Top 10+ Reputable Cigarette Brands in Vietnam

According to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms No. 45/2012/QH13, tobacco is defined as a product manufactured from whole or part of the tobacco material, processed in the form of cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, water pipe tobacco, or other forms.

The current tobacco market is extremely diverse with the presence of many famous brands, both domestic and international. Some familiar names include 555 (Three Numbers Cigarettes), Craven, Richmond, Esse, Marlboro, Captain Black, Kent, Dunhill, and more.

Each brand brings different experiences to users, from flavor and packaging design to nicotine content. This diversity meets the increasingly varied needs and preferences of consumers.

In the context of significant changes in the tobacco industry, understanding the top brands and market trends is essential. According to data from the General Statistics Office, although the smoking rate in Vietnam has decreased from 22.5% in 2015 to 19.8% in 2020, the tobacco market still maintains a considerable size with billions of dollars in revenue each year.

Let’s follow this article to gain a multi-dimensional view of the current tobacco industry and market.

555 (Three Numbers Cigarettes)

555 is a long-standing, famous cigarette brand in Vietnam with a distinctive strong flavor. The main products of the brand include three versions: 555 State Express, 555 Gold, and 555 Double Happiness.

Characteristics:

• Natural and strong woody flavor when smoked.
• Smoking time from 5-10 minutes, suitable for those who enjoy experiencing heavy cigarettes.
• High nicotine content (1.0 mg).
• Cigarette length about 95mm, diameter 10mm.

Craven Cigarettes

Craven (Cat Cigarettes) is a brand originating from London, famous in Vietnam with the black cat icon on the packaging. Main products include Craven A and Craven Export A.

Characteristics:

• High nicotine concentration of 1.2 mg.
• Medium strength 3/5, can cause dizziness for beginners.
• Strong spicy flavor.
• Standard size cigarettes.
• Only suitable for men.

Richmond Cigarettes

Richmond is a cigarette brand originating from the United Kingdom. This brand has two distinctive types: Richmond Superkings and Richmond King Size.

Characteristics:

• Flavor of cigar combined with pure cherry, slightly sweet when smoked.
• Low nicotine content.
• Smooth and pleasant flavor and smoke.
• Compact cigarettes, white-brown shell.
• 100% natural tobacco fibers.
• Filter meets European standards.

Esse Cigarettes

Esse is a famous cigarette brand from South Korea, known for its unique design and targeting women and stylish gentlemen. The brand stands out with 3 main lines: Esse Super Slim, Esse Change, and Esse Field. Each product line has its own distinctive flavor.

Characteristics:

• Long, slim, compact design.
• Low nicotine content, suitable for light smokers.
• Diverse flavors, smooth smoke.
• Small air holes on the filter help dilute the smoke.
• Often chosen as a temporary solution before quitting smoking.

Marlboro Cigarettes

Marlboro cigarettes, the flagship product of Philip Morris – a “giant” in the global tobacco industry, is capturing a significant market share in Europe and Asia.

Marlboro Red, Marlboro White, and Marlboro Green are the three main product lines of the brand.

Characteristics:

• Rich flavors, diverse from traditional to cool menthol.
• Premium quality, made from carefully selected tobacco leaves.
• Unique design, strong and masculine icon.
• Diverse strength and nicotine content, suitable for many types of smokers.

Captain Black Cigarettes

Captain Black is a premium American cigarette brand, famous for its design resembling small cigars. The brand has many product lines, most notably Captain Black Classic, Dark Crema, Cherise, Grape, and Sweet.

Characteristics:

• Design resembling compact cigars with filters.
• Distinctive flavor, heavy woody smell, fragrant, sweeter than coffee but not too pronounced.
• High nicotine content at 0.9 mg, can cause dizziness for new smokers.
• About 20% longer than regular cigarettes.

Kent Cigarettes

Kent is a premium cigarette brand originating from Japan, famous for its unique filtration technology. The main products of the brand include: Kent Nanotek, Kent Mode, Kent Switch.

