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Last post 8 years ago by opelmanta1900. 55 replies replies.
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Local suggestions...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#1 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Looking for some suggestions for the local smoke shop...

he has asked me a lot of advice on what to carry in his walk in since he opened up about 8 months ago...

so far things have been going well for the guy and the cigar side of things is growing steadily...

the rep just called me and asked what I wanted to order, which is a very cool feeling...

it's a small shop... and they're under the mighty hand of the california tax nazi's, so, just as an example,


AF 858 is $10...

Ashton VSG Robusto is $16...



We might consider carrying something as expensive as davidoff, but not big enough to carry tatuaje or opus x...

I know it's hard to make suggestions without knowing what they carry, so here's a list of most of what we've got...

ALEC BRADLEY
Alec Bradley American Classic
Alec Bradley Filthy Hooligan (candela)
Alec Bradley Black Market

ARTURO FUENTE
Chateau Fuente Natural
Chateau Fuente Sungrown
Hemingway Signature
858 Maduro

ASHTON
Virgin Sun Grown

A. TURRENT
Triple Play Maduro

AVO
Avo NEW Classic

CAO
CAO MX2
CAO La Traviata

LA AROMA DE CUBA
La Aroma De Cuba

LIGA PRIVADA
Undercrown Corona Viva

MACANUDO
Hampton Court?

MY FATHER
My Father Flor de los Antillas
My Father la Antiguedad


OLIVA
Oliva V Melanio
Oliva O

ONYX
Onyx Reserve

PADRON
2000 Natural
3000 Natural
6000 Natural

ROCKY PATEL
Rocky Patel Decade
Rocky Patel Vintage 1992
Rocky Patel Super Ligero

ROOM 101
Room 101 Big Payback

SAN LOTANO
Oval Maduro

SAN LUIS REY
Serie G Natural
Plowboy221 Offline
#2 Posted:
Joined: 03-03-2013
Posts: 5,144
Get some of the higher up Padron's… honestly if I walked into a shpo and that was the selection I'd walk righ back out, but that's just my opionon.
ZRX1200 Offline
#3 Posted:
Joined: 07-08-2007
Posts: 60,589
Fuente Magnum R's
LAdC MI Amor
dstieger Offline
#4 Posted:
Joined: 06-22-2007
Posts: 10,889
Do you want to be:

A. Everyman's shop? Heavy General/Altadis?
B. Boutique-y?

Hard when starting out to be both. Very hard to be B and be successful, but not impossible.
May need to be A until you get steady, repeatable business. Then, planned, organized transition into A/B hybrid, or even a B.
Mandoman Offline
#5 Posted:
Joined: 12-27-2005
Posts: 4,761
La Gloria Cubana
La Flor Dominicana
Litto Gomez

Expand CAO - Brasilia, Italia

Agree, get some top end Fuentes, Padrons, LP, Tat

Folks will go out of their way to get the top shelf, limited availability smokes.
opelmanta1900 Offline
#6 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
dstieger wrote:
Do you want to be:

A. Everyman's shop? Heavy General/Altadis?
B. Boutique-y?

Hard when starting out to be both. Very hard to be B and be successful, but not impossible.
May need to be A until you get steady, repeatable business. Then, planned, organized transition into A/B hybrid, or even a B.


very wise... the inventory I "inherited" was heavily General/Altadis... we've cleared/discontinued a lot, but not all of that... we still carry a couple of RyJ's, a few punch's, a couple H.Upmannns, and a few Montecristo's...

The plan right now is and has been to help educate new/newer smokers (about 80%-90% of our cigar sales)... a lot of that is me sitting in there for 3 and 4 hours a night and talking to every person who comes in about the cigars they smoke or have smoked and trying to pass on to them the info I have received from other guys - many of whom frequent this forum...

when customers who frequent us ask us to carry something and we know it isn't garbage, we'll carry it... that's how we got the Onyx and the Patel Super Ligero's... that's worked well as it's helped me to help others smoke stuff they normally wouldn't... turns out a bunch of people really like the Super ligero...


