The delivery of IQOS brand tobacco heaters to Russia may be stopped in the near future. This was reported to socialbites.ca in one of the stores of the Tabakeriya tobacco chain.
“We sellers have been warned. A week ago an IQOS sales representative came to us. He said there would be no more deliveries to Russia. But in general, we will not get lost – there are Chinese and Korean tobacco heating systems. It also has bars, ”said the seller of the outlet.
Pavel Shapkin, head of the National Union for the Protection of Consumer Rights, informed socialbites.ca about a possible shortage of these tobacco heating systems in the Russian market.
“There is a possible shortage of IQOS in the market. But this is not a matter of primary necessity, and therefore there will be no serious consequences for the Russians. IQOS will be an alternative to smokers. Users will find analogues of tobacco heating systems – for example, Chinese – and sticks. And then there are traditional cigarettes,” Shapkin said.
Prices will increase from April 1
At the same time, IQOS said it does not plan to stop supplying heating systems. “At the moment, production is operating as usual, we do not expect any interruptions in the supply of rods and devices to stores,” an IQOS representative said in an interview with socialbites.ca.
Online stores, including Ozone, told socialbites.ca that they have not yet received reports of the termination of IQOS resources, there are no interruptions to them.
However, from April 1, the price will increase on the devices. The price of sticks has already increased by 10 rubles. Therefore, if you want to profitably buy a heating system or rod, now is the time, ”said he.
“Let’s move on to the sweater sticks”
An employee of Tabakeriya told socialbites.ca that the fate of the IQOS sticks is unknown. Philip Morris Izhora is manufactured by the Phillip Morris factory. The company reduced production and investment in Russia. Phillip Morris did not respond to calls and requests from socialbites.ca.
According to Shapkin, it is possible for users to switch to Kazakhstani bars imported into Russia without excise duty.
“The concept of fake itself may be revised in the near future. Things that are now considered fake will no longer be accepted as such. Lawmakers propose to reconsider the stance on the right to property. And that also applies to counterfeit goods,” Shapkin said.
“We won’t get lost thanks to the Chinese and Koreans,” the Tabakeria employee said. The seller explained that sticks from different Asian manufacturers can be used in existing IQOS devices.
According to the StickSmoker website, we are talking primarily about sticks from the Chinese and Korean companies Fiit, Healcier, Ccobato, Genmist. As for the source heating systems, there are Chinese and Korean analogues of three generations.