Stokkebye echoes this sentiment and dedication to pipe tobacco—retailers shouldn’t abandon pipes and pipe tobacco just because they are not as popular as cigars and other tobacco products. If you stock these items, customers will come into your store in search of them. Retailers can also gain an advantage over their competitors by just carrying pipe tobacco products and becoming a source for this underserved niche in the market. Stokkebye notes that pipe smokers are extremely loyal and willing to make the drive if they have found the right store. Today, many pipe smokers also smoke cigars, making these customers a potential double source of incremental revenue. STG Lane works with retailers to create engaging in-store blending events and also offers staff training for those retailers who are new to pipe tobacco. STG Lane also has a variety of merchandising options for bulk and tinned tobacco. In addition, the STG Lane-owned and -operated website This Pipe Life (www.thispipelife.com) serves as a great resource for anyone interested in pipes, with education, articles, history and a discussion forum for the pipe community.
Building an In-Store Community
As with any product category, having a good selection of pipe products to choose from is imperative. Beginning with pipes, Stokkebye recommends that retailers stock their stores with a range of pipes, including corncob pipes, which can cost as little as $10, to briar pipes with retail prices of $150 to $200, as well as various price points in between. This will give new pipe smokers an entry point into the category that won’t cause them to debate making the investment. Estate pipes, those pipes acquired by purchasing an individual’s personal collection, are another option for some retailers and could offer more variety for customers in terms of price points, shapes and styles.
For those retailers who may not be able to hire a dedicated pipe salesperson, it’s important to have at least a basic understanding of the difference between an English blend and an aromatic blend and between flake and loose-cut tobacco. Websites, such as This Pipe Life, are a good source of educational information and articles that can help retailers figure out the basics of the category and how to better serve their pipe customers. Another way for retailers to understand the needs and wants of their pipe customers is to open their stores to the community and become the host of a local pipe club. Stokkebye refers to pipe clubs and shows as one of the last safe havens for the hobby. STG Lane is still actively engaged with clubs and makes sure that it has a presence at most regional pipe shows.
“Between pipe shows, pipe clubs and retail events, we are activating over 50 times a year,” Stokkebye explains. “We are one of the last companies of scale truly focused on this category. We have a dedicated brand ambassador. All our major brands have websites and store finders. We’ve created forums, Facebook groups and a complete social media presence. We have built up one of the industry’s largest consumer databases, and we send them coupons and updates on events.”
The message is clear for retailers: If you aren’t selling pipe tobacco, chances are there’s a tobacconist in town who is—and you’re missing out. Stokkebye believes the pipe category will continue to see a changing of the guard toward new consumers and that these consumers will be more open to trying new and different pipe tobacco blends. As tobacconists and other retailers look for ways to attract new customers, the answer could be to look to the past and tap into true and tested products, such as pipes and pipe tobaccos.
This story first appeared in the March/April 2020 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
– Story by Antoine Reid, senior editor and digital content director for Tobacco Business Magazine. You can follow him on Instagram @editor.reid.
