Product | JTI Expands Ploom Ecosystem as LYO Tobacco-Free Nicotine Sticks Roll Out Across Europe

JTI
Jul.21
Product | JTI Expands Ploom Ecosystem as LYO Tobacco-Free Nicotine Sticks Roll Out Across Europe
Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is expanding its Ploom heated product ecosystem with LYO tobacco-free nicotine sticks. Designed specifically for Ploom devices, LYO contains nicotine but no tobacco. Public information shows that the product has gradually entered several European markets, including Spain, Portugal and Germany, and was officially introduced in Romania in July 2026. The launch highlights JTI’s efforts to explore broader nicotine consumable formats beyond traditional tobacco-based sticks.

Key Points

  • JTI introduces LYO tobacco-free nicotine sticks.
  • Designed for the Ploom device ecosystem.
  • Contains nicotine without tobacco.
  • Rolling out across multiple European markets.
  •  Reflects tobacco companies’ expansion into alternative nicotine consumables.

 2Firsts

July 21, 2026

Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is expanding its Ploom product ecosystem with LYO tobacco-free nicotine sticks. Public information shows that LYO has gradually entered several European Ploom markets, including Spain, Portugal and Germany, before JTI officially introduced the product in Romania in July 2026.

Unlike conventional heated tobacco sticks, LYO contains no tobacco and provides a new consumable format within the Ploom ecosystem. The product expands JTI’s heated product portfolio while reflecting the broader industry trend toward diversified nicotine formats.

LYO Expands the Ploom Consumable Ecosystem

LYO is positioned as a tobacco-free nicotine stick designed specifically for Ploom devices.

Unlike traditional heated tobacco products that rely on tobacco-based consumables, LYO uses a tobacco-free format while maintaining the heated-device usage model. The product provides consumers with an alternative consumable option within the existing Ploom ecosystem.

According to Ploom public information, LYO has been introduced across multiple European markets, with flavor availability varying by country. Publicly available information lists Arctic Mint and Wild Berry among the flavors available in selected markets.

Some LYO variants feature an aroma capsule in the filter, allowing users to activate additional flavor intensity by pressing the capsule.

European Market Rollout Underway

LYO has appeared across several European Ploom markets.

Official Ploom websites in Spain and Portugal have published LYO product information, while related retail listings have also appeared in Germany. In July 2026, JTI officially introduced LYO in Romania, further expanding the product’s market presence.

Compared with other nicotine alternatives such as disposable vapes and nicotine pouches, LYO follows a business model closer to:

Device + dedicated consumables

This approach remains a key strategy among major tobacco companies developing smoke-free product ecosystems.

Parameter

Information

Brand

LYO

Brand Owner

Japan Tobacco International (JTI)

Product Type

Tobacco-free nicotine sticks

Compatible Devices

Ploom devices

Product Features

Contains nicotine without tobacco

Flavors

Arctic Mint, Wild Berry and others depending on market

Special Feature

Aroma capsule available in selected variants

Markets

Multiple European Ploom markets

Confirmed Markets

Spain, Portugal, Germany, Romania and others

Launch Timeline

Rolled out across Europe from 2026; launched in Romania on July 6, 2026

Product Positioning

Consumable expansion within the Ploom ecosystem

JTI Explores Tobacco-Free Nicotine Consumable Formats

Global tobacco companies are increasingly expanding beyond traditional tobacco products into broader nicotine categories.

PMI has developed the IQOS ILUMA and TEREA ecosystem around heated tobacco products, while BAT continues expanding glo-related products. JTI is exploring additional consumable formats through Ploom, including both tobacco-based sticks and tobacco-free nicotine sticks.

The introduction of LYO suggests that JTI is testing new directions for the Ploom ecosystem by expanding beyond a single tobacco-based consumable model.

Product | JTI Expands Ploom Ecosystem as LYO Tobacco-Free Nicotine Sticks Roll Out Across Europe

【图示文字】

JTI LYO Stick Highlights: Crafted with a tobacco-free herbal substrate and an integrated flavor capsule, designed exclusively for Ploom devices.|Source: Ploom official product pages

Industry Perspective

Competition in smoke-free products is increasingly shifting from individual devices toward broader ecosystems combining hardware, consumables and user experience.

LYO reflects this transition. By introducing a tobacco-free nicotine format for Ploom devices, JTI is expanding the potential applications of its existing platform and creating additional product pathways.

For major tobacco companies, future competition will not only depend on developing new devices, but also on building diverse consumable ecosystems around existing platforms. The combination of LYO and Ploom demonstrates JTI’s exploration of this direction.

Follow 2Firsts for the latest news on global tobacco and next-generation nicotine product launches, product innovation, technology evolution, and market trends.

