At Philip Morris USA, we maintain a large, professional sales force that regularly contacts more than 200,000 retail locations. We believe that if we can help retailers effectively manage the cigarette category, we can benefit as well.
The cigarette industry is characterized by declining industry volume, increasing excise taxes and lots of competition. Despite these challenges, cigarettes continue to be one of the largest consumer product segments in the United States.
Given these facts, PM USA and our trade partners recognize the need to be better aligned. Some of the programs we have developed work to increase the quality of our interaction and to address expectations in order to more effectively manage the cigarette category. Examples of these programs are:
- a communications system with a newsletter and website that allows us to advise the trade and our field sales organization on the latest trends and news within the industry
- several annual forums where wholesalers and retailers share with us their perspectives on the category and our performance. Our forums have included participants at all levels of our customers’ organizations – from the CEO to the retail associate
We believe that by engaging with our business partners and maintaining a strong focus on satisfying adult cigarette smokers, we will continue to support our mutual success.
