With their all-American logo, red and blue packaging and low price tag, Eagle 20¡¯s are among the cigarettes of choice for budget-conscious U.S. smokers. When the value is this good, the choice to buy American is easy, runs the tagline on the website.
¡°People who used to buy expensive brands are now going for cheaper ones,¡± says Gary Buchholtz, the owner of the Twin Peaks Liquor store in Longmont, Colorado. As economic pressures and rising prices squeeze consumers in one of the world¡¯s most profitable tobacco markets, he¡¯s seen growing sales of discount options including Eagle 20¡¯s, Pyramid and Montego.
All three brands are now owned by Japan Tobacco International after it bought cigarette-maker Vector Group for $2.4 billion last October. JTI then forecast that cheaper cigarettes would make up more than 40% of the U.S. market by 2027, compared with about 32% in 2022.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.