 

Cover image source: Ploom official product pages

Ispire Q4 Revenue Rebounds 33% but Full-Year Sales Still Fall 25% as FY2027 Focus Shifts to Malaysia Manufacturing, ODM, Nicotine Pouches and Age Verification
Ispire Q4 Revenue Rebounds 33% but Full-Year Sales Still Fall 25% as FY2027 Focus Shifts to Malaysia Manufacturing, ODM, Nicotine Pouches and Age Verification
Ispire Technology reported FY2026 revenue of about $96 million, down 24.7% year over year, as U.S. cannabis-vapor hardware and European e-cigarette sales declined by $17.4 million and $12.7 million, respectively. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 32.5% to $26.7 million, while quarterly gross margin fell to 6.3%. For FY2027, the company is prioritizing Malaysia manufacturing and vapor ODM while continuing to develop nicotine pouches, IKE Tech age-verification technology and G-Mesh licensing. Ispire has not separately disclosed the revenue or profit contribution of those newer businesses.
Regulations
Sep.17 by 2Firsts Perspectives
AIR Global Starts Debt Refinancing Four Months After Nasdaq Listing With About $400 Million Notes Expected
AIR Global Starts Debt Refinancing Four Months After Nasdaq Listing With About $400 Million Notes Expected
AIR Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of AIR Global, has launched an offering of U.S. dollar-denominated senior unsecured notes, with proceeds primarily intended to repay its existing term loan and revolving credit facility. AIR has not disclosed the final size, maturity or coupon; Refinitiv, citing Moody's, reported an expected issuance of approximately $400 million and a Ba3 rating. AIR had about $412.4 million outstanding under the two bank facilities at June 30 and net debt of $344.8 million. In the first half of 2026, AIR's Al Fakher-led flavored shisha molasses business generated about 99% of company revenue, while New Growth Categories including Crown Switch produced $2.2 million in revenue and remained loss-making on an adjusted EBITDA basis.
Sep.23
2Firsts Data|China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%
2Firsts Data|China’s Vape-Related Exports Rose 3.3% in August 2026 as UK Shipments Jumped 51.4% and U.S. Exports Fell 12.4%
China exported $979 million of vape-related products in August 2026, up 3.3% from a year earlier but down 6.4% from July. The UK replaced the U.S. as the main source of growth: UK-bound shipments jumped 51.4% to a 2026 high of $177 million, while exports to the U.S. fell 12.4% to $339 million. Shipments to markets outside the U.S. increased 14.2%, broadening growth beyond the market that had driven July’s rebound.
News
Sep.23 by 2Firsts Perspectives
RLX Technology Dropped From FTSE All-World as International Business Reaches 68.5% of Q2 Revenue
RLX Technology Dropped From FTSE All-World as International Business Reaches 68.5% of Q2 Revenue
RLX Technology (NYSE: RLX) has been removed from the FTSE All-World Index, effective September 21. FTSE Russell records show RLX was already part of its global equity index universe by 2022, when its American depositary receipts were classified as China Large Cap securities. Trading volume rose to about 44.77 million shares on September 18, roughly 23 times the previous session's volume. RLX reported RMB1.0105 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 14.8% year over year, with international operations contributing 68.5%. The company also acquired a 51% stake in one of Western Europe's largest distributors of next-generation smoke-free and FMCG products in July.
Sep.22
From Vuse, Velo and glo to AI Consulting: Former BAT Content Lead Launches Destreza
From Vuse, Velo and glo to AI Consulting: Former BAT Content Lead Launches Destreza
Former BAT global content lead Andy Parton has left the company and launched Destreza, a London-based AI-native marketing consultancy. Parton previously worked across BAT's New Category brands Vuse, Velo and glo and had also served as Global Brand Lead for Vuse Go. Destreza says it will advise consumer businesses on AI in brand strategy, operating models, capability and agency configuration, using specialist AI agents to support research, strategy and creative development. BAT reported £3.621 billion in New Category revenue in 2025.
Sep.22
Altria’s USSTC Starts $250 Million Kentucky Expansion, Adding More Than 200 Jobs
Altria’s USSTC Starts $250 Million Kentucky Expansion, Adding More Than 200 Jobs
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, an Altria Group company, has broken ground on an approximately $250 million manufacturing expansion in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The roughly 270,000-square-foot facility is expected to create more than 200 jobs and absorb processing, manufacturing and packaging operations currently split between Hopkinsville and Nashville, Tennessee. USSTC previously said production at its Nashville facility is expected to wind down by early 2028. The project forms part of Altria’s broader effort to modernize and consolidate its U.S. smokeless tobacco manufacturing network.
Sep.10