Tobacco Business

[ 76 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ JANUARY / FEBRUARY | 22 ] Right now, what’s the most pressing issue you’re dealing with when it comes to your business? Nolan: Keeping a strong staff at each store and knowing that they are happy and not looking for their next pay hike. Gallagher: The ability to staff all stores completely and the stress of wages and benefits pushing the cost of operations higher and higher and potentially eroding profitability. The government is always at the top of the list, whether it’s local, state or federal. Fighting tax increases, flavor bans and product bans is a never-ending chore. It is imperative the industry sticks together to fight these onerous initiatives at every level! Reesor: The most pressing item for us right now is staffing. We want to make sure that we staff with great people, and that starts with us. We’ve got to make sure that we make it a great place for people to come work and then try to offer those benefits that are that exciting. When looking at the future, what do you believe that future will look like? Reesor: We’ll continue to look for opportunities to grow. We would love to grow as a company and hopefully get to that 15-store or 20-store range. That’s huge for us, that opportunity to grow. If we were getting rid of stores, that would be an issue for us, but sales are still great, and we continue to drive them. We want to look at areas where we could possibly add some stores and continue to offer opportunities for our employees to move up the ladder and to see what we can do to the communities that we go into. Gallagher: I think convenience/gas will always have a leadership position in the core categories because of that channel’s scale and need for profitability. However, I believe our channel will grow as other trade classes continue to de- emphasize and eliminate tobacco and nicotine products. I’m very bullish on tobacco stores! Allen: The regulatory landscape will continue to cut it up, and Smoker Friendly is in the best position to take advantage of that future. Retailer Advantage Retailers looking to diversify their store’s product offerings may be at a loss as to where to start. That’s where the annual trade show, Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE), can be of great help. This trade show offers a more diverse mix of products than most other trade shows, giving retailers a chance to learn more about new and emerging markets and products that can set their stores apart from others in their areas. “We’ve been attending since the very beginning,” says Terry Gallagher Jr., president of Smoker Friendly International. “We always send key people and see it as a must to attend. I think having traditional and nontraditional works very well, and we favor having all the existing vendors and new in one place to nurture existing relationships and build new. It also provides very good buying opportunities.” Discover what’s new in the tobacco and alternative industries by attending TPE22, held in Las Vegas, Jan. 26-28, 2022. You can register ahead of the show at tobaccoplusexpo.com or on site. What’s your one piece of advice to other retailers selling tobacco, vapor and alternative products? Gallagher: Work on relationships at every level, be a responsible retailer and comply with all the regulations we have in place, and be proud to be a part of this great industry. Nolan: Keep your eyes open and ear to the ground because there are always a few key products that merchants need to carry because of new trends. Allen: Be a responsible seller. Network with other members of our industry and stand united against regulatory action. Reesor: The big thing is that you’ve got to be agile. Our industry can change at a moment’s notice, so you’ve got to be able to think outside the box sometimes. There might be some things that you’re closed-minded to, that you don’t think would ever work in 100 years, but you really don’t know until you try. That would be my advice: keep an open mind. Be agile and be ready to change at a moment’s notice. TB Roll-your-own has emerged as a profitable category as cigarette prices continue to rise and consumers seek more affordable alternatives to these products.