In every industry, access to information is paramount and vital to the success of the business. So too with the premium cigar industry, which is constantly changing and evolving.  Thus it is imperative for cigar retailers to stay informed and ahead of the curve. Every day I speak to dozens of cigar retailers, and I’m surprised to learn that not enough are informed about new products and trends. In this month’s edition of Retailer Corner, I share with you how you can stay informed, and how that benefits your business.

For many years, the cigar industry was stagnant with nowhere near the number of new brands we have today. So it wasn’t hard to keep up-to-date with the newest brands, and information generally came from one main source – your manufacturers’ reps. Today, there are a lot more new cigar companies, and many of them don’t have local reps nearby. So, it’s important for you to be proactive and find information on your own. With current and looming FDA regulations, it’s important to understand how regulation will impact your business, and how to be compliant with future laws.

The best sources for finding info on the newest brands are readily available from websites such as Halfwheel.com, CigarAficionado.com, TobaccoBusiness.com and Cigar-Coop.com. And there’s an app for everything. One of the most popular cigar apps is Cigar Dojo, which provides a plethora of cigar reviews, news and a way to gauge consumer demand. Great magazines, like Cigar Snob, Cigar Aficionado and Tobacco Business are good sources of information that should be invaluable to your business. Check them out and learn about new products, see what might work well.

I hope you find this month’s edition helpful and it brings greater success to your business. At Santa Clara Cigars, we pride ourselves on the relationships we’ve built with our partners. We’re always here to help you thrive in today’s marketplace.