UK Tobacco company, Philip Morris Limited (PML), has recently shown its appreciation to loyal their customers with a top quality touring barista visiting selected wholesalers to provide free hot drinks with every PML purchase.
![Picture4[1]](https://wholesalemanager.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Picture41.jpg)
- PML provide complimentary mobile coffee stands to 18 wholesalers throughout UK
- Free hot drinks and complimentary thermos mugs see increased customer interest in PML products
- Customer loyalty days promote sales and enhance wholesaler customer visits
With mobile coffee stands visiting 18 locations throughout the UK, the PML trade promotion was devised to give a little something back to loyal wholesalers and retailers who support Philip Morris brands. Serving free hot drinks to any customer who purchased a PML product, and incentivising sales of the Chesterfield range – including Chesterfield KS Blue and SK Menthol – with a free PML thermos mug.
In the four months that the trade promotion has been running to date, PML has seen a noticeable uplift in overall UK sales, with some areas (e.g. Brighton) experiencing as much as an 80 percent conversion rate to Chesterfield product sales[1]. Throughout the country, the company reported a total uplift in Chesterfield products sales of more than a third (39%) during the course of the trade promotion, and while not every customer was attracted to the offer of a hot drink, an additional trade promotion offered by PML caught the attention of many more potential buyers.
With many retailers now having their tobacco delivered directly to their stores, wholesaler purchases have fallen in recent years, dropping by almost 40 percent[2]. However, that still leaves a potential 60 percent of customers to attract through traditional wholesale outlets. Consequently, continuing their successful relationship with the wholesale community is extremely important to the PML team.
PML spokesperson, Jerry Margolis, comments: ‘Wholesalers play a vitally important role in the success of PML. As well as promoting our own products, we wanted these loyalty promotions to be a way to enhance the customer numbers of our regular wholesalers – saying thank you for their hard work. We also wanted to offer a gift to the small retailers and wholesale staff who are really the backbone of our business – it’s only a small gesture, but if we can brighten their day with a free cup of coffee or a thermos, then it’s worth it!
‘Although Philip Morris International is the world’s leading tobacco company, supplying six of the top fifteen international tobacco products in more than 180 markets globally, we still work hard to keep our name in the minds of retailers. Enhanced customer interaction is one way to ensure that we maintain the position that we have carved for ourselves, and we’re delighted by the way in which our loyalty promotions and mobile coffee stands have been received, both by the retailers and by wholesalers. We look forward to future events to come.’
[1] PML Mobile Coffee Unit Activity Reporting Week 1
[2] PML Mobile Coffee Unit Activity Final report
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