British American Tobacco will launch its Glo heated-tobacco product in Korea on Sunday, with the opening of a dedicated store in Seoul’s Garosugil shopping district, reports The Korea Herald.
Glo has already been released in certain regions of Japan including Sendai, Tokyo, Miyagi and Osaka.
BAT’s main marketing point for Glo is its simplicity. While Philip Morris International’s IQOS comprises a pocket charger and a separate cigarette holder, Glo consists of just one palm-sized device that can power more than 20 sticks with one full charge.
“It’s one touch, one button,” said Hamish Norrie, marketing director of BAT Korea. “It’s got a very easy-to-understand user interface. It’s easy to clean.”
The price point, too, is also different. The IQOS device sells for krw120,000 ($105) while Glo will be priced at krw90,000.
The Korean market is set to become even more competitive, with domestic cigarette maker KT&G reportedly also preparing to launch a heat-not-burn product.