General Snus at Tobacco Stores in the U.S.

[Brian74]

I'm not particularly fond of the General portions that are sold in the U.S. tobacco stores, but when I am in a pinch between orders, its reassuring that I can go on the General website and find the closest store that sells it. I'll usually buy a can of the mint portions to hold me over until my shipment comes in.

And don't get me wrong, General Onyx is my all-time favorite, but its nothing like the weak stuff they sell in the stores here, nor is it available in the U.S.

This is pretty weird though....

Of 5 different stores along the east coast where I have bought the Regular General, I have noticed that the prices were either $2-$3 in a couple stores but almost $6 a can in other stores. I figure since the store is on their website, then they probably have the same U.S. distributor and pay the same wholesale cost.

Today I bought a can of wintergreen white portions at a local shop in AL for $2.60. Cashier dude even checked under the lid for me to see if there were any coupons. $2 and some change is a pretty good price, as I pay more than double that for what I get shipped from Sweden. Hell, the same can is even $5.10 on buysnus.

What is up with this weird pricing anomaly at some of these stores?

[SnusnPA]

I'm spending either $4.23 a can at my local gas station or $2.11 at the tobacco shop I go to. One thing I'm noticing with the WP lately is a lack of flavor... all my snus I get is fresh but it just seems like something's different about them. Must be just me.

[Andy105]

One thing I'm noticing with the WP lately is a lack of flavor... all my snus I get is fresh but it just seems like something's different about them. Must be just me.

I thought it was my changing tastes, but the last WP that I bought locally, I used two at a time to get more flavor. It wasn't just for the nicotine.
I get a 24 portion can at one gas station for less money than a 12 portion can at another gas station. I thought they had priced it wrong, but don't know why prices are all over. Not complaining, glad it's available. I'd sure like to see more of their lineup locally.

[SnusnPA]

I've been pressing SM to expand their line of different brands to the US. A buddy of mine works in the NEPA region for SM and like I told him, there is a bigger demand than your company realizes for their different brands. I told him I'd love to see Ettan or at the very least a personal favorite of mine, Kronan, to be sold in the US.

[Thunder_Snus]

Speaking of demand I've started to see a few empty cans of General Mint laying around in the employee parking garage where I work. Somewhere there is a phantom snuser among us.

[chadizzy1]

I've been pressing SM to expand their line of different brands to the US. A buddy of mine works in the NEPA region for SM and like I told him, there is a bigger demand than your company realizes for their different brands. I told him I'd love to see Ettan or at the very least a personal favorite of mine, Kronan, to be sold in the US.

In every meeting we've had with Swedish Match over the past several years, many of us have tried to urge them to look into bringing more brands into the US.

But they're focused on building the General brand, so it's going to be quite a while before we see anything else in the US. After the Ettan trials failed, that didn't help too much either.

[Brian74]

Well, after 3 days, my Lab 06 shipment has arrived from Sweden. I don't know how much more of that General Wintergreen I could have taken. It clearly is nowhere near as strong as a good stark, the packets break open easily, and my upper lip is torn up similar to what Kodiac dip did back in the day. About all it has going for it is the flavor, which goes away fast. Its really too bad that this junk and Camel snus are the only offerings that potential snus'ers in the US have available to them in stores.

[rickcharles606]

Well, after 3 days, my Lab 06 shipment has arrived from Sweden. I don't know how much more of that General Wintergreen I could have taken. It clearly is nowhere near as strong as a good stark, the packets break open easily, and my upper lip is torn up similar to what Kodiac dip did back in the day. About all it has going for it is the flavor, which goes away fast. Its really too bad that this junk and Camel snus are the only offerings that potential snus'ers in the US have available to them in stores.

Well, that's not exactly true. Jakobsson's, Thunder, Offroad and Northerner brands are available in US stores. I'm the Brand Manager for each here in the US, let me know of a local tobacconist or tobacco outlet store and I'll have my sales team contact them to get you some good wintergreen (Jak's or Thunder) to try :-)

[GoVegan]

What happened with lil brown? They first got expired northerner and tried to sell it for a premium. Now, they have been out of stock for months. I want to buy from them but they don't carry anything I like.

