Annual report 2004 (English) - PDF 3546K - Imperial Tobacco

26
FORTUNA
No. 1 in the
Spanish market
Domestic
markets
GAULOISES
BLONDES
No. 2
in the French
market
The French and Spanish markets accounted
for 49% of the Cigarette Division’s sales volume
and 57% of its revenues.
The blond and dark segments continued
to perform differently and with a wide spread
between the two countries. Higher taxes in
France brought sales down 20% in the blond
segment and 28.1% in the dark segment, while
in Spain the blond segment gained 1.4% and
the dark segment shrank 9.5%.
In France, the Group increased its market share
in a diffi cult environment. In Spain, revenues
from the combined sales of blond and dark
cigarettes increased by 1.6% despite a slight
loss of market share.