More HSA cigar price increases coming soon

[ha_banos]

https://www.cigarjournal.com/habanos-s-a-to-introduce-new-international-pricing-policy/

If you haven't bought your crop of Cohiba, Trinidad, RyJ Linea de Oro, Monte 1935 etc. hold onto your hats.

Looks like the full range will be going through a price increase. Looks like the rest of the world may start to normalise pricing against what we see in the UK if the HK pricing model is the bar. HSA obviously looking at what they get per cigar vs. what the retailers are charging around the world.

PSD4 313$HK = £31 vs £23-26 in the UK
CoRo 480$HK = £49 vs £40 here in the UK
box Upmann HC 200$HK = £200 vs £250 in the UK

So maybe that gives a shape of things to come. We might not see a further increase in non premium CC boxes here in the UK (but I expect we will.) But I expect we will see significant rises across Europe, levelling the playing field so to speak.

I will have to try some NC soon probably missed out on the Dalay LE DC by now!

[simwells]

HK official pricing has always been high though hasn’t it? They just seem to find ways round it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ha_banos]

HK official pricing has always been high though hasn’t it? They just seem to find ways round it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes HK retail has been high prices for a while now. As has Australia retail. Australasia all provided by PCC of course. HSA now half owned by China. We know some grey distributors have different pricing. But there's also big variance across authorised PCC suppliers. Which I guess will start to normalise .. upwards. I expect we'll see significant increases from all retailers. Folk are expecting prices in Cuba to increase too. Which is interesting as they don't sell NC

But the comparison to boutique fashion makes me retch.

[simwells]

Yes HK retail has been high prices for a while now. As has Australia retail. Australasia all provided by PCC of course. HSA now half owned by China. We know some grey distributors have different pricing. But there's also big variance across authorised PCC suppliers. Which I guess will start to normalise .. upwards. I expect we'll see significant increases from all retailers. Folk are expecting prices in Cuba to increase too. Which is interesting as they don't sell NC

But the comparison to boutique fashion makes me retch.

Sadly they are pushing towards cigars as an asset not something to enjoy anymore


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gojira]

Well, that was expected as rumours have been going around for a few months now. This will only be the start. More high end lines like the Linea d'oro will be released in the coming years, the plan is to divide production into two: high end stuff and regular stuff. I have been told that production of the regular stuff will slowly decrease in the coming years or decade and that the high end stuff will see more and more production. It seems that HSA are aiming at a different market and these will be the first steps to do so.


I'm lucky enough to have a few Cohibas in stock, a little less Trinidad so I simply will not buy any new ones unless I can get them at a good price from now on.

[Simon Bolivar]

Well, that was expected as rumours have been going around for a few months now. This will only be the start. More high end lines like the Linea d'oro will be released in the coming years, the plan is to divide production into two: high end stuff and regular stuff. I have been told that production of the regular stuff will slowly decrease in the coming years or decade and that the high end stuff will see more and more production. It seems that HSA are aiming at a different market and these will be the first steps to do so.


I'm lucky enough to have a few Cohibas in stock, a little less Trinidad so I simply will not buy any new ones unless I can get them at a good price from now on.

With you there Mike, I actually thought I might have too many Trini's & considered selling some but guess I'll keep them now, if only coz they'll be worth more in future.

They obviously have to balance cost v sales. If they can increase prices 50% & only drop 20% in sales they'll be happy enough, drop 70% & there's a problem. I imagine part of this is due to lack of good quality tobacco & turn over in Rollers during pandemic ect. With less cigars, they'd rather aim high end but there will always be tobacco that isn't good enough for high end priced cigars, I mean how many Behike's are being produced - even if they are all heading to the Far East market?

A decade of change will see me out I expect, I'll be lucky if they let me smoke one on my birthday by then. And I have enough to last a decade but for newer, younger members buying more than you smoke has never made more sense. I was looking at the official Spanish price list yesterday & Germany is supposed to be even better so time to take cheap weekends abroad & topping up with your fav smokes, especially the higher end marca's. I'd just phone ahead to try & find what you want as the prices may be better but supply of your fav's can be an issue all over Europe.

[gojira]

With you there Mike, I actually thought I might have too many Trini's & considered selling some but guess I'll keep them now, if only coz they'll be worth more in future.

They obviously have to balance cost v sales. If they can increase prices 50% & only drop 20% in sales they'll be happy enough, drop 70% & there's a problem. I imagine part of this is due to lack of good quality tobacco & turn over in Rollers during pandemic ect. With less cigars, they'd rather aim high end but there will always be tobacco that isn't good enough for high end priced cigars, I mean how many Behike's are being produced - even if they are all heading to the Far East market?