The thing we have going for us in trying to accomplish "B" is that the shop is not a cigar shop/not dependent on cigar sales... we're a california smoke shop... lots of hookah's, upright waterpipes (like a bong but for tobacco), cigarettes, black and mild's, a bigger selection of white owl's than you've probably ever seen, rolling papers, oil burners (crack pipes not meant for crack), and a ton of other stuff that keeps the lights on...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#7 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Plowboy221 wrote:
Get some of the higher up Padron's… honestly if I walked into a shpo and that was the selection I'd walk righ back out, but that's just my opionon.


never have had that happen... most people are thrilled to find a smoke shop that has a walk-in at all... closest "cigar shop" is 30 miles away...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#8 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Mandoman wrote:
La Gloria Cubana
La Flor Dominicana
Litto Gomez

Expand CAO - Brasilia, Italia

Agree, get some top end Fuentes, Padrons, LP, Tat

Folks will go out of their way to get the top shelf, limited availability smokes.


we have a box of the LGC R's... they don't move at all but for the price, there's lots of better things we offer, I think...

As far as high end fuentes and padrons, I'd definitely like to get some, but anything we have to retail for over $20 isn't going to move at this stage in the game... Oliva V Melanio's go for $15 and people have a hard time with it...

Local police chief love's CAO so that's a good suggestion... Brasilia and Italia are higher end or lower end for them? I've not smoked a CAO in years...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#9 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
ZRX1200 wrote:
Fuente Magnum R's
LAdC MI Amor


Fuente Magnum R's - just checked, can't get them but we can get the don carlos...
LAdC MI Amor - better than the reserva? about a dollar per stick difference...
dstieger Offline
#10 Posted:
Joined: 06-22-2007
Posts: 10,889
Not sure about accounts, minimum facings, etc. But, I'd imagine a couple more different Ashtons might do well. There's usually one in CA top-10's, so they have some name recognition. Brickhouse is one that many will now recognize and has an appealing price point. I suspect they bring repeat customers. Litto's stuff is good and has fans, but I suspect min orders are bad because so many shops I go to seem to devote entire wall or table to them for no other apparent reason. I'd set my sights on a couple smaller brands that have huge upside but aren't big enough to demand 20 feet of facings: 2 or 3 may be all you need to begin to establish your shop as a destination for more serious botl: maybe Romacraft, or La Palina, or Caldwell or Terazona....maybe Crowned Heads....You don't need to try to parse 50 high end boutiques, but just a couple/few to get it started
opelmanta1900 Offline
#11 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
dstieger wrote:
Not sure about accounts, minimum facings, etc. But, I'd imagine a couple more different Ashtons might do well. There's usually one in CA top-10's, so they have some name recognition. Brickhouse is one that many will now recognize and has an appealing price point. I suspect they bring repeat customers. Litto's stuff is good and has fans, but I suspect min orders are bad because so many shops I go to seem to devote entire wall or table to them for no other apparent reason. I'd set my sights on a couple smaller brands that have huge upside but aren't big enough to demand 20 feet of facings: 2 or 3 may be all you need to begin to establish your shop as a destination for more serious botl: maybe Romacraft, or La Palina, or Caldwell or Terazona....maybe Crowned Heads....You don't need to try to parse 50 high end boutiques, but just a couple/few to get it started


just talked to the guy, and ya, lfd's are off the table... ridiculous minimum orders... it would fill 1/3 of our humidor...

Ashton - Cabinet Vintage Selection and probably the ESG will go on the list...

Brickhouse - I have no experience with them but we could do the rob's @ $7 which is not bad for california... I'll check them out...

Romacraft, or La Palina, or Caldwell or Terazona - 4 I am not familiar with... apparently I'm not a "serious botl" lol... in all seriousness, the more I learn about cigars, the more I realize how little I know... I will check into these... thanks greatly for the suggestions...
ZRX1200 Offline
#12 Posted:
Joined: 07-08-2007
Posts: 60,589
Romacraft and Lapalina are good!

Reserva MI Amor should be more than the regular line, the regular line isn't as strong but both are VERY good.
KingoftheCove Offline
#13 Posted:
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,631
gotta have some maduros in that Padron "000" list..................
if only one, the 3000 maduro
bgz Offline
#14 Posted:
Joined: 07-29-2014
Posts: 13,023
You need some DPG Blues/Blacks.

+1 on higher end Padrons.

Maybe a vitola or 2 of the regular MF line.

Maybe some Regular Oliva Vs
opelmanta1900 Offline
#15 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
KingoftheCove wrote:
gotta have some maduros in that Padron "000" list..................
if only one, the 3000 maduro


someone who didn't know cigars ordered the padrons... I know nothing about their regular lines other than

a) I hate the naturals
b) the maduro's have to be better than the naturals


that said, I'll be squeezing in a box of 3000 maduro's post haste... thank you...
Plowboy221 Offline
#16 Posted:
Joined: 03-03-2013
Posts: 5,144
opelmanta1900 wrote:
never have had that happen... most people are thrilled to find a smoke shop that has a walk-in at all... closest "cigar shop" is 30 miles away...



