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IQOS dominate the Japanese and Korean e-cigarette markets

By April 30, 2021Blog

IQOS is the most successful e-cigarette in the world and almost dominates the e-cigarette market in Japan and South Korea.

Start the IQOS smoothly in Japan

IQOS is the most successful e-cigarette in Japan, occupying most of the market and competing with UWOO. It offers attractive and well-designed cigarette boxes, designed by Marlboro for IQOS.

IQOS dominate the Japanese and Korean e-cigarette markets

Japan is the world’s largest cigarette market (according to Euromonitor International, accounting for 96% of the world), it is precise because of this market that sales of traditional cigarettes have fallen the fastest in this century. According to statistics from the Japan Tobacco Association, sales have been declining since nearly 350 billion cigarettes were sold in 1996. In the 20 years of 2016, consumption was less than half of the original, and it still dropped by more than 10%.

Long-term lack of competition

This is because e-cigarettes are becoming more and more popular, increasing by more than 38% in 2018 and accounting for more than 20% of the Japanese tobacco market.

Philip Morris launched iqos globally in 2014. Due to its long-term lack of competition, it occupies more than 70% of the market share. Competing product UWOO from Yunxi Smart or Ploom Tech from Japan Tobacco Company was postponed for three years in 2017, but for example, UWOO sold more than 1 million units in the first year, but this is not enough to occupy a larger market share. Holds 5%.

IQOS dominate the Japanese and Korean e-cigarette markets

What is the share of IQOS in South Korea?

In South Korea (in another country where IQOS is popular), it has half of the market share and has been competing with the local KT&G since 2017, which has produced the equally successful LIL, and its smart filling FIITS heatstikcs are ingeniously compatible with IQO. Koreans working in Europe even claim that Lil is better than iqos, and the holders also hold UWOO.

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