CHICAGO — Convenience-store retailer Yesway is adding Black Buffalo Inc. smokeless tobacco to its back bars.
- Yesway is No. 19 in CSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by number of company-owned retail outlets.
The Chicago-based smokeless tobacco alternative products company said its products will be available at Yesway’s more than 400 stores, including those of Allsup’s. The chain has stores in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
“We are very proud to mark our national launch in the convenience channel with an industry-leading chain like Yesway,” Black Buffalo’s Chief Growth Officer Matthew Hanson said. “Our experience with the Yesway team has been outstanding, and we look forward to providing Yesway’s adult tobacco and nicotine customers with our award-winning tobacco alternative products one step closer to home, at their local Yesway or Allsup’s store.”
Black Buffalo sells smokeless tobacco alternative products that include both long cut and pouch varieties. Its products contain pharmaceutical-grade nicotine but no tobacco leaf or tobacco stem. It also developed a Zero line, made with no nicotine nor tobacco.
“We have seen robust demand for products that provide alternatives to adult consumers in the modern oral nicotine space,” said Kevin Harder, Fort Worth, Texas-based Yesway’s senior tobacco category manager. “Our strong belief is that our adult customers will love the entire lineup of Black Buffalo’s products. We are excited to be the first to offer Black Buffalo’s products in the convenience channel in Texas, New Mexico, and our other locations across the United States.”
Black Buffalo Inc. filed a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its five long cut and three pouches containing nicotine, which are still under review.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.