can anybody help explain this.......

[senor_robusto]

hey all,
i'm kinda reeling in shock a little bit here!!! i nipped into belfast yesterday to pick up a couple of singles of cigars i wanted to try!!!! went to the 'usual place' (naming the establishment just doesn't seem right) and was shocked at how much the prices have been hiked up!!!

the place in question was never 'cheap', but that's what you get in northern ireland when you want a decent selection and choice!!! anyway..... i was hoping to pick up maybe the trinidad 2010 LE, maybe one or 2 of those H&F 1998 vintage sticks......hell if they happened to have any of the behikes in stock i would've bought one!!! cutting to the chase, they didn't have any of what i was looking for, no 2010 LE's, no behikes, no 1998's (i'm not even gonna count the punch petite punch)..... more importantly, they didn't have any bolivars (expect the tubos 3 & bonitas, both waste of good money) or partagas!!!! the worst was yet to come......

whilst browsing, i know something wasn't right!!! yep, the prices!!! last time i was in (about 2 months ago) a cohiba siglo VI tubos was ?27, now they're ?30.50!!! WHAT!!! a cohiba robusto used to be ?18.50, now they're ?22.50!!! an exquisitos was ?8.50, now it's ?12.50!! an RyJ churchill used to be ?18.50, now it's ?21!!! anyone else see a pattern evolving???

i know we're supposed to be living in hard times, but considering the more popular cigars are cheaper (and from what i've experienced, as well humidified and maintained) in bars and off licenses, surely it must be seen as commercial suicide for one of the (only!!!) old time tobacconists to have such severe price hikes???

another thing i noticed is that the stock rarely changes!!! this wouldn't be a problem if they stocked some of the more popular brands, or a decent selection of the more popular sizes (such as coronas, torpedos, robustos, churchills, dcs etc)!!! instead, they seem to stock oddball sizes (eg bolivar bonita instead of petite corona or corona junior)!!!

anyway, that's my rant over......... for now!!!!

alex

[davidruddell]

Hence the rise of the online retailer, my nearest B&M is always willing to cut a deal if spending more than ?50.00 though.

[senor_robusto]

surely the shops here in the UK (esp for us who want the chance to go into a shop when the fancy takes us, instead of ordering online from say, cgars etc) could afford to keep the prices REALISTIC!!!! i mean, i had no probs paying ?13.50 for a PD4, not ?16.50....... and whatever happened to prices going up gradually, say, by 50p -?1 at a time...... not ?4 average on a f**king cigar!!!!!

alex

[Habana-Habanos]

I can see your concern mate but in the end of the day, it is their shop. If they want they can make their price 10000 pounds for a Bolivar Bonita, just nobody would buy it.

[senor_robusto]

hey habanos-habanos,
you're absolutely right!!!! that's the problem, they can do what they want..... but you'd think that, considering the smoking ban, online retailers etc they'd consider things before taking drastic action in such a small space of time!!!!

don't get me wrong, this is an expensive, luxurious pastime!!! i don't habitually smoke cigars....... i pick my moment and make it a total experience (maybe once a week now)!!! that's why i have no issue buying expensive cigars becuase i have no other 'vices', but this is definitely taking the piss!!!

alex

btw, last year when they got the RyJ duke in, it was initially priced at ?16!!! i bought 2 right away!!! 2 weeks later i went back and it was re-priced at ?20!!! never bought another one!!!

[tippexx]

I think what you're seeing Alex is the effect of the rise in VAT.

Also, your stockist is possibly concerned with 'movement' at the moment rather than quality, and is keeping to the cheaper end catering more for the night-out/celebration type occasional cigar smokers rather than chaps like yourself.

[senor_robusto]

ain't that the sad truth arf!!!! i tried to convince the owner one day, subtly of course, into considering a couple of cigars for his singles drawers!!! example:
bolivar belicosos finos
montecristo edmundo (even the tubos)
juan lopez no.2

i also expressed interest in trying the h upmann sir winston, partagas lusitania and trinidad fundadores...... no luck!!!

also, he stocks the bigger, more popular higher end cigars (cohibas, montecristo, RYJ, etc) and some EL's and RE's, at prices above premium IMO!!! he maybe has 4 or so of each in the drawers, so i thought my request wasn't unreasonable!!!! the smaller sized cigars just look like a bad sales strategy for me, i mean, he could've just stocked a selection of perlas, panatellas etc........

also, we've all complained about the 'dying off' of the old time tobacconists, but folks like this aren't doing themselves any favours!!!!

alex

[senor_robusto]

sorry arf, here's my point....... there is no 'concern with movement' in general (cos they, the cigars, ain't moving!!!) and he certainly isn't catering to the occasional or celebratory smoker with cheaper cigars....... that's the thing, he has no cheaper cigars!!!! a bolivar bonita was something like ?10.50, a cohiba exquisitos ?12.50, a montecristo no.5 ?8.50 (approx)!!!

if it's a case of his business isn't doing so well, then why put the prices up so high???? i just don't get it!!!

alex

[tippexx]

I know you like browsing Alex as it's all part of the fun and experience for you.

But, given those prices I think even with the postal costs it would be cheaper to buy from Mitch .... and you would get the cigar or cigars you wanted!

[senor_robusto]

i think that's what's gonna happen from now on arf!!!! at least i'll get what cigars i want instead of having to make do with what's on offer!!!! i can't even have a plan B anymore in this place....... like, if there's no bolivar belicosos finos i get an h upmann no.2...... there's no guarantee there'll be either!!!!

alex

[tippexx]

i think that's what's gonna happen from now on arf!!!! at least i'll get what cigars i want instead of having to make do with what's on offer!!!! i can't even have a plan B anymore in this place....... like, if there's no bolivar belicosos finos i get an h upmann no.2...... there's no guarantee there'll be either!!!!

alex

Wisest decision I think Alex. When a place gets like that .... it just isn't worth your shoe leather. And sadly, you won't be the only bloke in Belfast thinking the same thing.

[senor_robusto]

btw, this place is supposed to be northern ireland's only 'habanos specialist'.....

how sad is that?

alex

[daverave999]

Perhaps their overheads have gone up and the only way they can see to cover them is scaling up their prices? I don't reckon it's solely down to the VAT rise as the increase on the Exquisitos is 47%! Unless they own the space the shop is in, I wouldn't expect them to see the year out...

[senor_robusto]

hey dave,
well, that's the thing........ i do think they own the place!!! that's why i'm confused and dumbfounded by the severe price increases (such a big jump in 2 months)!!! it's not like cigars are, all of a sudden, popular here and he's cashing in!!! it just seems so...... random!!!! i mean, it's working out at like and extra ?3-4 per cigar!!!

as for the lack of variety...... maybe it's silly for me to suggest, but surely he could bust open one or two 3-5 packs and see how they sell!!!! as gary knows, he's a great selection of boxes in his cabinets (hell, he even has the cohiba gran reserva 2009 15 box and various LE's & RE's from over the years), why such a piss poor selection in singles? this is what strikes me as a bad sales strategy......

the price increases on the other hand just looks like plain old greed or commercial suicide!!!!

alex

[Simon-JG-hr]

Sounds very odd sR, I'd be devastated at the loss of a local retailer - I certainly couldn't justify those prices, they're frankly laughable. I too would be surprised if they last long with them kind of prices.

I don't reckon it's solely down to the VAT rise as the increase on the Exquisitos is 47%!

Beat me to it. VAT rises won't make a jot of difference to anything other than really expensive stuff (and I'm not thinking of cigars - except some of the nice stuff in Ajay's vault... )