Characteristics:

• Proprietary “Taste+Filter” technology.
• Medium strength and nicotine content of 1 mg.
• Mild flavor, advertised as having less smoke odor.
• Luxurious packaging design, usually in blue or silver.
• Many versions with different strengths.

Dunhill Cigarettes

Established in 1907, Dunhill cigarettes are a premium brand of British American Tobacco, positioned as a luxurious and classy product. Dunhill International, Dunhill Fine Cut, and Dunhill Switch are 3 popular product lines of the brand.

Characteristics:

• Rich flavor, diverse scents depending on the product.
• Fragrant smoke exhale, no odor.
• Light nicotine concentration of 0.8 mg.
• Cigarettes are designed simply and elegantly in a single white color.

Mond Cigarettes

Mond cigarettes are a brand originating from the United Kingdom, known and famous in Vietnam since 2004. Currently, the brand has more than 10 lines with different flavors for both men and women.

Characteristics of the 4 best-selling lines:

• Mont Apple Menthol: Apple flavor combined with mint when pressing both capsules on the filter. Low nicotine content, cool menthol flavor.
• Mont Cherry: Sweet cherry flavor, unisex. Fragrance blends into the smoke. Beautiful cigarette design with two colors of brown and cream white.
• Mond Blueberry Menthol: This line is for both men and women with a combination of blueberry and mint scent. Higher nicotine content compared to other types but below 1mg.
• Mond Gummint Menthol: A product combining gum and cool mint flavors. The product has little lingering scent. Elegant white cigarette.

Blue Seal Cigarettes

Blue Seal cigarettes are products of Thang Long Tobacco Company (Hanoi, Vietnam).

Characteristics:

• Captivating aroma, many distinctive flavors such as mint, green apple,…
• Light nicotine content below 1 mg.
• Suitable for both men and women.
• Non-dense smoke exhale.
• Suitable for both men and women.

Canyon Cigarettes

Launched in the market since 1994, Canyon cigarettes of Japanese origin have quickly conquered users.

Characteristics:

• Has a light fragrance depending on each name, with vanilla being the most popular scent, with a hint of coffee.
• Filter wrapped in yellow-brown leaf.
• Fragrant smoke that doesn’t leave a bad breath odor.
• Can be for those trying to quit smoking.

BaTos Cigarettes

Bastos cigarettes are a popular brand, produced by Dofico Tobacco Joint Stock Company in Vietnam. The brand stands out with 2 main lines: red Batos and green Batos.

Characteristics and components:

• Traditional mild flavor.
• 80mm long cigarette, ring gauge 20.
• Medium strength (3/5).
• Low nicotine content (1.0 mg/cigarette).

Camel Cigarettes

Camel cigarettes are a brand belonging to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, a major tobacco company in the United States. The brand has many products, but the most prominent are Camel watermelon click and Camel black tea click cigarettes.

Characteristics:

• Unique, smooth flavor.
• Premium quality, consistent and fresh.
• Distinctive, pleasant aroma.
• Beautiful, luxurious design.
• Cigarette length 8.3 cm.
• The cigarette has varying strengths, suitable for many types of smokers.
• Has a button to adjust the flavor.

MEVIUS Cigarettes

The Mevius brand is produced by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) of Japan. The brand’s most prominent product is named Mevius Sky Blue.

Characteristics:

• Mild flavor.
• Main color is light blue.
• Uses advanced production technology.
• Combines tobacco types from many regions around the world.
• Even burning.
• Light strength of only 1/5, nicotine content 1mg.

Sobranie Cigarettes

Sobranie cigarettes originate from Russia and are a popular tobacco product in Vietnam, especially among young people. The brand has popular lines such as classic, light, and ultra-light, produced on high-tech production lines.

Characteristics:

• Uses rare tobacco types.
• Unique, diverse flavors.
• Uses multi-layer activated carbon filters to minimize harmful substances.
• Creates eye-catching 7-color smoke.
• Suitable for both men and women.
• Cigarettes have a luxurious, beautiful design.

