Altadis, the world's leading cigar maker, is set to increase its share in the small but fast-growing Japanese market by primarily targeting fashion-conscious young professionals, according to the firm's Asia-Pacific sales manager.
Eric Piras, vice president of Hong Kong-based Altadis Cigars Asia Pacific Ltd., said recently in Tokyo that the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, is an emerging and developing market with rapid growth potential.
The Japanese cigar market is currently minuscule. In terms of sales volume, just 70 million cigars are sold a year, compared with more than 314 billion cigarettes, according to industry sources.