Staying in Step With the Rapidly Evolving OTP Category
From: Convenience Store News
By Melissa Kress
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — As a category at retail, other tobacco products (OTP) continues to change at rapid speed, presenting convenience store operators with tough decisions. However, with all the talk about evolution and innovation, the top three OTP segments still rule: smokeless tobacco, cigars and electronic cigarettes.
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While he acknowledged there is a lot of conversation about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and what form its final deeming regulation will take, he advised all trade partners — retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers — to take notice of what is happening at the local and state levels. Legislation aimed at age restrictions and taxation issues dominate the talk at those levels.
Retailers also need to keep regulations in mind when partnering with manufacturers, he added. They need to ask: Are the e-cig makers preparing for potential FDA regulations and what type of insurance and guarantees do they offer?