Well damn, guess I'm getting picky. Caldwell is a great suggestion, maybe try to expand the AJ selection, has some great cigars and people seem to love them. What about DPG/ My Father?
Plowboy221 Offline
#17 Posted:
Joined: 03-03-2013
Posts: 5,144
Leaf by Oscar
Plowboy221 Offline
#18 Posted:
Joined: 03-03-2013
Posts: 5,144
Also can get you in contact with a BOTL that has a line of cigars rolled by AB. I know, I know. But truly a great cigar. Pm if interested and I'll give you his contact info.
opelmanta1900 Offline
#19 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Plowboy221 wrote:
Also can get you in contact with a BOTL that has a line of cigars rolled by AB. I know, I know. But truly a great cigar. Pm if interested and I'll give you his contact info.


AB as in Alec Bradley? I'm actually a recent fan of their stuff as it's got good construction and a good price point after ca taxes... I'll send you a pm as soon as I can...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#20 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Plowboy221 wrote:
Well damn, guess I'm getting picky.


I think the general mindset out here is to kinda support your local by buying decent stuff at incredibly inflated prices, but then buy your high end stuff online...

seriously, I don't mind paying $9 for a black market even though they can be had for $5... but I probably won't spend $29 for an Ashton ESG when I can get that so much cheaper online...
Plowboy221 Offline
#21 Posted:
Joined: 03-03-2013
Posts: 5,144
Yeah Alec Bradley, I like supporting my local B&M even though he doesn't have much of a selection really but prices aren't horrible and has some higher end items that are kind of on the htf side that don't move much, I'll swing by and grab a couple every now again. Which is nice.
Plowboy221 Offline
#22 Posted:
Joined: 03-03-2013
Posts: 5,144
An I wasn't trying to offend or be a d!ck by my comment earlier btw.
opelmanta1900 Offline
#23 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Plowboy221 wrote:
An I wasn't trying to offend or be a d!ck by my comment earlier btw.


No offense taken... I know the selection is nothing compared to what a lot of places can afford to do... we're in a town of 10,000 people and, as I said, the only walk-in in a 30-mile radius...

kinda like mom and pop bait shops trying to compete with walmart, we try to offer one-on-one customer service time that the bigger guys can't and that helps make up for what we don't have...
jojoc Offline
#24 Posted:
Joined: 03-05-2007
Posts: 6,272
opelmanta1900 wrote:
very wise... the inventory I "inherited" was heavily General/Altadis... we've cleared/discontinued a lot, but not all of that... we still carry a couple of RyJ's, a few punch's, a couple H.Upmannns, and a few Montecristo's...

The plan right now is and has been to help educate new/newer smokers (about 80%-90% of our cigar sales)... a lot of that is me sitting in there for 3 and 4 hours a night and talking to every person who comes in about the cigars they smoke or have smoked and trying to pass on to them the info I have received from other guys - many of whom frequent this forum...

when customers who frequent us ask us to carry something and we know it isn't garbage, we'll carry it... that's how we got the Onyx and the Patel Super Ligero's... that's worked well as it's helped me to help others smoke stuff they normally wouldn't... turns out a bunch of people really like the Super ligero...


The thing we have going for us in trying to accomplish "B" is that the shop is not a cigar shop/not dependent on cigar sales... we're a california smoke shop... lots of hookah's, upright waterpipes (like a bong but for tobacco), cigarettes, black and mild's, a bigger selection of white owl's than you've probably ever seen, rolling papers, oil burners (crack pipes not meant for crack), and a ton of other stuff that keeps the lights on...




Early in my smoking days my local B&M (they protect me) started to carry more Ashton's base at least in part on my request. I would stop in every couple weeks to see if they had any Ashton Aged Maduros. Not only did they start stocking more of the Maduro's, they expanded on the whole line. Those that are new to cigars tend to stick with the cigars and brands they recognize. I got introduced to Ashton's early on, and they continue to this day to be one of my goto brands.

