Turnover: 36.6 billion EUR (2022)

Country: United Kingdom

The Imperial Brands group, founded in 1901, is present in France through its subsidiary Seita Imperial Tobacco. It distributes several major brands such as News and Gauloises. The group's presence in France has been particularly strong since the acquisition of Altadis in 2008, which brought the total number of plants in France to six. The main production sites in France are now Bastia and Le Havre.

News

Closure of cigarette plant in Corsica 03/10/2023

  • The Furiani cigarette factory in Haute-Corse, owned by the British Imperial Brands group, will cease production by the end of this year.
  • The plant produces 600 million cigarettes a year for local and national markets.
  • 29 employees will remain at the plant, compared with over 200 in the past.
  • Corsica's special tobacco tax will disappear by the end of 2025.
  • The closure follows an overall and continuing decline in legal sales volumes, which are being replaced by smuggling and counterfeiting.

The parallel tobacco market has exploded in France since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 23/06/2022

  • Sales of untaxed cigarettes reached a record high in France in 2021, accounting for 35% of total consumption, a 5-point jump in one year.
  • The bulk (29%) is illicit and comes from smuggling and counterfeiting.
  • Smugglers have increased their cigarette production capacity (Meaux factory) to take advantage of the pandemic
  • In 2021, tobacconists' sales fell by 6%, but cigarette consumption rose by 1.6%
  • Smoking rates in the UK have fallen from 25% to 12% in ten years
  • More than one in four French people smoke every day

In recent years, the Group has expanded considerably through external growth, notably with the acquisitions of Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken in 2002, Altadis in 2008 and Lorillard in 2015

Studies mentioning this company

The tobacco market - France

Other companies mentioned:

  • Philip Morris International
  • Imperial Brands
  • Japan Tobacco
  • British American Tobacco
  • Altria (Philip Morris USA, Malboro)
  • Logista France (Altria)
  • Altadis (Imperial tobacco)
  • Arnold André
The tobacconist market - France

Other companies mentioned:

  • British American Tobacco
  • Philip Morris International
  • Japan Tobacco
  • Imperial Brands
  • Kumulus Vape
  • Altria (Philip Morris USA, Malboro)
  • Maison de la Presse Sediff (Nap groupe)
  • Logista France (Altria)
  • Altadis (Imperial tobacco)
  • JTI (Japan Tobacco International)
  • Republic Technologies Groupe
  • Scandinavian Tobacco Group
  • Arnold André
The tobacco market - Italy

Other companies mentioned:

  • Philip Morris International
  • Imperial Brands
  • Japan Tobacco
  • British American Tobacco
  • Kumulus Vape
The electronic cigarette market - Spain

Other companies mentioned:

  • Vaporesso / Smoore technologie
  • Philip Morris International
  • British American Tobacco
  • Imperial Brands