A Zyn shortage is busting users' buzz as company halts online sales
The fastest-growing nicotine product in the U.S. has been increasingly hard to come by — and some customers aren’t happy.
The fastest-growing nicotine product in the U.S. has been increasingly hard to come by — and some customers aren’t happy.
A shortage of Zyn, a smokeless nicotine pouch that users tuck into their lips to get a buzz, has fueled a wave of social media outcry in recent weeks, amplified by a legal challenge that forced its parent company to halt online sales earlier this week.
Zyn has been around since 2014, but sales took off in the past year amid a wave of online creators (“Zynfluencers”) expressing their loyalty to the product alongside mentions from popular podcasters like Joe Rogan and the Nelk Boys.
The increased attention has helped fuel a sales boom: In April, Philip Morris, which acquired Zyn maker Swedish Match for $16 billion in 2022, reported shipments had soared 80% year over year to reach 131.6 million cans. Today, Zyn accounts for approximately 3 of every 4 purchases of oral smoke-free products, according to Tobacco Reporter, an industry publication.
In a statement, a Philip Morris spokesperson acknowledged that there was a “short-term inventory constraint” on Zyn that was “demand driven.”
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