Sounds to me you are doing this right .... proactively working on the education process, and buying what your customers want. Rather than going after the "limited release" high-end cigars, go for the reasonably priced quality cigars. It is unlikely you will be able to consistently stock the WOAM, PAM, Opus, high-end Tats, etc. However, introducing your customers to Ashtons, Don Carlos, Diamond Crown, Tat Havana, and other quality, mid-ranged priced cigars can do a long way to build a stable customer base who will be loyal because you did right by them.
frankj1 Offline
#25 Posted:
Joined: 02-08-2007
Posts: 44,221
KingoftheCove wrote:
gotta have some maduros in that Padron "000" list..................
if only one, the 3000 maduro

that was my first thought. high quality smokes at a great price, the maddies are great.
Mr Roso Offline
#26 Posted:
Joined: 09-05-2013
Posts: 384
Camacho has great marketing muscle and may help boost sales for the 'cool' factor. Just my 2 cents.
opelmanta1900 Offline
#27 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
Mr Roso wrote:
Camacho has great marketing muscle and may help boost sales for the 'cool' factor. Just my 2 cents.

talked to the rep about them... he said the triple maddie sells well out here... I'm partial to the connecticut so we may go with the both of them... and you're right, they are heavy on the advertising out here...
[email protected] Offline
#28 Posted:
Joined: 03-21-2011
Posts: 1,029
Camacho, great line, from mild to full and everything in between. Just my opinion, Also as stated above, more great smokes from My Father/DPG
delta1 Offline
#29 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,782
I know this will not go over well with this crowd, but the Acid Kuba Kuba and a couple of others and the Java lines sell well at the local B & M's. They'll need their own little corner though...

EP Carillo has a bunch of moderately priced good cigars.

+1 My Father/DPG
illinichaser Offline
#30 Posted:
Joined: 07-24-2011
Posts: 5,772
delta1 wrote:
I know this will not go over well with this crowd, but the Acid Kuba Kuba and a couple of others and the Java lines sell well at the local B & M's. They'll need their own little corner though...

EP Carillo has a bunch of moderately priced good cigars.

+1 My Father/DPG



You know we will mock you for it! But of course you are absolutely right. Drew Estate has made a ton of money off these lines, and its not from cigars sitting on the shelves. They sell. "Serious" cigar smokers, may not care for them, but boy they sure can help keep the doors open and provide funds for buying "serious smokers, type cigars".

If I were running a shop, it absolutely would carry some acids.
ZRX1200 Offline
#31 Posted:
Joined: 07-08-2007
Posts: 60,589
Yup.

I was at my local yesterday, guy in front of me got $150 worth of them.
mountainman Offline
#32 Posted:
Joined: 03-16-2012
Posts: 444
ZRX1200 wrote:
Yup.

I was at my local yesterday, guy in front of me got $150 worth of them.


I know every person that asked me about my cigar while I was out in town tried to compare it to an acid cigar with rare exceptions. I would also recommend the Ashton classic and casa manga, not an intimidating price point and a great smoke.
knokmdwn Offline
#33 Posted:
Joined: 04-13-2008
Posts: 8,849
I didn't read the whole thread, just parts of it, but I am surprised that I didn't see any Montecristos (unless I just missed it) I think the average guy that DOESN'T smoke cigars regularly and wants a couple for the golf course or a little family get together would go to one of those just by name recognition.
opelmanta1900 Offline
#34 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
ray - we've got some monte's... bringing in the monte by monte this next week too... RyJ, Monte, Punch, Partagas, Cohiba - we have those... I just don't know much about them and don't recommend them to people... we don't talk people out of them but we typically steer people towards something similar at a better price point or something better at a similar price point...


As for infused, when I first started at this, the infused sales were outnumbering the real cigar sales 2 to 1, easily... so the first expansion concentrated heavily on expanding the acids, bringing in the full Java line, those stupid cognac soaked gurkha's in the waxed tubes ($18), and adding a few more I feel comfortable recommending to people... brining in a few of the CAO flavours on the next order...
bassman45 Offline
#35 Posted:
Joined: 07-05-2009
Posts: 4,091
knokmdwn wrote:
I didn't read the whole thread, just parts of it, but I am surprised that I didn't see any Montecristos (unless I just missed it) I think the average guy that DOESN'T smoke cigars regularly and wants a couple for the golf course or a little family get together would go to one of those just by name recognition.

