16 / 42
36
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
N
ow is a great time to be in the
pipe-smoking business! The
increased level of interest in
pipe smoking is more than just wishful
thinking for those of us in the business of
making and selling pipes.
At trade shows, both retailers and
distributors have said that customers are
asking for more selection in the pipes
they carry. However, the level of interest
is most apparent at the pipe shows
hosted by local clubs in cities across the
nation. These regional pipe shows are
well attended and, most importantly, a
growing number of the attendees are
young people interested in taking up the
hobby of pipe smoking.
As Erik Stokkebye pointed out in a
previous column, this new, young segment
of pipe smokers is critical to the future
growth of the hobby and, consequently, to
the future growth of our business. These
young people must be engaged, educated
and re-engaged at every opportunity.
Social media has done an excellent job
of engaging young people since this is the
tool that they use most often to explore
a new topic of interest—and, fortunately,
most pipe smokers love to talk about
their pipes and pipe tobacco. The various
online forums are very effective at
educating young people in the “dos and
don’ts” of smoking a pipe. Experienced
pipe smokers are more than happy to help
someone learn how to correctly smoke a
pipe so that it becomes a lifelong hobby.
While these forums are extremely
important in engaging and educating
the young pipe smoker, the opportunities
presented by face-to-face contact with
this new customer at the retail level can
bring benefits that last far into the future.
Taking the time to personally show how
to correctly pack and light a pipe builds
trust, as does being able to describe the
various pipes and pipe tobacco that are
offered.
With the prices of pipes ranging
from very inexpensive to very expensive,
helping new pipe smokers stay within a
budget at the entry level is a great way to
build trust that will pay off in repeat visits
to your store. Hopefully, your efforts will
ensure that these customers embrace their
new hobby of pipe smoking for the long
term.
While it is a good time to be in the
pipe business in general, it is an especially
good time to be in the Corn Cob pipe
business. With so many young people
taking up the hobby of pipe smoking, the
humble, yet venerable, Corn Cob pipe
offers an inexpensive option that you can
offer to those new to the hobby. Since it
is important to have a minimum of two
pipes so that the pipe smoker can rotate
Timing
Is
Everything
The pace is picking up as more and more try pipe smoking.
By Phil Morgan