From Oct. 14 to Nov. 30, 2020, Tobacco Business magazine conducted its first-ever retail survey. During the course of the survey, 93 retailers responded to a series of questions that focused on the state of tobacco retail: What products are selling? What brands are performing the best? What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on your sales for 2020 and going into 2021? What are their main concerns? The following results not only demonstrate the resilience of tobacco retailers but also identify areas of possible improvement as well as potential opportunities for the future.
What type of store do you own/operate?
- Premium tobacconist – 74.19%
- Smoke shop – 7.53%
- Distributor/wholesaler/cash and carry – 5.38%
- Beer/wine/liquor – 4.3%
- Discount tobacco outlet – 3.23 %
- Other – 5.37%
Including yourself, how many employees does your store have?
- 1-5 – 63.44%
- 5-10 – 21.51%
- 10-20 – 10.75%
- Over 20 – 4.3%
What is your store’s most popular product category?
- Premium Cigars – 83.87%
- Cigarettes – 2.15%
- Vapor – 2.15%
- Other (Pipe tobacco, hemp, CBD, liquor/alcohol) – 11.83%
How would you describe your store’s 2020 sales performance?
- An Increase in sales – 67.03%
- A decrease in sales – 23.08%
- Stagnant/flat sales – 9.89%
What cigar brand is most popular in your store?
- Drew Estate
- Padrón
- Perdomo Cigars
- Arturo Fuente
- Oliva Cigar Co.
What is the most popular cigar size sold in your store?
- Toro (6 x 50) – 61.11%
- Robusto (5 x 50) – 23.33%
- Gordo (6 x 60) – 11.11%
- Gordito (4 1/2 x 60) – 2.22%
- Churchill (7 x 48) – 1.12%
- Corona (5 1/4 x 44) – 1.11%
