By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- UK tobacco and nicotine retail sales dropped by over £1 billion year-over-year, mainly due to declines in cigarettes and vapes.
- Top disposable vape brands maintained market share but experienced steep double-digit sales declines.
- Regulatory pressure continues to influence consumer habits and category performance.
UK retail sales of tobacco and nicotine products declined 12.7% in the 12 months ending September 6, 2025, according to NielsenIQ data cited by Bloomberg. This represents a drop of over £1 billion across the category. The decline was mainly driven by sharp decreases in combustible tobacco and e-cigarettes, while sales of smoking cessation products experienced strong growth.
Sales of e-cigarettes alone dropped by about £225 million over the period, NielsenIQ data showed. Loose tobacco sales declined by approximately £290 million, while cigarette and cigar product sales fell by roughly £512 million, highlighting ongoing pressure on traditional nicotine categories in the UK retail market.
Despite holding a dominant market share, the three largest e-cigarette brands all experienced double-digit sales declines year-over-year. SKE Crystal Bar remained the top-selling brand with $382.5 million in sales, down $66.5 million or 14.8% from the previous year, representing about 24.6% of the total market. Lost Mary moved into second place with $265.1 million in sales, a decrease of $72 million or 21.4% compared to 2024. Elf Bar dropped to third, with the steepest decline among major brands, as sales fell $140 million or 40.8% to $201.9 million.
In contrast, several smaller and emerging brands posted growth against the broader market trend. IVG recorded sales of $177.2 million, an increase of $53.1 million, or 42.8%, year-over-year. Blu reported sales of $101.5 million, up $25.2 million, or 33.0%. New entrant Pixl generated $43.2 million in sales, compared with negligible sales a year earlier. Hayati nearly doubled sales to $39.3 million, up 93.6%, while Elux increased sales by 16.6% to $20.8 million, moving from 13th to 10th place in brand rankings.
Established multinational brands also experienced declines. Vuse, owned by British American Tobacco’s UK unit, reported sales of £107.5 million, a decrease of £21.4 million, or 16.6%, compared to the previous year. Juul sales slightly declined by 1.4% to £35.4 million.
Julian Crane, general manager of NielsenIQ UK and Ireland, said British consumers are “clearly moving away from smoking and e-cigarettes,” citing tightening regulation and growing health awareness as key factors shaping purchasing behavior.
The data comes amid significant regulatory changes in the UK. A nationwide ban on disposable e-cigarettes took effect on June 1, 2025, primarily aimed at reducing environmental waste. Separately, the Tobacco and E-cigarettes Bill is progressing through parliamentary review and proposes to gradually raise the legal age for tobacco purchases while imposing further restrictions on e-cigarette packaging and advertising.
Meanwhile, sales of smoking cessation products, including nicotine gum, lozenges, and sprays, increased by nearly 24% during the same period, making the category the fastest-growing segment within the broader health market.
