BAT's Nicotine Pouch VELO Sees Rapid Growth in US

Mar.17.2025

British American Tobacco's nicotine pouch VELO's US market share rises by 185%, reaching 7.9%, surpassing competitors like ZYN.

Key points:

1. The nicotine pouch VELO, under the BAT (British American Tobacco) brand, saw a 185% year-on-year increase in sales in the US market, with a market share of 7.9%.

2. Velo Plus was launched only 12 weeks ago, capturing a market share of 5.4%.

3. ZYN's market share has dropped to 55%, while Philip Morris International (PMI) claimed that its actual share was higher and growing faster than the overall market.

2Firsts, reporting from Shenzhen - NielsenIQ report shows British American Tobacco's Velo nicotine pouch sales in the U.S. surged 185% year-on-year for the four-week period ending February 22, 2025, with market share reaching 7.9%, Tobaccoinsider reported.

The report also indicated that VELO's implied market share for the latest week was approximately 10%, in line with BAT's previous statement.

VELO's growth was mainly attributed to the consumer acceptance of VELO Plus and retail expansion. Just 12 weeks after its launch, the product has captured a 5.4% market share nationwide.

Compared to the traditional "dry" ZYN and regular VELO, VELO Plus came in a larger, softer, and more moist pouch format.

According to Nielsen IQ data, ZYN continued to lose its edge, with year-over-year growth of only 13.2%, and its category share dropping to close to 55%.

However, PMI claimed that ZYN’s category volume was 10% higher than reported by NielsenIQ (approximately 65% according to Circana data), and emphasized that ZYN was growing faster than the overall nicotine pouch market in the U.S.

References:

[1] March 2025: VELO reached 10% share in the US, driven by the Velo Plus launch

Also Read:

[1] Concerns Raised Over Promotion of Nicotine Pouches to Minors

[2] BAT to Launch VELO Plus in US with 7 Flavors, Using Synthetic Nicotine

[3] BAT to Launch Synthetic Nicotine Pouch Velo Plus in the U.S., Expected in 2025

[4] BAT Plans to Introduce E-cigarette Vending Machines in Bars

[5] BAT Ireland Reports 22% Revenue from Vapes, 3% from VELO in 2023

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