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accomplish? Are we trying to get people in our stores?
Are we trying to gain new customers from offsite events?
Are we trying to show appreciation to our existing cus-
tomers? Is the amount of time and money we are spend-
ing worth having one event?’ Typically, if we can ade-
quately answer these questions, we will proceed with an
event,” Silverman says.
Terry Gallagher, Jr., president of Boulder, Colora-
do-based Smoker Friendly and its corporate-run divi-
sion, The Cigarette Store, concurs that “we all need to
be more analytical and creative” with events. “I don’t
disagree with Rocky, especially if you look at some who
offer the same events to the same customers over and
over—at what point do the events get ‘tired’ and when
do customers and their wallets get ‘event fatigue?’”
Bob Roberts, president of Smoke em based in Scotts-
dale, Arizona, also agrees with Rocky Patel’s assessment
of cigar events, but explains that he continues to hold such
events “due to our competition doing the same. It takes a
lot of imagination to do something different,” he tells
TB.
THINK FOOD AND BOOZE
Two ancillary, yet complementary areas where Roberts
and other tobacco retailers are looking to put their val-
ue-added event attention these days are food and booze.
Alcohol is a logical pairing choice and a draw away from
discounts, they say.
“Some people come to cigar events to get exclusive
products, but mostly people come because there’s a deal,
and in Arizona, you could go every Friday and Satur-
day to various events and get all cigars at a discount,
but that doesn’t help with customer loyalty,” explains
Roberts. “Some of my competitors have liquor licenses,
so they’re doing pairings with scotches and they’re very
educational. We have 12 craft beers on tap, and at least
half are from local craft breweries, but we are also pair-
ing beer and wine with cigars.”
Retailers who want to do well with events today need
to go the extra mile, Roberts adds. “You have to do more
of those kinds of events than just offering a cigar deal.
You have to do something that gives you a leg up over the
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We have more
of a working-
class clientele,
so food trucks
are a really
good fit for us.
We’ve done
lobster, tacos
and barbecue,
which seem to
attract a lot
of people.