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.
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