TOB Magazine

CIGARETTES

Largest category/

biggest contributor

to profit

Still full-line

Dying

Still the biggest play-

er in our stores

In decline

Declining in sales

Core

Shrinking as a whole

More customers sub-

sidizing with vape

Relatively flat

Profitability continues

to decline, but essen-

tial to drive traffic

Third tier—where

it’s at

SMOKELESS

TOBACCO

ncreasing

Growing

Very competi-

tive—c-stores getting

into it more

Offer large selection

Very steady

Solid

Steady, very competi-

tive market

Manufacturers trying

to build new brands

and deal with contin-

ued tax hikes

Growth category

Growing category

somewhat

Small portion of our

business

E-CIGARETTES

Declining

Yesterday

The future with new

technology

F-D-A

Declining somewhat

but very good profit

item

Evolving

Very small catego-

ry with everyone

switching to vapor

Dying category

Decreasing sales due

to shift to vape

Still booming

A mess currently, but

long-term potential

with advanced tech-

nology and easing of

regulations

VAPOR

Flat, not doing any-

thing

Some potential

through CBD

People already have

equipment, so now

it’s just juice

Down about 20 per-

cent versus last year

Early adopters going

back to combustibles

Waiting for new

technology like heat-

not-burn

As long as govern-

ment allows it, it will

grow

Where it’s all at

Changing

Huge category

Continues to grow

even with the FDA

regs and halt on inno-

vation

Margins dropped on

liquid and devices

More smokers

switching with con-

tinued growth of

sales

Potential growth cat-

egory, depending on

legislation

Customers wary due

to shady retailers

Lots of variety

PREMIUM CIGARS

Exciting

Biggest growth po-

tential

Promoting it better

Bit of a comeback

Great category

Steady and staying

constant

Growing

Steady sales

More than 50 per-

cent of our custom-

ers use us only for

fill-in while waiting

for online order to

arrive

Growth category

Growing and oppor-

tunity

Exclusive gift packag-

es by manufacturers

help us grow sales

Steady, but unsure

of what will happen

with FDA regulations

LITTLE CIGARS

A must-have

Neither growing nor

declining

Good performer

Holding their own

Cigarette taxes drive

smokers to them

Increasing in sales

because taxes hav-

en’t gone up

Strong

NewYork has killed

them, they are taxed

like cigarettes

Flat

May go away with

FDA redefining

Pretty steady

Tough growth oppor-

tunity due to taxation

RYO TUBES,

TOBACCO, LITTLE

MACHINES

Growing

Potential

The gap between it

and lowest priced

cigarettes continues

to widen

Electric machines

staying steady

Good selection

The first thing cus-

tomers look for when

cigarette taxes go up

Way up

Still increasing in

volume

Very profitable

Important

Continued steady

business

NewYork customers

can make their own

for less than $2 a

pack versus the $8 to

$12 a pack for brands

Relatively flat

Maintaining

Selling a lot this past

year

Still seems to be

solid, despite new

taxes

HOOKAH

Nothing there

Don’t carry it

Little niche without

growth

I don’t mess with it

Don’t need the image

it gives off

Don’t sell it

Hardly deal with it

Dying, although we

still sell hookah to-

bacco and charcoals

Dropped more than

75 percent from two

years ago

Opportunity there

Declining due to shift

to vape

Very small portion of

our business

Not a big mover

PIPES

Don’t carry them

Very small portion of

business

Have them for those

that want them

Only in our more

upscale stores

A little bit

Sell some, not a lot

1 percent tops in our

business

Upside

Steady, but nowhere

near the powerhouse

it once was

More customers

switching to mechan-

ical devices

Growth category

Growing young adult

interest

Very small, dying out

TOBACCO

ACCESSORIES

Always a good cat-

egory

Great through loyalty

program

A must-have that

brings resources to

the bottom line

Everyday lighters the

biggest seller

Cigar smokers love

the torch lighters

Can sell up to $45,

$49 items

History, don’t sell

much

Very good category

Mostly lighters and

cigarette cases

2-3 percent of our

business, that’s a lot

Ancillary

Great with continued

category massag-

ing—products must

be changed up on a

regular basis to keep

with graphic trends

Best advertised

through word-of-

mouth

Additional sales op-

portunities

Declining due to no

new products—op-

portunity for manu-

facturers

Steady, nothing crazy

CANNABIS

Not in our state yet

A greener pasture

Nope

We don’t and won’t

Don’t deal with it

at all

Interesting

Not as taboo any-

More socially accept-

able

Future opportunity

Majority of consum-

ers not offended by it

anymore

Not sure what I think

of this for our busi-

ness

ALTERNATIVE

ACCESSORIES

Significant growth

already

Selling a boatload of

pipes

Triple-digit market

potential

If they make can-

nabis legal, then I’ll

think about it

I can live without

them

Had it a year ago, but

got out because of

legal problems

Margins

Staff is trained to ask

customers to leave

if they speak about

using any device with

an illegal substance

A lot more socially

acceptable

Present opportunity

We have dedicated

rooms that house

these products

Something we will

continue to expand

on as cannabis devel-

ops in our business

states