Common Questions About Cigarette Brands

Is a special license required to sell tobacco?

Yes, a special license is required to sell tobacco. For wholesale tobacco products, businesses need to meet certain conditions such as having an introduction letter for buying and selling from the Tobacco Supplier clearly stating the intended business area.

Are there regulations on displaying tobacco products at retail points?

There are specific regulations on displaying tobacco products at retail points. For example, retail points are only allowed to display one box of one cigarette brand.

What are the current challenges in the tobacco business?

Some main challenges include:

• Increasingly strict legal regulations.
• Trend of decreasing traditional tobacco use.
• Competition from alternative products like e-cigarettes.
• Issue of smuggled cigarettes.

How to deal with the issue of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes?

To deal with this issue, businesses need to:

• Enhance control of product origin.
• Cooperate closely with authorities.
• Raise consumer awareness about the harms of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes.

What taxes and fees must be paid when selling tobacco?

When selling tobacco, you will have to pay the following taxes and fees:

• Special consumption tax: This is a tax on special goods, including cigarettes. The special consumption tax rate for cigarettes is quite high, currently 75% of the retail price for cigarettes.
• Value Added Tax (VAT): The current VAT rate is 10%.
• Business license fee: This fee depends on the regulations of each locality.
• Other fees: Environmental sanitation fee, fire prevention and fighting fee,…

How much capital is needed to start a tobacco business?

The investment capital for tobacco business depends on the scale, location, and type of business. However, you need to prepare at least a few million to tens of millions of VND for the following expenses:

• Renting space: Rental costs will vary depending on location and area.
• Stocking inventory: Inventory costs depend on the quantity and type of cigarettes.
• Equipment: Includes display cabinets, cash registers, security cameras,…
• Personnel: Costs for recruiting and paying salaries to employees.
• Licenses and procedures: Costs for obtaining business licenses and related procedures.
• Working capital: Reserve for incidental expenses.

How to attract customers when running a tobacco shop?

Attracting customers in the tobacco business requires subtlety and skill, as this industry is very restricted in advertising and promotion activities.

Some ways to attract:

• Prime location: The store should be in a convenient, visible location, near populated areas, on major roads, or near other bustling business areas.
• Eye-catching display: Arrange cigarettes neatly, scientifically, with a full range of popular brands and types. Use illuminated display cabinets to highlight products.
• Professional service: Sales staff knowledgeable about cigarette types, enthusiastic and attentive advice to customers.
• Competitive pricing: Offer reasonable prices, consider promotions such as discounts for loyal customers, bulk purchases…
• Create a comfortable space: Clean, airy store, can combine selling other items such as lighters, cigarette cases… to increase convenience for customers.
• Build reputation: Sell genuine, quality goods, ensure clear origin to create trust for customers.

Which unit provides quality, professional tobacco shop uniform manufacturing?

With extensive experience in the garment industry, DONY is proud to be a reliable partner, bringing quality, safe uniforms at the best market price for your tobacco shop.

At DONY, you can choose to manufacture various types of uniforms such as:

• T-shirt, shirt uniforms.
• Jacket uniforms.
• Uniform hats, caps.
• Uniform aprons.
• Masks.
• …

DONY products are committed to:

• Diverse fabric materials such as cotton, pique fabric, khaki,… suitable for the style and working environment at the store.
• Experienced design team will advise and create impressive, professional uniform samples, expressing the unique personality of the store.
• Modern printing and embroidery technology ensures logos, images, and information on uniforms are clear, color-fast, contributing to effective brand promotion.
• Skilled workforce, closed production process, attention to every stitch, delivering products perfected to every detail.
• Providing optimal uniform solutions at reasonable prices, meeting all budgets.

Especially, DONY has a large production factory system with continuous manufacturing capacity, meeting large quantity needs in a short time. So, if you have a need, contact DONY right away.