Page 35 - TOB Magazine March/April 2013
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TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
MARCH/APRIL 2013
distributors see taking off quickly so
that risk-averse retailers can easily
identify tried and true items. “The
guys who work our retail distribution
routes all have handheld computers
so we use that electronic information
in addition to feedback from them
to see which products are exceeding
expectations,” he explains. “It takes
some of the mystery out of the
category.”
While it may seem counterintuitive
to tell your customer which of your
products to sell—and therefore
imply which ones to shun—Green
sees that information-sharing as
ultimately beneficial on both sides.
“We are developing these products,
bringing them to market and trying
to get retailers to buy them, but we
also want to help them to buy what is
working,” he says. “Because we don’t
want to only sell to them today; we
want to sell to them forever.”
TOB
What’s Hot Right Now
Looking for hot new front-end items to liven up your countertop
this spring? Start with a little bling, suggests Green. “This year
anything that glitters will be hot, so think lighter cases and cigarette
cases decorated with rhinestones,” he says.
In the non-tobacco arena, cell phone accessories are a great
category to explore. After all, chances are just about every consumer
who wanders into your store carries a cell phone. “It is the one
appliance people carry all the time,” points out Green. Novelty
Inc. makes a wide range of cell phone accessories, from cases and
earphone splitters (so two people can listen to music on the same
phone) to cell phone chargers, now available in fashion colors.
“One of our hottest new items is a cell phone charger cable
that glows in the dark,” says Green. “It looks cool, but it’s also
functional—if you are in your car looking for your cord it will be
easy to find.” Novelty Inc. (
) also expects to do
well with a new battery-powered lighter that can be charged with a
USB port. “When it dies you just connect it to your computer and
recharge it,” he says. “Also, because it doesn’t have any fluid it can be
carried on an airplane.”
