By Timothy S. Donahue

Top Takeaways:

• Switching remains central: Nearly half of respondents said they first used nicotine pouches to quit smoking, vaping, or both, while 93% of former smokers reported feeling better after switching.
• Online market expands despite restrictions: Comparable online pouch sales increased 22% in 2025 even as Nicokick and Northerner suspended sales in multiple states due to regulatory and legal constraints.
• Retail scrutiny intensifies: Among respondents who reported using nicotine pouches while underage, most said they obtained them from local stores rather than online channels.

Adult smokers and vapers continue to drive growth in the U.S. nicotine pouch market, according to a new industry report. The analysis found that nearly half of pouch users first adopted the products as an alternative to smoking, vaping, or both.

The Nicotine Pouch and Oral Nicotine Report 2026, released by online retailers Nicokick.com and Northerner.com, combines purchasing data from more than 172,000 U.S. customers with survey responses from 2,245 nicotine pouch consumers. The report found that comparable online nicotine pouch sales grew 22% in 2025, despite regulatory restrictions that prevented the companies from operating in multiple states and supply disruptions affecting leading brands.

Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president of Regulatory Affairs at Haypp Group, said that the “data makes a clear case that regulatory resources targeting online sales address a small fraction of actual underage access.

“Online platforms use standardized, auditable compliance systems. The evidence points to physical retail as the channel that needs more attention.”

The report’s findings suggest that nicotine pouches continue to attract consumers already familiar with nicotine products rather than first-time users. Forty-six percent of survey respondents said their primary motivation for trying nicotine pouches was to quit smoking, vaping, or both. Of that group, 34% cited quitting smoking, 22% cited quitting vaping, and 10% said they were trying to move away from both products.

Researchers also found high self-reported satisfaction among former smokers. Ninety-three percent of respondents who had switched from cigarettes reported feeling either “better” or “much better” after transitioning to nicotine pouches, while fewer than 1% reported feeling worse.

The report identified health perceptions and convenience as major drivers of pouch adoption. Seventy-two percent of respondents cited lower perceived health risks compared with traditional tobacco products, while 71% cited the ability to use nicotine pouches discreetly in social settings. Half said the products tasted better than traditional tobacco products, and 50% said they believed pouches were less harmful to those around them.

Social influence also appears to play a significant role in category growth. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they first tried nicotine pouches after a friend or family member offered one, and another 21% said they became interested after seeing others use the products. Two-thirds of respondents reported encouraging others to switch from cigarettes to nicotine pouches.

The report also examined perceptions of nicotine products relative to cigarettes. On a scale of zero to 10, with zero meaning “completely harmless” and 10 meaning “very dangerous,” respondents rated cigarettes as the most harmful product at 9.2. Nicotine pouches averaged 3.7, while nicotine-free pouches averaged 3.0. Vapes and heated tobacco products both averaged 7.8, and traditional snus averaged 6.3.

Among product categories, nicotine pouches also received the highest rating for social acceptability, scoring 4.5 out of 5, ahead of nicotine-free pouches at 4.3 and well above cigarettes at 1.8.

The report arrives as regulators continue to evaluate the category through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) process and as Philip Morris International awaits a decision on its Modified Risk Tobacco Product application for ZYN nicotine pouches. The report notes that 2025 was the first year nicotine pouch products received FDA marketing authorizations, with 26 products authorized.

One of the report’s most notable findings concerns youth access. Among respondents who reported using nicotine pouches while underage, 52% said they obtained products from local shops, compared with 23% who received them from friends and 8% who obtained them online. The report argues that brick-and-mortar retail remains the primary source of underage access.

The report also compared age-verification practices across channels. Ninety-eight percent of online purchasers reported being asked to verify their age, compared with 75% of consumers purchasing in physical stores. Among consumers aged 21 to 34, 92% reported being age-verified in stores, compared with 98% online.

Another emerging issue highlighted in the report is illicit trade. One in 10 respondents reported encountering black-market nicotine pouches, and the share rose to 20% among consumers aged 21 to 34. Two-thirds of respondents expressed concern about the health risks associated with illicit products. The report argues that black-market products frequently lack ingredient disclosures, compliant packaging, and quality-control safeguards found in regulated channels.

Market growth continued alongside ongoing product innovation. Nicokick and Northerner reported carrying 15 nicotine pouch brands and 288 product variants in 2025, including 124 new products introduced that year. The report found that on!, ZYN, and Rogue were the three most-purchased brands online, together accounting for 57% of sales. Mint remained the dominant flavor category, representing nearly six in 10 cans sold, while fruit flavors accounted for 14% and continued to gain share.

For Haypp Group, the findings reinforce an argument the company has consistently made in regulatory debates: that nicotine pouches primarily attract existing adult nicotine consumers seeking alternatives to smoking and vaping. Whether regulators interpret the data the same way may become increasingly important as the FDA weighs additional PMTA decisions and the industry’s first modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) application for nicotine pouches.