Market Differences

[Daize]

In my travels (and living in France) I have been able to often taste cubans from various national markets. My personal experience has been that it seems quality varies between markets and I was wondering what others have experienced.

To sum up my experience :
French market: poor
Swiss market : very good
Hong Kong market : average

[patrickspark]

i agree, in my experience the swis and english market selection stock are top drawer. spain and portugal qualitys can be mixed at best.

[Monkey Nuts]

Any idea why the difference chaps??

Do the UK and the Swiss get the 'pick of the bunch' from Cuba, or is it down to storage or something else?? Not had much experience of different markets myself, so curious as to the differeces.

[Smallclub]

Please define "market".

You are confusing "market" and the competence (ie knowledge, competence, involvement, passion) of the retailers.
In Spain and France, the 2 biggest markets, the margin on cigars is 6%; very few of them make "real" money with cigars, so they can't under any circumstances provide the conditions for reception, degustation, and (unfortunately) conservation found in Switzerland or in the UK…

[monkey66]

My understanding is that on the whole the product that ships from HSA is exact ally the same.

Smallclub hit it on the nail. Bigger margin = more specialist retailers = better quality control = better storage care. I have heard of H and F returning entire cases because the quality has not been up to scratch.

[Daize]

I think monkey hit the nail there... better quality control makes alot of sense to me.

[RogMcDodge]

With the UK price being so high, there is a definite need to market EMS cigars as some sort of justification for the cost here.

[larrysputnik]

My understanding is that on the whole the product that ships from HSA is exact ally the same.
.

Are you sure they are exact ally the same? Not just exac-a-tally the same?

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[shooting-glasses]

anyone got any idea on the mark up on cigars for the uk retailer?

[patrickspark]

sorry chaps, i'm far too ignorant to explain the reasons for such variations (if they exist) in quality.
i only used the term market as it pertains to "english market selection" because ems is stamped on all the boxes of cigars i purchase from cgars, foxes etc.

[monkey66]

Are you sure they are exact ally the same? Not just exac-a-tally the same?

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Thanks for your valid and stimulation contribution.