But whether it’s US political commentator Tucker Carlson saying that ZYN is “not a brand for men” or brands like Kelly White emerging that explicitly cater to women, there’s no denying that gender enters the conversation. Ever been curious about how men and women differ in their pouch consumption habits? This article runs through what we know (and what we don’t).
We’re not here to give empty speculations — let’s go straight to the data. How does nicotine pouch usage differ between men and women?
A report using data from between 2020 and 2021 in Great Britain found that men were four times more likely to use nicotine pouches than women.
It doesn’t seem like this trend is restricted to the UK, either. An analysis of young Australians (which surveyed an equal number of men and women) revealed that men were more likely to be aware of and to use nicotine pouches than their female counterparts.
Likewise, over in the US, reports have found that nicotine pouch users are more likely to be male.
That’s three continents with the same trend.
Having said that, these figures should be viewed with a dose of scepticism. The world of research moves slowly, while the nicotine pouch market is developing rapidly, so the available data may not reflect current trends. Still, here at Snusdirect, we do have more male customers.
Interestingly, not all research suggests that men use nicotine pouches more than women.
The Professional Footballers' Association found that usage of nicotine pouches and snus was equally split between the genders:
It also found that women were more likely to exhibit signs of nicotine dependence.
Could there be something unique about female and male footballers that distinguishes them from other men and women, or a difference between usage of nicotine pouches and snus (the report didn’t differentiate between the two)? The verdict is still out.
As well as differences in the number of nicotine pouches consumed by the two genders, there may be differences in how men and women consume pouches.
Some evidence suggests high-volume pouch users are more likely to be men, while low-volume pouch users are more likely to be women.
However, both genders are more likely to consume a moderate quantity than to lie on the extremes.
Unfortunately, there’s limited research here. Do women prefer spearmint pouches while men prefer peppermint? Are men more likely to be fans of VELO, while women prefer White Fox? Once again, it’s anyone’s guess.
If we take at face value that men use nicotine pouches more than women, the big question is: Why? Let’s look at some possibilities.
Historically, tobacco products like cigars and cigarettes have been more associated with men.
Almost no women used tobacco before the 1920s, while a huge number of men did. The social acceptance of female smokers grew in subsequent decades, and eventually started to level out — in 1998/99 in the UK, 28% of men and 26% of women were smokers.
Today, the ONS reports that around 14.6% of men and 11.2% of women smoke in the UK, and that these proportions have remained roughly consistent since 2011. But this history may be playing a role in impacting how people view newer nicotine products today.
Over in the US, the association between nicotine pouches and men has become so strong that a new word has been termed for it — “mascuzynity.”
This phenomenon is largely due to popular culture figures who target men promoting nicotine pouches, such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
While Europe hasn’t seen anything quite like this, some may be influenced by what’s happening across the Atlantic on the internet. Could this be attracting some men and repelling some women?
Nicotine pouches aren’t quite on the level of Yorkie bars when it comes to marketing, explicitly excluding women from buying them.
But most brands favour minimalistic designs and colours like black and blue, which are commonly used when marketing to men. Meanwhile, styles and colours that typically market to women are less common.
However, some might argue that this shows nicotine pouch brands are being exclusive and not pandering to gender stereotypes.
Despite most brands historically catering to men — or at least, not explicitly targeting women — this may now be changing.
The Kelly White brand is one of the first to explicitly cater to women. Its products have a touch of luxury and sophistication, with flavour profiles like Sparkling Strawberry, which fuses champagne and strawberries.
While Kelly White can designs are fairly minimalistic, the brand sells special nicotine pouch cans boasting the likes of rhinestones and leopard print for those who want to “jazz up” their pouch experience.
Although the brand is fairly new, if it turns out to have found a gap in the market, it could encourage others to take a similar female-centric approach.
Also, while Kelly White is alone in explicitly marketing to women, other brands may be trying to appeal to the female market in more subtle ways. On Snusdirect, we’ve seen an increase in can designs that are more stereotypically female. For instance, the floral design on XQS Elderflower and purple and pink hues in products like FIX Cherry Blossom.
As with most things in the nicotine pouch world, this is a fast-evolving space. Will more brands emerge that cater to women? Do pouch-loving women prefer gender neutral brands over stereotypically feminine options? Is the pouch market really becoming more “mascuzyn” or are more women entering? We’ll let you know the answers as soon as we have them!
