INTERNATIONAL. Tobacco products leader Philip Morris International (PMI) has introduced IQOS Iluma Prime and Terea Smartcore Sticks into 34 additional duty free markets.
Both products have been released in Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Terea Smartcore Sticks have also been launched within travel retail in Greece, Armenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, Tunisia, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Gibraltar, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Montenegro, Georgia and Bulgaria.
As reported, the product made its first travel retail appearance in Japan airport duty free stores in 2021.
This was followed by a launch in Switzerland travel retail at Geneva Airport with Lagardère Travel Retail store brand Aelia Duty Free, and Zürich Airport with Avolta-managed Zürich Duty Free.
In 2022, the smoke-free device made its way to the United Arab Emirates and South Korea duty free markets.
The company noted that IQOS Iluma Prime is the most innovative addition in its growing portfolio of smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use nicotine products.
PMI CEO Jacek Olczak said: “Our objective is a world without cigarettes; a world where cigarettes are replaced by smoke-free alternatives that are a better choice than continued smoking.
“We have launched several generations of our IQOS heated tobacco system; expanding our portfolio to offer constantly improved, science-backed solutions that take advantage of advancements in technology and address pain points heard from consumers.
{The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie shot this film of the KIX Duty Free tobacco offer during a store tour on 5 December}
“This commitment to continuous innovation plays a significant role in our ambition to deliver a smoke-free future.
“The launch of IQOS Iluma, our most innovative device yet, gives adult smokers another better choice. It represents an important leap forward in our efforts to accelerate the end of smoking.”
IQOS Iluma Prime is available in four colours and it is customisable – both in terms of connected features via the user’s smartphone and offline with a wide range of accessories, including charger wraps and holder rings.
The device offers consumers the two consecutive uses without recharging the holder. It includes advanced features that can be enabled or disabled on the IQOS app – such as smart gestures, auto-start, illumination modes, alerts and the option to lock and unlock the device.
PMI Duty Free Vice President Edvinas Katilius commented: “The IQOS Iluma Prime is our most refined and advanced device yet. Its launch across an additional 34 duty free markets further demonstrates our constant commitment to delighting legal-age consumers in travel retail with our most premium and stylish product range.”
The device features induction-heating technology called Smartcore Induction System, which heats tobacco from within the new Terea Smartcore Stick.
These sticks are to be used only with IQOS Iluma, which features an auto-start function that detects when the Terea stick is inserted and automatically turns on the device.
These bladeless devices offer a cleaner way to heat tobacco from the core without burning it, providing a more consistent experience with no tobacco residue and no need to clean the device.
PMI Vice President Heated Tobacco Platforms Michele Cattoni said: “IQOS Iluma is our most innovative offering to date, and the new flagship in our portfolio of science-backed, smoke-free products.
“It’s breakthrough induction-heating technology heats tobacco from within, without burning, so there’s no smoke, no ash and, like previous IQOS devices, on average it emits 95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes.
“However, unlike our previous tobacco-heating systems, IQOS Iluma has no blade. That means no tobacco residue or cleaning – ever.
“With this, and other product features, we aim to address consumer pain points that may have hindered some adult smokers from beginning or maintaining their journey away from cigarettes in the past.”
By 2025, PMI aims to bring its smoke-free products to 100 markets and have at least 40 million current cigarette smokers switch to smoke-free alternatives.
Looking ahead, the company’s goal is for smoke-free products to account for more than two-thirds of its total net revenues by 2030. ✈
