Your Personal Tobacco Shoppe

[Lime]

Gryphon57 and Tobus:

They do do that here but I have always found them to be questionable aromatic blends that are always too dry whereas I prefer a good natural*: I've taken to buying tins (e.g. Old Gowrie) which seems to answer but I do like a bit of excitement from time to time.

I think perhaps the problem is that I just haven't found a good tobacconist... and not for want of trying. A shop that allows you a sample: heaven! You chaps are very lucky.


*LitTrog can just go crazy with that one!

[Seawolf]

I would concur,

The tobacconist in my area blends and sells by weight and some small 4oz packages. Being able to smell the different blends and read the ingredients in each makes for a delightful experience.

Slainte

Seawolf

[MizzouScotsman]

Lime,

On the subject of pipe tobacco; having never been to Great Britain (except for Scotland), I can't comment on their practices, but in my part of the U.S., the better shops sell their product by the ounce. My favorite shop in Oklahoma also will allow you to sample a bowl of their shop blends, providing you have your own pipe. Their house blends reside in airtight jars and are measured to order. I don't smoke as much as I used to, so I now buy mine 4 ounces at a time to ensure freshness. A bit of scotch on the stone in the humidor on my desk keeps it moist between bowls.

Reminds me of my local shop. They also allow you to sample their goods if you bring your pipe. They have a nice walk-in humidor for cigars. They also have a vast selection of pipes, both new and estate. They have every little device known to man to use for pipes from multi-tools to what seems to be every variety of pipe cleaners.

I buy my tobacco by the pound and then "can" it myself at home in jars. Love the way it ages while at home. I call it the "Sam's Club" way of buying tobacco. I prefer their Black Forest blend.

So as far as what I would have in my shop, it would mimic what they have, a lot of pipe stock and tobacco variety.

[Friday]

What is the local market like? If there tobacconist in the area and what is their specialty? You will not be able to compete on basic cigarettes but they can be used to bring people into the shop. Is the mall or area a smoke free environment? If it is could some of the space be used as a smoking room. The room would have to be sealed and well filtered so those out side the shop do not smell the tobacco.

However, I believe as has been said the main product for sale would be knowledge. You like X-brand of basic cigarette have you tried Y-import? Similar but Y has more flavor.

Tins of pipe tobacco are good in that they take up little space, but, the ability to blend and the knowledge of how to blend will bring them back. The same for cigars, how can you up sale to a finer taste and quality cigar.

[Joshua]

I'm going to go in a different direction than Steve because I want to have fun with this question. My ideas probably wouldn't make for the most profitable shop, but it would address the things that bug me about all the shops here in "Cigar City". I love tobacco and use several different delivery methods, Snus (Swedish snuff), a Pipe, and Cigars.

For starters, my humidor would be sorted by wrapper and strength, not by brand names - so all Corojo wrappers would be separate from Connecticut, and maduros would be separate from naturals - this is my biggest qualm with most smoke shops is that I can't find the sticks that match my tastes because I have to browse through every box in the walk-in. More like a wine shop, where whites, reds, ports are all in their own section.

As far as pipe tobacco, most places mix aromatics with naturals, or don't have any naturals (most shops I've been to seem to have a fruit section, a cavendish section, and a black cavendish section... and that's it. I also would try to catalog pipe tobaccos better, to include nicotine strength, flavor, harshness, etc.

My favorite shop for Snus and Cigars happens to have a smoke room, and a cooler where they store water and sodas for purchase. They also allow BYOB, so I've had a few enjoyable nights sipping a single malt and talking trash with my fellow cigar/pipe folks. They could make it better with a Kuerig or some other simple coffee making system that allows them to charge per cup and have some variety.

And as far as smokeless tobacco - I really wish there was better penetration in the US market with the popular snus brands (like Roda Lacket, Nick and Johnny, and Ettan). Before the big tobacco taxes took hold, I had excellent variety from places like Northerner and GetSnus - my choice of 50+ brands of snus. Now I can only get one brand (General) and it's $2/per can more than it used to be. I won't use American snus like Marlboro, Camel, and Skoal because for one, they taste like candy. Two (and more importantly), they do not list their ingredients like Swedish snus.

[plaid preacher]

As a general rule, I think I agree with most of the posters to date -- be true to your calling. If you are going to be a smoke shop then really make that your focus. However, I'm a non-smoker. I do frequent a smoke shop though. My smoke shop carries Col. Conk Shaving soap and an assortment of wet shaving paraphenalia. Smoke shops tend to be a male bastian, and therefore, I do think tobaccos and shaving stuff does kinds go together. And I ask you, where can you find a good natural bristle shave brush? Only one place I know of that's near me; the Walper Smoke Shop.

Thanks for listening.

[masonpiper]

Okay no reading ahead, this was actually easy, I helped a friend write his business plan and set up his shop. The space was 12 by 25 so just a bit bigger than the target with a 6X15 Humidor. The humidor had a good selection of high, medium and low end cigars with a bunch of “popular best sellers”. He also had room to store bulk pipe and cigarette tobacco along the bottom under the shelves, boxes to the ceiling above the display. He had a 6X8 office that included the restroom next to it and his cash wrap was the 7ft from the office to the end of the humidor. He carried all of the inexpensive cutters, multi-tools, flints, fuel, and all the plethora of smoking odds and ends like pipe cleaners and papers, right there for impulse buying. On the wall behind he carried all of his cigarettes everything from Marlboro to Dunhill and Cloves etc. The cash wrap turned into a class display case that ran the rest of the shop, with a large selection of pipes and on the case next to the wrap, he carried 12 jars of loose pipe tobacco and 3 of cigarette tobacco for roll your own. On the back wall he had tins and bags of pipe and cigarette tobacco. On a narrow shelf behind the display case he had more pipes and a display of the expensive cutters, multi-tools, lighters and cases.
The end of the humidor was glass so you could see in as you walked in the shop with a stand of walking sticks and canes for sale in front of it. Along the far wall he had humidors, books on “manly” topics, shaving gear, ashtrays, and other appropriate items. He also had 2 chairs with ashtrays in the open area where you could sit and abide for a while.
I wish it was still open, but it has succumb to the economy and the anti-smokers in the mall.



okay I read them after I wrote this.. I think you would have liked "For Smokers Only"

[madmacs]

Non smoker, but both parents and an ex wife smoked...

Aromatic tobaco, nothing like the smell of it... Smoked or not...
Zippos of the imported variety (japan has a lot of nice ones)
Meersham pipes, missouri meersham for corn cob ones (washington, mo)

[chemist93]

Like some other posters, I would suggest if the mall/location allows smoking, have a pipe smoking clerk with a good smelling blend. The local shop used to do that as an attractant. Buy some inexpensive cigars for boxes. Have a good selection that has a rapid turnover. Avoid fancy expensive stuff unless you're close to places with folks that will pay for $10 cigars. The local large shop does special pricing on slow moving products for 1-2 days. Their smoke room is their cigar room, and the clerks smoke cigars. A local chain smoke shop will special order items with at least half the cost as a down payment. One customer buys 2 boxes specialty 50/box per week. The match advertising works well, and so does little tools, ashtrays, safety wood matches, etc. And advertise wherever you can. Good luck.