]]>FIX nicotine pouches are known for their pioneering taste profiles, which the brand strives to make as eclectic and innovative as possible. In fact, Habit Factory (which manufactures FIX pouches) has a Research and Development team dedicated to doing exactly this!
Past releases have included the likes of Green Mango Lemongrass and Pineapple Rum Coconut, but autumn has seen the introduction of a whole host of unusual new flavours.
All of the below have slim formats.
FIX Irish Coffee. As the temperature drops over autumn, a warming Irish coffee starts to sound more appealing, so why not enjoy the taste in nicotine pouch format? It contains a moderate 9.8 mg of nicotine per portion.
FIX Pomelo Lime. The pomelo fruit is an ancestor of the grapefruit and has a similar tangy taste. Its fusion with lime in this nicotine pouch makes for a tart combination, but there are also hints of sweetness. Again, each pouch contains 9.8 mg of nicotine.
FIX Ruby Chocolate. Enjoy the delicious sweet tastes of chocolate, vanilla, lychees, and raspberry in one nicotine pouch. These contain a lower-strength 5.6 mg of nicotine per pouch.
Everyone has their own preferences about the best flavours and nicotine pouch characteristics.
But the table below includes some fantastic portions that are worthy of all users' rotations. There should be something for everyone!
As if it wasn’t exciting enough for popular nicotine pouch brands to release new products consistently, Snusdirect is also always on the lookout for brands.
We’ve recently added Chainpop nicotine pouches to our repertoire. Not only is the brand new to Snusdirect, but it was launched as recently as summer 2023.
Companies release new nicotine and nicotine-free portions to attract new customers and solidify a relationship with their repeat consumers. One way of cementing a relationship is through retaining attention. A customer's attention is maintained when they are entertained. A bored customer will find products elsewhere with different brands, highlighting the importance of releasing new and fresh pouches for companies.
Companies release new products to attract new consumers and entertain their repeat customers, retaining their attention and custom.
New products, like the ones released in Autumn 2024, retain repeat customers and attract new users who may be loyal to other brands, highlighting the competition between them. It’s always good to see what new product developments are being released.
With so many new additions for autumn 2024, there should be something to keep even the most novelty-seeking pouch users busy for the next few months.
But new products and brands are always launching on Snusdirect,
To stay in the loop, it may be worth creating an account and subscribing to our mail list to be one of the first to find out about fresh releases (along with plenty of other perks).
]]>Nicotine pouches hail from Sweden, where they were introduced as a modern, tobacco-free alternative to traditional snus.
Swedish Match has played a key role in the story of Sweden’s tobacco and nicotine products. In 1918, the company was formed as a merger between the Swedish government’s tobacco monopoly and a match manufacturer (which is where the “Match” part of the name comes from).
While Swedish Match originally focused on tobacco products like snus, chewing tobacco, and cigars, it has since moved into tobacco-free nicotine pouches and even nicotine-free products.
In 2022, Phillip Morris acquired Swedish Match for $16 billion, but it continues to use the Swedish Match brand name due to its reputation for premium products and traditional Swedish methods.
Swedish Match manufactures:
British American Tobacco (BAT) closely follows Swedish Match in the league of well-known, major nicotine pouch manufacturers. It also shares a similar history — the firm was established in 1902 as a joint venture between the UK’s Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company (from the US).
Fast-forward to today and BAT boasts the highest net sales of tobacco in the world and has expanded into tobacco-free areas like e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. It also produced EPOK, the predecessor to VELO that helped to kickstart the transition from snus to nicotine pouches.
Unlike Swedish Match, it hasn’t been acquired by a bigger firm in the market.
BAT manufactures VELO nicotine pouches — the most popular brand for this market segment in Europe — and LYFT nicotine pouches.
While VELO is now the biggest name of the two, LYFT actually predates the brand. Some LYFT products have also been rebranded as VELO, leading to confusion over VELO vs LYFT for many consumers.
BAT initially launched LYFT in Europe and VELO in the US. It then replaced LYFT with VELO in Europe (except for Sweden) — but finally decided to bring LYFT back to Europe with a whole new range in 2022.
Many pre-2022 LYFT flavours are now VELO products, with the current LYFT range boasting a whole new collection. Plus, VELO underwent a fresh rebrand in 2024.
