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MARCH/APRIL 2014
conditioning companies can put cigar
retailers on the right track with this very
important component, Castiano says.
You don’t need alcohol to hold a
great event.
Even though Castiano is
fortunate to be able to have both alcohol
and cigars at his cigar bars, he recognizes
that it’s not the alcohol that makes the
event, it’s the camaraderie—getting your
customers in one area at the same time to
smoke and sample and talk about cigars
as well as other passions. Retailers who
use alcohol as the excuse to not hold
events are not strategizing correctly and
could be excusing themselves out of cigar
sales, Castiano believes.
Consider hiring a certified retail
tobacconist.
That’s what another TPC
panelist did—Darren Collett, president
of Collett Enterprises—after he revisited
his premium cigar business, realizing that
after “discontinuing it and saying ‘never
again,’times changedwith better products
and better support, and we are now back
in pretty heavily.” The retail tobacconist
was hired to manage Collett’s premium
cigar category and help train associates in
important product knowledge.
Don’t fall in love with your
inventory.
Sometimes the best tactic is to
keep cool on your cigar inventory—don’t get
too attached to the existing sticks, according
to Collett. “How do we really make money
in retail? We make it by turning inventory,”
he offers. “My word is to take a look at
your inventory—be honest and turn dead
or slow-moving inventory back to cash. It
does you no good to have excess inventory.
This dynamic industrywarrants that we have
to be able to change our business a little bit
every day.”
TB
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