BAT's Glo Roll-Out in Japan Sets Up Three-Way War for Smokers
- Heat-not-burn product takes on Japan Tobacco, Philip Morris
- London-based firm also plans summer glo debut in South Korea
British American Tobacco is expanding sales of its heated tobacco device next month to Tokyo, just as former cigarette monopoly Japan Tobacco Inc. introduces its Ploom product there in a fight to gain market share from Philip Morris International Inc.
Both companies’ electronic heat-not-burn smokers are jumping into a market where Philip Morris has established an early lead with iQOS, the only such device currently available nationwide. BAT will also expand sales of glo on July 3 to Osaka, as well as Miyagi Prefecture along the coast northeast of Tokyo, to 13,000 stores, the company told reporters Tuesday. The London-based cigarette maker also plans to introduce glo in South Korea as soon as this summer, BAT Japan President Roberta Palazzetti said in an interview.