Tobacco Business

[ 68 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER | 21 ] B Being a brick-and-mortar retailer is a challenge for many. The typical brick-and-mortar retailer is limited to serving a small geographic area, and they also have to contend with local regulations, taxes, insurance, labor challenges and many other costs associated with having a physical store that is open and accessible to the public. Those retailers that are strictly brick-and-mortar-based must also compete with online retailers that are often able to offer the same products at lower prices—and to customers across the nation and the world, giving them a distinct advantage over the traditional brick-and-mortar tobacconist. “The fact that mail-order businesses can sell across state lines and avoid paying state tobacco taxes is a fundamentally unfair reality which undermines retail tobacconists,” explains Jorge Armenteros, owner of Tobacconist University (TU). “I don’t blame internet retailers for taking advantage of this opportunity, but it is clear that brick-and-mortar stores will need to enter the space to get back some of their business and customers in order to help level the playing field. Online tobacco retailing must be embraced by brick-and-mortar stores in order to thrive in this environment.” Having the ability to sell online is becoming a must for tobacconists who are interested in long-term success. Selling online is the best insurance policy a tobacconist can have against some of the challenges many have faced in the past year, including unexpected COVID-19 lockdowns, limited operating hours, inclement weather and transient customers. Taking your sales efforts online also gives a traditional tobacconist the ability to build a customer base that extends far beyond his or her geographic location. That’s why Tobacconist University’s latest feature, TUECOM, is a development that will give many brick-and- mortar tobacco retailers a much-needed advantage by easily bringing their stores and product offerings online to a brand-new customer base. Set to go live this fall, TUECOM is a turnkey e-commerce website available exclusively to Tobacconist University’s highly trained and educated Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRTs). TUECOM sites can be purchased through the Tobacconist University website by any retail store with a CRT, and that website will be wholly owned by the retailer. The code for the website will be hosted on the retailer’s server, pointing to their own domain, and the website will be fully customizable and functional— including credit card processing and a built-in cigar inventory database— approximately one week after purchase. “Tobacconist University will not receive any commissions on sales, and there are no recurring fees,” says Armenteros. “Our goal is to empower retailers by putting the full and functional power of e-commerce directly into their hands.” In the interview with Armenteros that follows, we’ll take a deeper dive into Tobacconist University’s new TUECOM platform and discover the many benefits it offers brick-and-mortar retailers who are looking to sell tobacco products online. E-Commerce Made Easy Tobacconist University’s latest feature can help brick-and-mortar tobacconists take their businesses online in just a week’s time and for a fraction of the typical costs.