Philip Morris Romania Expands IQOS Boutique Network to 120 Locations With Retail 2.0 Store

PMI
Jul.13
Philip Morris Romania Expands IQOS Boutique Network to 120 Locations With Retail 2.0 Store
Philip Morris Romania has opened IQOS Boutique Victoriei in Bucharest, expanding the country’s IQOS retail network to 120 points of sale and advancing a Retail 2.0 concept that combines design, technology, interactive art and urban culture.

Key Points

  • Philip Morris Romania opened IQOS Boutique Victoriei in Bucharest.
  • Romania’s IQOS retail network has expanded to 120 points of sale.
  • The store is positioned as part of a Retail 2.0 strategy.
  • The boutique includes an interactive installation by artist Sebastian Comănescu.
  • Public LinkedIn posts from executives and partners highlighted the store’s experience-led positioning.

2Firsts

July 11, 2026

Philip Morris Romania has opened IQOS Boutique Victoriei on Calea Victoriei in Bucharest, expanding its IQOS retail network in Romania.

According to Romanian media reports and public information, the opening brings the national IQOS network to 120 points of sale. The new boutique is positioned as a Retail 2.0 space combining design, technology, contemporary art and urban culture, rather than a sales-only store.

Romania IQOS Network Reaches 120 Locations

IQOS Boutique Victoriei is located on Calea Victoriei, one of Bucharest’s most recognizable urban areas. The store is presented as part of Philip Morris Romania’s broader shift toward experience-led retail.

Philip Morris Romania Managing Director Carmina Fusté said in a LinkedIn post that IQOS Boutique Victoriei had opened on Calea Victoriei, placing the store within the company’s Retail 2.0 direction. She said the location combines technology, design and interaction to offer adult IQOS users an experience beyond the act of purchase.

Store Features Interactive Art Installation

A central element of the boutique is an interactive installation by Romanian visual artist Sebastian Comănescu. The work is part of the “Studioul Curiozității” project, curated by The Institute.

The installation draws on Calea Victoriei’s architecture and city rhythm, using sensors and lighting effects that allow visitors to activate different visual layers.

Romanian advertising and experience design agency Godmother also posted about the project on LinkedIn, saying it was involved in event design and spatial experience work for IQOS Boutique Victoriei. Godmother’s public materials show the agency has worked on IQOS-related experience retail and brand activation projects.

Retail 2.0 Reinforces Offline Brand Touchpoints

The opening of IQOS Boutique Victoriei shows Philip Morris Romania continuing to upgrade IQOS retail from conventional sales channels into experience-led brand spaces.

For heated tobacco products, physical stores remain important for device demonstrations, user service, after-sales support and brand communication. The Retail 2.0 concept adds a stronger focus on space design, interactive technology, artist collaboration and adult-user experience.

Across Europe, competition in heated tobacco retail is moving beyond channel coverage toward experience quality and service capability. Whether this type of store can improve user conversion, repeat purchases and brand loyalty will remain an important question for heated tobacco retail strategy.

Some Romanian media pages were marked as advertising or IQOS-supported content. Public information from Philip Morris Romania and project partners shows the company is using experience-led retail spaces to strengthen IQOS offline touchpoints and adult-user service networks in Romania.

Follow 2Firsts for the latest updates on global tobacco harm reduction, nicotine products and regulatory developments.

Cover Image source: godmother

South Korea Rejects 16 Trillion Won Tax-Evasion Claim Over Chinese Synthetic Nicotine
South Korea Rejects 16 Trillion Won Tax-Evasion Claim Over Chinese Synthetic Nicotine
The South Korean government rejected allegations that Chinese synthetic-nicotine e-liquids were linked to about 16 trillion won in tobacco tax evasion, saying China does not ban synthetic nicotine exports and the estimate is difficult to verify, while acknowledging that pre-law synthetic-nicotine inventory is effectively difficult to tax.
Market
Jun.25
UK Disposable Vape Ban Marks One Year as Adult Use Falls to 8% and Youth Use to 13%
UK Disposable Vape Ban Marks One Year as Adult Use Falls to 8% and Youth Use to 13%
One year after the UK ban on single-use disposable vapes took effect, YouGov data commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health shows that 13% of 11-17-year-old vapers and 8% of adult vapers now mainly use disposable products.
Jun.18
Nicotine Pouches Lead U.S. Tobacco Growth as Vape Sales Decline
Nicotine Pouches Lead U.S. Tobacco Growth as Vape Sales Decline
New convenience store industry data show nicotine pouches have become the primary growth driver in the tobacco category, with oral nicotine sales rising nearly 30% over the past year while vape sales declined.
Business
Jun.05
One Nation Proposes 50% Tobacco Excise Cut as Australia’s Illicit Market Expands
One Nation Proposes 50% Tobacco Excise Cut as Australia’s Illicit Market Expands
Australian One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has proposed cutting tobacco excise by 50% and freezing indexation until June 30, 2028, in a bid to lower legal cigarette prices and reduce the price advantage of the illicit tobacco market.
Jun.18
Ireland Vape Bill Passes Dáil, Setting Limits on Flavours, Packaging and Retail Display
Ireland Vape Bill Passes Dáil, Setting Limits on Flavours, Packaging and Retail Display
Ireland’s Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026 has passed final stage in the Dáil and will move to the Seanad, with measures to limit vape flavours to tobacco or unflavoured products and tighten rules on packaging colours, retail advertising, in-store displays and sales of nicotine pouches to minors.
News
Jun.26 by 2Firsts Perspectives
BAT Estimates U.S. Unauthorized Vape Market at $9.4 Billion, Plans New Vuse and Velo Launches After FDA Enforcement Shift
BAT Estimates U.S. Unauthorized Vape Market at $9.4 Billion, Plans New Vuse and Velo Launches After FDA Enforcement Shift
British American Tobacco (BAT) CEO Tadeu Marroco said the U.S. unauthorized vape market is worth about £7 billion, or US$9.43 billion. Following a shift in FDA enforcement policy, BAT plans to launch flavored Vuse products in the third quarter and an updated Velo pouch in August or September.
Jun.15