ZYN Shortage Across the US: All You Need to Know
Demand for ZYN has never been higher, and pressure continues to mount on the manufacturer to increase their local US production.
If you’re a regular ZYN customer, then you’re no stranger to the fact that stock levels have been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d across the country since mid-May, with both on- and offline retailers feeling the pinch and having to impose varying limits on how much of the popular pouch you can buy.
Most recently it was 15 cans of ZYN every 30 days and, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like this is going to ease any time soon.
It's not all bad though. As part of Swedish Match’s plans to scale, construction is currently underway on a new ZYN factory in Colorado, as well as expansions to their existing facility in Kentucky that will help meet the needs of their growing customer base (and hopefully avoid shortages like this in future).
Until that’s up and running though, we’re all stuck in a waiting game for more ZYN.
What Options Do I Have As a ZYN Consumer?
We never want you to be without the products you love, so with limited ZYN circulating at the moment, we had to do the next best thing – that is, pull together a list of recommendations backed by real customer data to guide you towards the right nicotine pouch for you.
This curated list of ZYN alternatives takes into consideration strength, flavor, pouch format and value per can. Think of it like peeking into the shopping cart of a friend with similar preferences to see what they’ve ordered, or a cheat code to finding the most ZYN-like brands on the market.
There’s a whole world of nicotine pouches to explore right here at your fingertips and new favorites to potentially discover in the absence of your usual ZYN.
Key Considerations When Switching Pouches
If you’ve only ever tried ZYN, now is the perfect opportunity to get to know what you do and don’t like in terms of:
- Milligrams per pouch (calibrate strength based on whether you want the same sort of nicotine experience or a more/less intense one);
- Flavor profile (test your palate by experimenting with different brands’ takes on familiar flavors or try entirely new combinations);
- Pouch size and texture (judge the level of comfort with a Slim, Large, Soft or Moist pouch compared to ZYN’s Mini/Dry format).
You’ll find more information about all nicotine pouches on Nicokick through their respective product pages, as well as reading the customer reviews left on-site.
Why not share your own review after trying one of these alternatives? Let other people know what to look out for if they’re missing their ZYN too! We'll keep refining this list based on your feedback and stock levels in our warehouse.
ZYN Shortage in Numbers
It’s the brand on everyone’s lips (and in everyone’s mouths), but don’t just take our word for it. Here are some key stats about the ZYN shortage to put things in perspective:
- For the past year, ZYN-related search terms have attracted an average of nearly 2.3 million searches every month.
- By the end of 2024, ZYN sales projections are estimated to be 580 million cans. This is a 50% increase on the 385 million sold in 2023.
- With ZYN’s new Colorado factory up and running, Philip Morris expects to provide an extra 900 million cans of capacity in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
We're actively trying to source as much ZYN as possible, but Swedish Match haven't shared a specific timeline yet for when they expect stock levels to return to normal (or rather, the new normal). When more stock becomes available, you'll be the first to know by signing up to our newsletter or by regularly checking our site!
At the moment, no other brand is facing the same demand as ZYN, so stock levels are good. Of course, we’re keeping a close eye on stock levels as demand starts to shift to other brands too, but for now, you can shop all our ZYN alternatives with confidence.
Long story short: No. Some people have speculated that the ZYN shortage is connected to Senator Charles (‘Chuck') Schumer's call for an investigation into nicotine pouches. While his comments made national headlines and most likely contributed to an all-time sales high, there's nothing to date in terms of federal legislation that prohibits the sale (or consumption) of legally-sold ZYN products to legal-aged adults (21+).
Earlier this year, a fire did break out at the Swedish Match factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, but no one was harmed and any disruption to European production was quickly dealt with. Customers in the US get their ZYN from the Swedish Match factory in Owensboro, Kentucky – and soon Aurora, Colorado – so the fire had no impact on supply here.
Given the recent pressures put on ZYN stock, you might notice a can costs you more than it used to. Typically you secure the best deals online (especially when buying in bulk), but you may come across it in-store these days for around $6.50 per can. Of course, this also depends on where you live.
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