KT&G Expands E-Cigarette 'Lil' to 22 Countries... Market Growth in Italy, Guatemala, and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] KT&G announced on the 20th that it has succeeded in launching the heated tobacco product ‘lil’ worldwide in 22 countries through collaboration with Philip Morris International (PMI). This achievement was made in less than two years since the two companies signed a product supply agreement for overseas sales of ‘lil’ in January last year.

KT&G and PMI introduced ‘lil Solid 1.0’ in Russia and Ukraine, and ‘lil Hybrid 2.0’ in Japan last year. This year, they expanded their territory focusing on ‘lil Solid 2.0’ to countries such as Kazakhstan, Serbia, and Armenia. In August, they newly entered Albania, reaching 10 countries.

In the fourth quarter of this year, KT&G succeeded in diversifying markets that had been concentrated in Southeastern Europe and Central Asia. In November, they launched in Guatemala, marking a new entry into Central America, and expanded the Asian market by targeting Malaysia following Japan. Earlier this month, they launched ‘lil Solid 2.0’ and the dedicated stick ‘Fiit’ in Italy, Romania, Greece, and Cyprus, achieving entry into 22 countries.

The recently leading overseas product, ‘lil Solid 2.0,’ is KT&G’s second-generation heated tobacco model, boasting upgraded battery efficiency and induction heating technology.

The dedicated sticks include a total of eight types such as ‘Fiit Regular’ and ‘Fiit Crisp.’ In the fourth quarter of this year, they expanded the product lineup by adding ‘Fiit Alpine.’ Depending on the local market conditions, 2 to 5 types are launched per country, receiving positive responses from consumers.

Im Wangseop, head of KT&G’s NGP Business Division, stated, “The innovative technology of ‘lil’ combined with PMI’s market expansion capabilities allowed us to quickly establish a foothold in overseas markets. We will continue to aggressively expand overseas markets through strategic collaboration between the two companies.”