.

    Insights from Greek consumers on the Pulze device and iD heat sticks will help inform the potential for further launches in a focused number of European markets. Earlier this month, Imperial Brands launched a pilot trial for its tobacco heating products in the Czech Republic.

    Building a targeted and sustainable next generation product (NGP) business is a key part of Imperial’s new strategy and its commitment to make a meaningful contribution to harm reduction.

    According to the company, heated tobacco is an established NGP category in a number of European territories, including where Imperial already has a strong route to market for its traditional tobacco products.

    “Heated tobacco continues to gain traction among adult smokers in Greece, and we see significant growth opportunities for our promising products in this category,” said Imperial Brands’ chief consumer officer, Anindya Dasgupta, in a statement.

    “The valuable consumer insights we gain from the pilot initiatives in Greece and the Czech Republic will inform the scale and pace of further market rollouts.”

    Heated tobacco currently accounts for more than 10 per cent of the total tobacco sector in Greece, with further strong growth anticipated.

    The Pulze device heats but doesn’t burn ‘iD heat sticks’ to provide nicotine and tobacco aromas containing fewer and substantially lower levels of the harmful chemicals found in combustible cigarette smoke.

    Unlike other heated tobacco products, the Pulze device does not require a charging case, offering up to 20 consecutive uses. It is available in copper and silver colors.

    ID tobacco consumables are being made available in Greece in four flavors: Rich Bronze, Balanced Blue, Capsule Polar, and Ice.