IQOS Point-of-Sale Marketing Strategies in Israel: A Pilot Study

Significance: Heat-not-burn (HNB) tobacco products, such as IQOS, have penetrated the global tobacco market. Many countries will face regulatory implications related to these new products. Therefore, understanding the HNB product market is critical in advancing regulatory efforts. In Israel, one of the first countries to have IQOS in its market, the IQOS device is sold in specialty stores and online; the heat sticks burned by IQOS, (HEETS), are sold at traditional retailers. Advertising restrictions in many contexts including Israel have shifted industry marketing efforts to point-of-sale (POS): thus, assessing POS marketing is critical. Hence, we conducted a pilot study of IQOS POS marketing strategies, adapting the Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings and assessing a subset of Israeli retailers.

Methods: Data collectors conducted POS assessments of product offerings, pricing, promotional strategies, and placement in a sample of 15 IQOS retailers in 3 Israeli cities.

Results: All retailers sold cigarettes; many carried other forms of tobacco. Average price for a HEETS package was 30.2 Shekels (SD=2.7); average price for the least expensive cigarette pack was 27.4 (SD=1.5). In all but one retailer, HEETS were sold at higher prices, on average 9.5% more expensive. Posted ads were uncommon; rather, product displays were prominent. HEETS packages were often separated from other tobacco products and rather placed in a separate display box. In 2 retailers, HEETS displays were placed at higher and more noticeable positions and closer to consumers, with colour coding to differentiate flavouring and strength. Additionally, 11 retailers placed cigarettes and 10 placed HNB products near youth-oriented merchandise. Also, 9 retailers placed cigarettes and HNB products, respectively, within 1 meter of the floor.

Conclusion: This study represents the first step in assessing IQOS POS practices, which is critical in advancing the ability to facilitate related research and regulation.