By Ronan Hegarty2020-11-06T15:07:00+00:00
The Bestway Wholesale MD discusses the challenges of evolving amid the Covid crisis, and championing the cause of the wholesale sector
Dawood Pervez is not easily fazed. As the youngest son of Bestway founder Sir Anwar Pervez, the family business was part of his life even before joining in 2002. But even for a seasoned pro like Pervez, the Covid-19 crisis has posed fresh challenges.
This month marks the second anniversary of his time as MD, after taking over from long-time incumbent Martin Race. To say those two years have been a whirlwind is something of an understatement.
By Ronan Hegarty2020-12-18T00:01:00+00:00
Source: Unsplash
The ban on menthol and other flavoured tobacco on 20 May was expected to have a huge impact on sales this year. After all, such products accounted for around a quarter of the tobacco market’s value.
As it turned out, the ban barely made a dent in the market, up £971.9m across cigarettes and roll your own. It seems smokers, for the most part, simply fell back on non-flavoured variants of their chosen brands, while others turned to vaping for a hit of menthol.
That isn’t to say it’s all been smooth sailing for the category. Early in the pandemic, there was anecdotal evidence that sales were falling, with industry insiders speculating it was down to Brits focusing on their health. However, it soon emerged that, in fact, sales of UK duty-paid cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco were soaring.