By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
European expansion begins: ALP nicotine pouches will launch online in 11 European markets beginning in July.
Bold growth target: CEO Lorenzo De Plano said the brand aims to become the No. 2 nicotine pouch brand in the European Union by 2030.
Manufacturing ramps up: ALP has secured production in Lithuania as it scales capacity to support international growth.
Turning Point Brands is expanding its ALP nicotine pouch brand into Europe, launching online sales in 11 markets starting in July. The company has set an ambitious goal of becoming the European Union’s second-largest nicotine pouch brand by 2030.
Speaking to the media, ALP Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo De Plano said the company will begin online sales in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Switzerland, and Romania in July, followed by launches in the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Spain in August and September. Sweden and Denmark are expected to follow later this year.
“We want ALP to be everywhere,” De Plano said.
The expansion marks ALP’s first major move outside the United States since the brand’s introduction in late 2024 through a joint venture between Turning Point Brands and the Tucker Carlson Network.
De Plano said ALP currently holds about a 2% share of the U.S. nicotine pouch market, making it the country’s fourth- or fifth-largest brand by volume. He added that the company’s long-term objective is to become the No. 2 nicotine pouch brand in the European Union by 2030.
The international rollout comes amid accelerating competition in the rapidly expanding nicotine pouch category.
Philip Morris International’s ZYN and British American Tobacco’s VELO remain the dominant global brands, while an increasing number of manufacturers are investing heavily in Europe as consumer demand for smoke-free nicotine products continues to rise. According to Grand View Research, the European nicotine pouch market is projected to grow from nearly $1.7 billion in 2024 to more than $6 billion by 2031.
To support its expansion, ALP has signed a manufacturing agreement in Lithuania, with the facility capable of producing 20 million units in 2026 and expected to increase capacity to 50 million units in 2027. De Plano said the company is also finalizing agreements with additional manufacturing partners as it expands production.
Brick-and-mortar distribution will proceed at a slower pace. Britain is expected to be ALP’s first European retail market, with in-store availability planned for 2027.
The European expansion follows ALP’s May announcement that former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor had joined the brand as a global marketing partner to support its international rollout.
Turning Point Brands has consistently identified modern oral nicotine as one of its primary long-term growth platforms. During recent earnings calls, company executives said ALP continues to expand its U.S. retail distribution and gain market share in one of the fastest-growing segments of the nicotine industry.
The European launch marks the company’s next major growth phase as it seeks to position ALP as an international challenger brand alongside the industry’s largest nicotine pouch manufacturers.