Skruf Superwhite is one of the more popular nicotine pouch brands, and it’s made by a manufacturer of the same name. The company was first founded in 2002 to produce snus and challenge the larger brands. However, it transitioned to tobacco-free nicotine pouches in 2018.
Småland, a tree-dense province in southern Sweden, is the home of Skruf. While the brand is now popular across Scandinavia, Skruf still places emphasis on its roots and counts the small town of Sävsjö, Småland as its base.
The Imperial Tobacco Group (ITG) — the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company after Philip Morris, BAT, and Japan Tobacco — obtained full ownership of Skruf Snus AB in 2008. However, as with the case of Swedish Match, the Skruf brand name remains.
As well as Skruf Super White, Skruf Snus AB manufactures the newer Zone X brand, launched in 2021.
GN Tobacco is a Swedish company that produces smokeless tobacco and nicotine products. It was established in 2004 by Gevorg Nalbandyan with the same mission as Skruf Snus AB — challenging the small number of large brands dominating the market.
Now, GN Tobacco offers more than 80 products across its brands, which are sold in more than 90 countries. Its production is based in Enköping, a small locality around one hour from the bigger cities of Uppsala and Stockholm.
White Fox is GN Tobacco’s most well-known collection. Following the success of White Fox, GN Tobacco launched a second collection, HIT nicotine pouches, in 2022.
Now, we move on to some newer blood in the market. The Ministry of Snus was launched in 2018, more than a decade after original challenger brands like Skruf and GN Tobacco. While most nicotine pouch manufacturing is based in Sweden, The Ministry of Snus is from Denmark.
This isn’t the only way in which the firm shows a commitment to doing things differently. The Danish manufacturer invites an “expert panel” of its customers to its headquarters regularly, giving them a chance to share feedback and aid product development.
It’s also known for its commitment to sustainability, using 100% recycled plastic in its cans.
Despite having “snus” in its name, The Ministry of Snus produces tobacco-free products. Ace nicotine pouches are the manufacturer’s most popular collection, including Ace Superwhite and the full-bodied Ace X pouches. It’s also behind the GRITT brand.
Despite a name hinting that it’s generic, Another Snus Factory is a modern, forward-thinking company based in Stockholm. Its Instagram bio says it all: “We’re not like them. We are Another Snus Factory.”
While only launched in 2019, Another Snus Factory has already made some headway in the market.
Its popular LOOP range shows how innovative the manufacturer is, as the products use InstantRush™ Technology to provide an immediate nicotine delivery and come in the recycled PlantCan™ (which is made entirely from natural materials).
Another Snus Factory also makes Lynx nicotine pouches.
Habit Factory is another Stockholm-based manufacturer, although it also plans to open a nicotine pouch factory in Finland.
The manufacturer has a focus on great tastes, and its factories contain an in-house laboratory to explore unique pouch flavours and set new trends. This commitment shines through in Habit Factory’s products, which include the KLINT and FIX collections.
Combined together, the manufacturers outlined above cover Europe’s most popular nicotine pouch brands. But it’s far from an exhaustive list, with plenty more small, international, or up-and-coming manufacturers.
Which is your favourite?
]]>To find out more about what this means, keep reading.
If one of VELO’s products is your go-to nicotine pouch, the last thing you want to hear is that the company is discontinuing the line.
The critical detail here is that only the names and branding are changing. Every aspect of their manufacturing will remain the same — VELO nicotine pouches will still be produced using British American Tobacco’s state-of-the-art facilities, and they will still contain the same stellar ingredients.
This may be slightly confusing initially, but we’ve included a table at the bottom of this article outlining each product's new and old name.
As for VELO’s new Sensation range, such as VELO Cinnamon Flame, the products will keep their existing designs.
The rebrand is happening in two stages. Shortly after the January 2024 name changes, the most popular VELO nicotine pouches will feature cans with a peel-off sticker featuring the old name and design. Once you peel off the sticker, the new name and design will be underneath.
Other products will only switch over to the new branding later in 2024.
As a consumer, rebranding projects can seem like an unnecessary inconvenience. However, they’re common practice, from Twitter’s recent rebrand to X, or Facebook rebranding to Meta. This isn’t even VELO’s first rebrand — prior to 2022, VELO was known as LYFT.