Great point,I couldn't get enough of the Monte double coronas when I worked my way up the ladder!
delta1 Offline
#36 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,782
Is the shop located in an area that draws a lot of tourists from the northeast? The owner of a local here said he carries and sells a bunch of Nat Sherman cigars for those travelers...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#37 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
funny you mention that... for whatever reason, we had a box of some kind of nat sherman that went untouched for awhile... I didn't pay attention to them for a month, all of a sudden there are only 2 left... so ya, we're gonna expand our Nat selection a bit...
delta1 Offline
#38 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,782
ThumpUp

Good luck, Bro!
illinichaser Offline
#39 Posted:
Joined: 07-24-2011
Posts: 5,772
Oh yeah, that Delta cat must be a noob. Flavored cigars. Phfft. Next he's gonna want you to stock lolly pops


Herfing
frankj1 Offline
#40 Posted:
Joined: 02-08-2007
Posts: 44,221
retailers have to decide if they want to carry smokes they like or smokes that sell. For what it's worth, the smokes that most here don't care for sell way more than many listed above...that's how they pay the rent.
tonygraz Offline
#41 Posted:
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,243
WHAT ! No Gurkhas ?
delta1 Offline
#42 Posted:
Joined: 11-23-2011
Posts: 28,782
illinichaser wrote:
Oh yeah, that Delta cat must be a noob. Flavored cigars. Phfft. Next he's gonna want you to stock lolly pops


Herfing


Hah!!! Great suggestion. Put those penny lollipops; red, yellow, green, purple and orange, in a big bowl near the checkout counter. Customers will take them while you're totalling up their purchase, to freshen their mouth later after a smoke, and they'll be thankful that your shpo is so thoughtful!!!
frankj1 Offline
#43 Posted:
Joined: 02-08-2007
Posts: 44,221
get the money in the drawer, worry about the change later
Abrignac Offline
#44 Posted:
Joined: 02-24-2012
Posts: 17,270
I guess this is why you haven't posted much lately. Congrats on the endeavor.

Lot's of good advice here.

You may want to consider some bundles. Not sure what the profit is on the lower cost cigars, but my local sells a fair amount of them to the guys who want a cheap yard gars.

Perhaps you can set up an account with a secondary distributor so you can get limited amounts of LFD's, Fuente's (including a few Opus'), Viaje's and Liga's.. Having a few premium smokes will draw in heavy hitters who don't mind getting a few cigars while picking up a box or to of their daily smokes. Your margins won't be as good as ordering direct, but you can expand your offerings without breaking the bank which will help build clientele.

Also, social media marking is highly effective right now.

cacman Offline
#45 Posted:
Joined: 07-03-2010
Posts: 12,216
ummm… Did anyone mention Tatuaje yet?
opelmanta1900 Offline
#46 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
tonygraz wrote:
WHAT ! No Gurkhas ?


I was waiting for that! For what it's worth, I tried to get the ghost in but it's backordered for the time being... and the rep almost has me talked into the 125th anni... we do have a block of the king louis cognac ones... and when they first opened they had a box of poorly kept monograms that I promptly sold off at 3-for-2...
opelmanta1900 Offline
#47 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
cacman wrote:
ummm… Did anyone mention Tatuaje yet?


not sure how it works, but I'm guessing we're way too small for any kind of tat... the wholesaler we work with can't get them for us...
cacman Offline
#48 Posted:
Joined: 07-03-2010
Posts: 12,216
opelmanta1900 wrote:
not sure how it works, but I'm guessing we're way too small for any kind of tat... the wholesaler we work with can't get them for us...

No Tats??? That's blasphemy!!!
Find another rep or wholesaler who can get them for you.
Otherwise you've lost me.
opelmanta1900 Offline
#49 Posted:
Joined: 01-10-2012
Posts: 13,954
delta1 wrote:
Hah!!! Great suggestion. Put those penny lollipops; red, yellow, green, purple and orange, in a big bowl near the checkout counter. Customers will take them while you're totalling up their purchase, to freshen their mouth later after a smoke, and they'll be thankful that your shpo is so thoughtful!!!


http://www.candycreek.com/lollipops-CC07020.html?gclid=CLq0u4nNnsUCFQqEfgod_58Ang

I realize that was probably a joke but these are like 5.2 cents each and I can definitely put them next to the register and sell them all day @ 3/$1 or 1/$.39... thanks for the suggestion... you too Jeremy...
99cobra2881 Offline
#50 Posted:
Joined: 11-19-2013
Posts: 2,472
Kristoff criollo, ligero maduro and Sancho Panza double Maduro and extra fuerte are some excellent smokes you should carry. Best of luck with the shpo!!!
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