Ritz is a
Brazilian brand of
cigarette
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the opp ...
s, owned by multinational
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco plc (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, England. As of 2019, it is the large ...
. Ritz cigarettes are manufactured by
Tabaqueira
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is an American multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. The most recognized and best selling product of the company is Marlboro. Philip Morris International is often refe ...
(subsidiary of
Altria
Altria Group, Inc. (previously known as Philip Morris Companies, Inc.) is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes and related products. It operates worldwide and is headquartered in ...
) and
Souza Cruz
Souza Cruz S.A. is a Brazilian tobacco manufacturing company based in Rio de Janeiro. Souza Cruz is a subsidiary of British American Tobacco. The company was founded in 1903 by the Portuguese immigrant Albino Souza Cruz, who in 1914 converted th ...
).
History
The brand was created in 1970 and is sold in Portugal and Brazil.
As of 2016, it holds a market share of 0,8% on the Brazilian market, which is a lot less compared to brands like
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
(5,92%) and
Derby (3,93%).
Controversy
In January 1997,
counterfeit
To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
cigarettes from known brands like Ritz, but also
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
and
Derby, were sold in
Paraguay. According to Mário Aguilera, legal representative of Souza Cruz in
Ciudad del Este, Boqueron manufactures between 20 and 25 thousand boxes of illegal cigarettes per month for the Paraguayan market. In Brazil, The Third Section of the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) has determined that the 1st Criminal Court of the District of Poços de Caldas (MG) can search and seize counterfeit cigarettes with illegal
tax stamps
A revenue stamp, tax stamp, duty stamp or fiscal stamp is a (usually) adhesive label used to designate collected taxes or fees on documents, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses, firearm registration, ...
being sold on the Brazilian market, as well as arrest the sellers of said illegal cigarettes.
Markets
Ritz is mainly sold in
Portugal and
Brazil, but was or is also sold in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
,
Finland,
United States and
Paraguay.
See also
*
Tobacco smoking
References
{{Philip Morris International
British American Tobacco brands
Philip Morris brands