Japan Tobacco Inc. said on Tuesday it would expand from March 19 the sales area of Ploom TECH starter kits and tobacco capsules to five prefectures: Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
In addition to being sold in tobacco stores, the products would be available also in convenience stores in the same prefectures, and in four cities: Sapporo, Sendai, Nagoya and Hiroshima, from April 16.
JT, which has suffered capacity problems with its heated-tobacco device, has nevertheless been selling Ploom TECH in a number of shops in Fukuoka city and online since March 2016, and has been gradually expanding its sales area.
‘The tobacco capsules have been available in convenience stores in Tokyo since November, 2017, and their off-take share of market has reached 3.3 percent,’ JT said in a note posted on its website.
Ploom TECH is described as a tobacco infused vapor product with low-temperature heating technology unique to JT. ‘The technology, which does not involve combustion nor direct heating of tobacco, allows Ploom TECH to offer clear taste with no smoke, smoke smell or ash and no negative impact on surrounding air quality,’ the note said.
‘JT aims to gain a leading position in the tobacco vapor category in the Japanese market, by providing a wider range of choice that satisfies the varying needs of our customers.’
Ploom sales heating up
