According to a report by N.News on September 10th, South Korean tobacco company KT&G has captured a 45.8% market share in the second to fourth quarters of the HNB e-cigarette market, thanks to the widespread popularity of its "Lil" series. The company has maintained its position as the market leader for 10 consecutive quarters.
KT&G stated that
The Lil HYBRID 1.0, launched in 2018 as an industry first, achieved a rich and uniform amount of vapor through the unique combination of pods and e-liquid storage box. The Lil HYBRID 2.0, released 15 months after the 1.0, greatly improved convenience with its intelligent switch function and received wide acclaim. Additionally, the Lil HYBRID 3.0, launched in July last year, significantly enhanced user experience by adding three smoking modes and a color display screen among other features.
Furthermore, KT&G has introduced the e-cigarette platform Lil SOLID, which features an M-type heating structure, pioneering a new mode of continuous usage. The Lil AIBLE can be used with three different dedicated pods.
KT&G has applied for 4374 patents related to NGP (Next Generation Products) in the past three years in order to ensure competitiveness in its e-cigarette business. The number of foreign patent applications has increased significantly, from 9 in 2017 to 1621 in 2023, covering regions such as Europe.
It is reported that KT&G is also accelerating the expansion of its global e-cigarette business. Since entering Russia, Japan, and Ukraine in 2020, it is currently operating in 33 countries. KT&G's medium-term goal is to enter more than 50 countries and gradually establish overseas production bases. In October 2023, the company has started the construction of a new factory in Kazakhstan covering an area of approximately 200,000 square meters to build a production and innovation center in Eurasia.
A spokesperson for KT&G stated that...
With the active entry of global tobacco companies into the market and the increasing demand from smokers, the e-cigarette market is expected to continue growing at an annual rate of 15%. In the core e-cigarette market of the future tobacco industry, KT&G will maintain a steady growth momentum by continuously improving its platform, enhancing scientific research and development capabilities, and mastering basic technology.
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