A decade of change will see me out I expect, I'll be lucky if they let me smoke one on my birthday by then. And I have enough to last a decade but for newer, younger members buying more than you smoke has never made more sense. I was looking at the official Spanish price list yesterday & Germany is supposed to be even better so time to take cheap weekends abroad & topping up with your fav smokes, especially the higher end marca's. I'd just phone ahead to try & find what you want as the prices may be better but supply of your fav's can be an issue all over Europe.

Rollers are crucially lacking right now and they are having trouble training new ones. A friend of mine just had a talk with the person who is training new rollers and they only have 15 people attending classes right now. Half of them don't know what they are doing. The factories are staffed at less than 40% and this isn't because of Covid. People are leaving Cuba massively. The really good rollers are either leaving Cuba for Nicaragua or they start working on their own because there is more money in it. My friend just came back from Cuba a couple of weeks ago and the situation there is catastrophic. He has been going since the early 80s and said that things were never this bad.

[Simon Bolivar]

Rollers are crucially lacking right now and they are having trouble training new ones. A friend of mine just had a talk with the person who is training new rollers and they only have 15 people attending classes right now. Half of them don't know what they are doing. The factories are staffed at less than 40% and this isn't because of Covid. People are leaving Cuba massively. The really good rollers are either leaving Cuba for Nicaragua or they start working on their own because there is more money in it. My friend just came back from Cuba a couple of weeks ago and the situation there is catastrophic. He has been going since the early 80s and said that things were never this bad.

That is sad news but what I have heard through other sources. Being a Roller used to be a prized position & reasonably well paid & of course they could earn money on the side rolling/ selling to tourists. I certainly think Covid had a big impact on the society as a whole, let alone the tobacco industry but have also heard tobacco farmers are now choosing to grow food because they can't eat tobacco & there just isn't enough money to in growing tobacco to buy food at current prices, to support their families. One suspects as usual, things will get much worse before there is any real change but with the Castro's now out of the picture, maybe a social revolution (rather than armed) is the only way they can escape from their increasing poverty?

Sometimes we need to remember their plight & keep our worries of the price & availability of the top end of Cuban cigars as a prime example a very minor 1st World problem.

[ha_banos]

https://www.cigarjournal.com/prices-for-cohiba-will-triple/

Boom.

"Habanos S.A.’s intention is to turn Cohiba into a super-luxury brand, available only to the most powerful pockets. The rumor has been confirmed and it will be a matter of days, maybe weeks, before the price hike will hit the consumers. For Cohiba cigars, prices will multiply between 2.5 and 3, for Trinidad prices will be multiplied between 3 and 4, prices for Montecristo 1935 and Romeo y Julieta Línea de Oro will increase in a similar proportion.

There will also be price increases for the rest of Cuban cigars, but by percentages consistent with the hyperinflationary world economy. The brands Montecristo, Hoyo de Monterrey, Romeo y Julieta, H.Upmann and Partagás will cost about 15 to 20 percent more, the rest of the portfolio will increase between 5 and 10 percent.
"

[Drewster]

Time to start smoking NC's then i guess

[ha_banos]

I expect we wont see these 3-5x increases in the UK as the market here is already very expensive, similar to HK almost.

But we will get the other increases for sure. No more trips to buy Cohibas or Trinidad, Linea d'oro or 1935. Other stuff will probably still be worth while though I guess.

I guess Cohiba and Trinidad is all the China market wanted anyways!

But for sure like I posted before Distracted-Boyfriend~3.jpg

[potpest]

I get this with Cohiba as they will sell everything no matter what the price in the current market, but are Trinidad's really that popular? Until this news came out there were still Trinidad left on the shelves at current prices. Are people really going to pay 30/40 euros for a coloniales?

[simwells]

I get this with Cohiba as they will sell everything no matter what the price in the current market, but are Trinidad's really that popular? Until this news came out there were still Trinidad left on the shelves at current prices. Are people really going to pay 30/40 euros for a coloniales?

I didn’t even think Trinidad was one they previously classed as higher end, I’m a bit of them but tripling the prices just stops Cohibas and Trinidad being items to be smoked anywhere. At these sort of price points they are going to need to seriously look at their QC too no other brand could class themselves as a luxury brand and have such poor QC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[simwells]

I expect we wont see these 3-5x increases in the UK as the market here is already very expensive, similar to HK almost.

But we will get the other increases for sure. No more trips to buy Cohibas or Trinidad, Linea d'oro or 1935. Other stuff will probably still be worth while though I guess.

I guess Cohiba and Trinidad is all the China market wanted anyways!

But for sure like I posted before Distracted-Boyfriend~3.jpg

It’ll be interesting to see the Spanish list when it comes out but with the advantages of traveling to pick up sticks gone how many of us on here would even buy? Going to completely change the cigar world over the coming years and not in a way I like


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ha_banos]

And all this happening at the peak of bad economic woes in Cuba. Worse than ever. Shortages and the folk suffering.