Products and services(RRP)

Exceeding expectations with products and services

Aspirational goal

We will be a total tobacco company offering consumers an even greater choice of products by focusing on quality, innovation, and reduced-risk potential.

Target

We will lead in providing the widest range of consumer choice in the RRP category.

Progress

At the end of 2020, we offered a choice of 6 tobacco vapor offerings (T-Vapor) and/or 5 types of e-cigarettes (E-Vapor) in 27 countries

Read more about our latest progress on the JT Group's tobacco business sustainability strategy.

Our approach

As alternatives to traditional combustible products, tobacco vapor products (T-Vapor) and e-cigarettes (E-Vapor) are gaining popularity with consumers around the world. Although the industry is changing, our commitment to consumer choice remains.

We also believe that it is vital to focus on innovation and listen to consumers’ needs. We have partnered with startups and incubators to give emerging technologies and ideas the opportunity to reach our R&D centers.

While we believe that vaping products have reduced-risk potential compared to smoking cigarettes, they should only be used by adult consumers who are informed of the associated risks, including nicotine addiction.

Between 2018 and 2020, we invested 100 billion yen in Reduced-Risk ProductsProducts with the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking., and we plan to invest further in the coming years.

Putting consumers first

For products to have the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking, consumers must first understand and appreciate their value. We therefore take a consumer-centric approach to research and development, and focus on four major factors that motivate consumers to consider Reduced-Risk Products:

  • The potential for a product to reduce the risks associated with smoking
  • Affordability and value for money
  • Social considerations – seeking products with low smell, so as not to disturb others
  • The convenience of being able to use a product in a wide variety of locations and situations

This approach to our Reduced-Risk Product research and development reflects the Harm Reduction Equation shown below. It also helps us to concentrate on exceeding the expectations of all of our key stakeholders: consumers, shareholders, employees, and the wider society.

The success of any harm reduction intervention is dependent on two factors: its potential to reduce the risks associated with a particular activity and the number of people who adopt the intervention. Their potential value is lost when consumers do not accept these alternative propositions.

Empowering consumer choice

We support consumers to make informed choices, by providing information acquired through the scientific assessment of the products they may wish to use.

In 2020, our Reduced-Risk Product portfolio was present in 27 countries, with a choice of six tobacco vapor offerings (T-Vapor) and five types of e-cigarettes (E-Vapor).

  • What is T-Vapor?

    T-Vapor products contain tobacco that is heated (but not burnt) to create an inhalable vapor. Consumers particularly enjoy the wider social freedoms that these bring, compared to conventional products. Our T-Vapor category currently consists of Heated Tobacco and Tobacco-Infused Vapor products:

    ›› Heated Tobacco delivers the satisfaction of a tobacco experience

    ›› Tobacco-Infused Vapor addresses the consumer needs of social consideration and convenience, while continuing to deliver a true tobacco taste experience

  • What is E-Vapor?

    Also known as electronic cigarettes, E-Vapor products heat a liquid that usually contains nicotine, but no tobacco. They create an inhalable vapor by electrically heating a liquid (known as ‘e-liquid’) contained within the device or a replaceable cartridge.

    These products offer optimum levels of social consideration, convenience, and affordability.

JT Science: an online resource for all

There are currently no globally agreed standards for assessing the risk-reduction of the alternatives to combustible tobacco products. Our team of scientists is developing methods and applying them in research contributing to the increasing scientific evidence on Reduced-Risk Products. We will continue with these studies and share progress updates on our science website, JT Science.

JT Science is a valuable online resource for both scientists and non-scientists. Our mission is to inform, educate, and collaborate with anyone who is interested in learning about the science behind the products – from consumers and scientists to the regulatory community.

The aim of JT Science is to provide an open, balanced, and fair platform, where we can share factual scientific data and assessments in a transparent way. The results of our scientific studies evaluating our Reduced-Risk Products are publicly available.

Realizing the full potential of Reduced-Risk Products

Our next-generation products will be defined by their potential to reduce the health risks associated with smoking and their ability to provide an acceptable user experience for consumers. We’re committed to bringing new and innovative Reduced-Risk Products to market, and are continually developing and testing them using scientifically-rigorous methods.

While it is still too early to understand the long-term health effects of Reduced-Risk Products, –factors including the elimination of combustion and the fewer toxicants found in the vapor, suggest there is potential for them to reduce the risks associated with smoking. That’s why we’re committed to ensuring that all our Reduced-Risk Products fulfill this potential.

To realize the full potential of Reduced-Risk Products, we follow the research process below.

RRP Development and assessment: A six-step journey

Read more about our research on the JT Science website.

Our product portfolio (As of December 2020)

Successful launch of Ploom in Russia

  • We launched a second-generation Heated Tobacco product, Ploom Model S, in one of our most important international markets, Russia, in March 2020.
  • The product offers intuitive design, convenience, and authentic tobacco taste. It is an excellent choice for adult consumers looking for alternatives to conventional tobacco products.
  • Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the launch was successful and results have been encouraging, showing high consumer satisfaction and acquisition rates.
  • Following this positive start in Russia, we launched the product in the U.K. and Italy in November 2020.

Where are our Reduced-Risk Products available? (As of December 2020)

Reduced-Risk Products supply chain (As of December 2020)

We have established a dedicated supply chain for our Reduced-Risk Products, building strong supplier partnerships that support business expansion and meet the demands of our increasingly sophisticated portfolio. In addition to our in-house production capabilities, we source from manufacturers across Asia and Europe.

In 2018, we opened an e-liquids (E-Vapor) production facility at our manufacturing site in Gostkow, Poland. We then further boosted our in-house production in 2019 by bringing into service a new Ploom product (T-Vapor) plant in the same location. These new facilities enable us to keep up with the demand for e-liquids containing nicotine, tobacco capsules, and tobacco sticks in expanding markets across the world.

Where are our Reduced-Risk Products produced?

Responsible recycling and disposal schemes for Reduced-Risk Products

Read about the Environment and our products.

Our view on Reduced-Risk Product regulation

Read about our perspective on Reduced-Risk Product regulation.



  • Notes: This section is intended only to explain the business operations of the JT Group, not to promote sales of tobacco or vaping products or encourage smoking or vaping among consumers.

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