[Brian74]

Well, that's not exactly true. Jakobsson's, Thunder, Offroad and Northerner brands are available in US stores. I'm the Brand Manager for each here in the US, let me know of a local tobacconist or tobacco outlet store and I'll have my sales team contact them to get you some good wintergreen (Jak's or Thunder) to try :-)

I know they are available but the stores who carry them are very few & far between. I normally buy straight from buysnus Sweden in bulk and only use a random store to buy a can if I happen to run out between orders. All but one store so far (in Georgetown DC) carried more than just the General stuff. Im not a wintergreen fan per se; I only bought that flavor because I find their straight flavor unappealing.

It would be great if you could get some of the more premium brands pushed out to all the tobacco stores. Not for me, but for the first time users who would otherwise try that General or Camel and get a poor 1st impression of snus. The problem is that not enough people use snus regularly enough to warrant demand for the stores keeping a fresh supply of much variety. Most the regular users like me just order it online in bulk.

First impression is a big deal. Had Northerner not screwed up my first time ever order of snus 7 years ago, I would have become a regular snus user back then instead of 2 years ago when I finally decided to try it again. They probably lost over $3000 of sales from me over the years because of that.

[GoVegan]

I know they are available but the stores who carry them are very few & far between. I normally buy straight from buysnus Sweden in bulk and only use a random store to buy a can if I happen to run out between orders. All but one store so far (in Georgetown DC) carried more than just the General stuff. Im not a wintergreen fan per se; I only bought that flavor because I find their straight flavor unappealing.

It would be great if you could get some of the more premium brands pushed out to all the tobacco stores. Not for me, but for the first time users who would otherwise try that General or Camel and get a poor 1st impression of snus. The problem is that not enough people use snus regularly enough to warrant demand for the stores keeping a fresh supply of much variety. Most the regular users like me just order it online in bulk.

First impression is a big deal. Had Northerner not screwed up my first time ever order of snus 7 years ago, I would have become a regular snus user back then instead of 2 years ago when I finally decided to try it again. They probably lost over $3000 of sales from me over the years because of that.

7 years ago life was good in snusland! You could get 2 rolls shipped to your door for under $40.00 and they would give you a few samples on top of that.

[rickcharles606]

What happened with lil brown? They first got expired northerner and tried to sell it for a premium. Now, they have been out of stock for months. I want to buy from them but they don't carry anything I like.

Well, I suppose I can speak of this now....we just signed an exclusive distribution agreement on all Northerner brands of snus. So, that means we'll be stocking it all the time going forward. Give me a few weeks to get it all put together, etc....then we should be able to get Lil Brown up and running again with Northerner.

[wa3zrm]

7 years ago life was good in snusland! You could get 2 rolls shipped to your door for under $40.00 and they would give you a few samples on top of that.

Amen!

[Brian74]

7 years ago life was good in snusland! You could get 2 rolls shipped to your door for under $40.00 and they would give you a few samples on top of that.

I can only imagine. I just spent $240 on 5 rolls/ 50 cans (shipping incl). Back then I was DESPERATE to quit smoking, but I didn't want to switch to dip either because of the effects it caused weren't any better. I still wanted my relatively instantaneous nicotine delivery and no patch or gum could provide that. I had quit tobacco before but I think some of us just simply function better on it; the same way some people function better on coffee.

I found out about snus through the internet back in 2007 and I was excited. I ordered 2 cans from Northerner. I think back then they were probably the only place you could order snus from. A week later, I got an empty envelope with a large tear in the side. Ended up giving up til 2012 again When I decided I really wanted to not smoke or dip anymore. This time Northerner came through, and I havent relied on cigarette tobacco or dip since.

Ever since the Great Northerner Computer Database Disaster of 2013, I started ordering from buysnus.

[whalen]

I just paid half that at the half price sale.........you got to time your purchases nowadays.