Swiss cigar brand Villiger wants to take on premium brands in Europe like Imperial Tobacco Group and Swedish Match, which dominate the $2 billion premium end of the cigar market. The market for such
products has grown in Germany and other countries recovering from the economic crisis, but Switzerland does not have the same reputation for cigars as it does for watches. "It's essential to offer
premium cigars to be considered an authentic and real cigar maker, but consumers don't consider Villiger a premium brand," said the company's chairman, Heinrich Villiger. While the company's sales
rose 1.5% last year, hand-rolled products were less than 1% of that. The company plans to roll out new products to attack the high end.
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