Two tobacco retailer programmes in Banyuwangi, Indonesia: a qualitative study

IntroductionThe tobacco retail density in Indonesia is very high, and tobacco companies are creative at promoting their products at point of sale (POS). The study explores the strategies employed by tobacco companies through their retailer programmes in Banyuwangi, Indonesia.MethodsIn 2019 we conducted observation and indepth interviews with the owners/keepers of 12 retailers with Sampoerna Retail Community (SRC) signs and 6 retailers with Gudang Garam Strategic Partnership signs placed as store names in front of their stores. We analysed the data to identify key strategies used by each tobacco company.ResultsGudang Garam promoted more visibility of their own products, while Sampoerna promoted their products in a power wall and also rearranged other products sold in the store to attract more customers. Sampoerna educated their retailers to attract and retain more customers by using schemes such as reward points and coupons. Sampoerna also developed and promoted the use of a mobile application for online sales.ConclusionsBoth programmes promote product and brand display at retailers to create brand loyalty. The SRC mobile application for online sales is potentially attractive to young customers and allows for data collection about retail and customer purchase behaviours that can be used for tailored marketing. Tobacco sales promotion strategies should be strongly regulated. Banning indoor tobacco advertisement, promotion and tobacco display at POS should be encouraged.

Exposure to the Tobacco Power Wall Increases Adolescents’ Willingness to Use E-cigarettes in the Future

Introduction Adolescents’ e-cigarette use is now more prevalent than their combustible cigarette use. Youth are exposed to e-cigarette advertising at retail point-of-sale (POS) locations via the tobacco power wall (TPW), but no studies have assessed whether exposure to the TPW influences susceptibility to future e-cigarette use. Methods The study was conducted in the RAND Store Lab (RSL), a life-sized replica of a convenience store developed to experimentally evaluate how POS advertising influences tobacco use risk under simulated shopping conditions. In a between-subjects experiment, 160 adolescents (M age = 13.82; 53% female, 56% white) were randomized to shop in the RSL under one of two conditions: (1) TPW located behind the cashier (n = 80); or (2) TPW hidden behind an opaque wall (n = 80). Youths rated willingness to use e-cigarettes (“If one of your best friends were to offer you an e-cigarette, would you try it?”; 1 = definitely not, 10 = definitely yes) before and after exposure. Linear regression assessed differences in pre-post changes in willingness to use across conditions. Results Ever-use of e-cigarettes was 5%; use of cigarettes was 8%; use of both e-cigarettes and cigarettes was 4%. There were no differences between TPW conditions on these or other baseline variables (eg, age, gender). Compared to the hidden condition, TPW exposure was associated with greater increases in willingness to use e-cigarettes in the future (B = 1.15, standard error [SE] = 0.50, p = .02). Conclusions Efforts to regulate visibility of the TPW at POS may help to reduce youths’ susceptibility to initiating e-cigarettes as well as conventional tobacco products like cigarettes. Implications Past work suggests that exposure to the TPW in common retail settings, like convenience stores, may increase adolescents’ susceptibility to smoking cigarettes. This experimental study builds upon prior research to show that exposure to the TPW at retail POS similarly increases adolescents’ willingness to use e-cigarettes in the future. Efforts to regulate the visibility of the TPW in retail settings may help to reduce youths’ susceptibility to initiating nicotine and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.