Amid smoke signals that are all saying the same thing — that the popularity of e-cigarettes is heading in only one direction — British American Tobacco has decided to expand its range of products in the sector by acquiring a Polish manufacturer and signing a technology deal for vapour products with Reynolds American, the American tobacco group.
The maker of Dunhill and Pall Mall cigarettes, which already sells Vype e-cigarettes in Britain, said that it was buying 100 per cent of Chic Group, which has an e-liquids production facility, a research and development centre and a distribution network of 800 outlets for brands including Volish, P1, Provog, Cottien, Liqueen and Aromativ.
Kingsley Wheaton, the managing director of next generation products at BAT, described the acquisition