Can you please give an overview of your brand
We were extremely proud to celebrate the Signature brand’s sixtieth anniversary two years ago. Currently sold in over 80 countries worldwide, Signature truly represents quality, experience and craftsmanship. As the original Café Crème name suggests, the brand’s heritage and original appeal lies in the café culture of European metropolitan cities, and to this day its personality is centred around sharing moments of enjoyment, either alone or with family and friends. Consumers like the fact it mirrors the experience of a high-quality large cigar and condenses it into a short smoke that can be enjoyed at any time. Here in the UK, the Signature brand portfolio is worth around £45m in annual sales, with strong products in both the miniature cigar and cigarillo segments. Our Signature Action cigarillos were first launched back in 2020 and since then have enjoyed steady growth as the cigarillo segment has expanded and developed.
How is your brand currently performing?
As the popularity of cigarillos has grown so have sales of Signature Action. In fact, sales of the ten packs have nearly doubled since last year, with a growing number of adult smokers appreciating the great flavour and more affordable price point compared to other brands in the market. The cigarillos have a natural tobacco leaf wrapper and contain Virginia blend tobacco for a smooth tasting experience and a dual mentholated capsule in the filter for a cool and fresh peppermint flavour. In short, it’s a high-quality product at a comparatively low price.
How is the cigarillos market currently performing?
UK cigarillo sales have gone from strength to strength over the last five years. The segment may be the smallest in terms of the actual cigar size, but it is now easily the largest of the four cigar segments in terms of volume and not far off the other three combined in terms of value. Our latest data shows total cigarillos sales to be worth just under £154m and growing in value terms by nearly 12 per cent YOY1.
Do you have any new product development?
The Signature Action cigarillo range has recently grown to three products, all of which are now must-stocks for convenience retailers. The latest addition is new 17 packs which complement the existing ten-pack offerings, providing consumers with greater choice and value, but feature the same menthol flavour that has been synonymous with the brand since launch. With an RRP of just £9.89, the new 17-pack delivers good value for money to consumers, positioning it as a competitively priced option in the market. It also offers an attractive margin for retailers, reinforcing STG’s commitment to supporting its trade partners with high-quality, high-demand products. And that’s not been the only addition to the range of late. To further capitalise on this surge in demand for flavoured cigarillos, at the start of this year STG introduced Signature Action Mix cigarillos into the portfolio which contain two capsules and combine the flavours of Berry and Mint in packs of ten.
How important are independent retailers to your brand?
Independent retailers are absolutely integral to the cigar category as a whole, and much of Signature Action’s success is down to them, as a large proportion of sales go through this channel. The STG sales force supports these retailers in a number of ways to help them maximise cigar and cigarillo sales. This might include giving them merchandising advice and reminding them that cigars and cigarillos are exempt from the plain packaging legislation, so should always be stocked on the middle shelf of the gantry where they are visible and more likely to be purchased by adult smokers who can see them. Or it could be about pricing where we recommend offering a range of cigars and cigarillos with different price points to meet differing consumer needs, but in general to follow manufacturers’ guidance as those pricing recommendations afford value for the consumer, whilst giving exceptional margins for retailers.
What trends are occurring in the sector?
Whilst cigarillo sales are driving the cigar category, within that the search for value is still a motivating factor for many adult smokers, which is why the Signature Action range is really hitting the spot for a growing number of adult smokers. All three products in the range offer a high-quality smoke at a very reasonable price, as both the Signature Action 10-packs have an RRP of just £5.85 whilst the new 17-pack has an RRP of £9.89 and also comes in a price-marked version too.
Describe your brand in three words …
Craftmanship. Flavour. Affordable
Note
1IRI MarketPlace, Value and Volume sales, Time Period: w/e 06-07-2025