A company may decide to undergo a rebrand for a few reasons, including:
In VELO’s case, the primary aim of the rebrand is worldwide consistency. Previously, VELO products had different names and designs in different countries, but this will no longer be true.
It’s also a chance for VELO to update its designs for a more modern look.
Name changes can take some getting used to. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.
Below is a table showing the new and previous names of each VELO product — we recommend bookmarking or screenshotting this page so you can refer back to it the next time you want to purchase a VELO nicotine pouch.
New Name |
Previous Name |
VELO Groovy Grape Mini |
VELO Mini Royal Purple |
VELO Ice Cool Mint Strong Slim |
|
VELO Witty Spearmint Slim |
VELO Mint Slim |
VELO Lofty Liquorice Slim |
VELO Liquorice Strong Slim |
VELO Freeze X-Strong |
|
VELO Breezy Mango Slim |
VELO Tropic Breeze Slim |
VELO Blushy Berry |
VELO Ruby Berry |
VELO Twisted Pineapple |
VELO Caribbean Spirit Strong |
VELO Zesty Elderflower |
VELO Elderflower Spritz |
VELO Zingy Eucalyptus |
VELO Eucalyptus X-Strong |
VELO Mighty Peppermint 14mg |
VELO Freeze ULTRA |
VELO Mighty Peppermint 17mg |
VELO Freeze MAX |
VELO Peppermint Storm |
VELO Cool Storm |
VELO Arctic Grapefruit |
VELO Frosty Grapefruit |
VELO Wintery Watermelon Mini |
VELO Iced Melon Mini |
VELO Lime Flame |
VELO Fresh Jalapeno Slim Strong |
VELO Groovy Grape |
VELO Royal Purple Slim Strong |
VELO Spiffy Spearmint |
VELO Easy Mint Mini |
VELO Crispy Peppermint Mini |
VELO Ice Cool Mini |
A rebrand can be disconcerting, but in a few months’ time, the previous names of VELO’s nicotine pouches will probably seem like a distant memory.
So, go ahead and purchase your favourite product under its new name. You’ll be able to enjoy the exact same flavour and nicotine formulation, but with an exciting new design — and less confusion if you ever find yourself looking for your favourite product when abroad.
]]>Snus is a smokeless tobacco product consumed across America and Sweden. More importantly, it isn’t the same as nicotine pouches, and many people get this confused. The two different products are compared in the link - Snus Vs Nicotine Pouches, but the main difference is that Snus contains tobacco, and nicotine pouches do not. The tobacco pouch is a product banned in the UK, and those searching for and buying “Snus” are receiving all-white nicotine pouches.
This means that what is often incorrectly referred to as “VELO snus” is actually called “VELO nicotine pouches”.
The same goes for other, all-white, tobacco-free brands like Siberia All-white and Killa. Users may want “Siberia Snus” or “Killa Snus” in the UK. Be aware of this, as you may be thinking you’ve gotten around the rules and regulations and landed yourself a tobacco pouch when, in fact, a nicotine pouch is on its way instead.
To keep it short and simple, no. You cannot buy or sell snus (tobacco pouches) in the UK. However, it is legal to use snus if you are over 18 years old. However, nicotine pouches (tobacco-free portions) are legal in the UK, and some users get the two products mixed up.
Before Brexit, the UK was a part of the European Union, meaning the laws put forward by the Union had to be taken on by the UK.
In 1983, British American Tobacco and the United States Smokeless Tobacco Company created Skoal Bandits and introduced the American Snus brand to the US. In 1985, the company built a European distribution office. However, their marketing strategies were aggressive and aimed at university students, putting pressure on the government to ban the sale of this product. In 1986, the sale of Skoal Bandits to minors was prohibited, leading to the banning of snus across the EU. *Quoted from the UK Parliamentary Publications.
In Sweden, Snus has been used since the early 1800s and is ingrained into the country's culture. Sweden joined the EU in 1995 after EU legislation banned the selling and use of Snus. However, because of Sweden's stand on the matter, they were exempt from this TPD, allowing the use of snus in Sweden. It is the only country exempt from this law.
It’s hard to predict whether the legalities around a product like snus will change, especially in the UK, as it is not legal to buy and sell. But there are key points to consider when trying to forecast this:
*The points above are purely speculative and hypothetical.
Even with the points above, it's hard to see Snus becoming legal any time soon. A change could have happened shortly after Brexit when the UK reassessed this regulation, but nothing materialised. Therefore, I wouldn’t keep your hopes up!
]]>Nicotine pouches are growing in popularity, and it’s market is currently worth 5 billion USD as of 2022 and is forecast to grow to 30 billion USD by 2028. That's a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 31%. To give context, the E-cigarette market is worth nearly 24 billion USD and is believed to grow with a CAGR of 3.4% by 2030. Together, we can see that nicotine portions are still in their infancy and show great promise in terms of popularity. But what is driving this?
As you know, nicotine pouches are becoming a hot product, and the businesses creating and selling them are reaping the rewards, but what are the reasons for this increase in demand? Below are some reasons that may have prompted such fame:
However, nicotine pouches are considered a Consumer Product and not Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), which requires a pharmaceutical license. If it were to become an NRT, nicotine portions would see another market surge, but there is still concern about the adverse and long-term effects that these products may cause. But even without it, consumers are discovering these brilliant pouches and enjoying the easy, discrete, and fun experiences they offer.
Now for the fun part, what are the best-selling nicotine pouches driving the market to its highs? Below you will find some products loved by the masses that you should try:
However, know that this is a limited selection and there are only mint flavours here, but this is because mint nicotine pouches are the most popular. If you’re feeling a little sweet, many fruit nicotine portions are available if that's what you crave.
Some of the largest tobacco companies in the world have capitalised on this booming market and continue to do so today by producing new and exciting nicotine pouches. These businesses are piling resources into nicotine pouch research, testing, production and shipping, bringing a cleaner edge to their portfolio. Some of the biggest contenders are listed below:
With the data and its products provided, you can see the influence these businesses have on the nicotine pouch market. By manufacturing some of the best brands, you can trust the different lines they produce will have the same craftsmanship and tenacity as the big brands before them.
With knowledge of the favourite pouches and their producers, it is time to see what brands dominate the market and which countries they're most popular.
Now you know the market-leading brands, why not see what they are like? You won't be disappointed as they’ve got a product for everyone. If they don't sound like something you would like, there are plenty of others for you to buy.
Another reason nicotine pouch consumption is on the up is because of their availability. Not only are they available in convenience shops, but they are available online too. Shopping online comes with many different advantages that are listed below:
So, now you know how much better it is to buy nicotine portions, you and many others may start doing so, just like the rest of this product’s consumers, showing why nicotine pouches are rising in popularity and will continue to do so.
]]>SnusDirect has designed a calendar to include nicotine portions from some of the best brands on the market to ensure that you won’t be dissatisfied due to each product's high quality and fantastic flavour. Some of these are detailed below:
With a few of the brands included in the calendar mentioned above, this gives you as much information about the nicotine portions as you’re going to get - it is a surprise after all. However, even with this snippet of information, you can see that this nicotine pouch calendar will not disappoint because of the incredible brands hidden inside it. Therefore, if you want a product that allows you to compare and experience the best brands on the market, then the SnusDirect Christmas Calendar is what you need.
This calendar contains mostly medium-strengthed nicotine pouches, with a few that are strong, so if you are new to nicotine portions, then this may not be appropriate for you. If you are a newbie and were to use these products, you may experience a few nicotine pouch side effects, like nausea, because you are not used to the amount of nicotine supplied by each pouch.
However, if you are a newbie and still interested in trying a nicotine pouch, then look for one with around 3 mg of nicotine per portion, as this weaker strength will enable an enjoyable experience. Such beginner products can be found, with all the other newbie pouches, on the SnusDirect website - where there is plenty to choose from.
Like any other advent calendar, 24 compartments will be present in the SnusDirect Christmas Calendar - 1 for each day until the one we are waiting for. Therefore, there will be a different nicotine pouch for you to enjoy each day, with the final parcel being a little larger, coming with a couple of extra surprise items too.
With a variety of nicotine portions provided, an opportunity arises, allowing you to experience a wide range of flavours and brands you may have never tried before. You never know, you may end up having a new favourite.
With medium to strong-strength products, this calendar is best suited to those who are more intermediate and experienced nicotine pouch users. Moreover, it is for those bored with their current rotation and who want to try something new. So, by bringing products you may not pick for yourself, you can try things you normally wouldn’t. As a result, you gain the ability to know the nicotine portion characteristics you like and don't, ultimately leading you to your ideal nicotine pouch.
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