PCA Magazine Fall 2019

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019 | PCA The Magazine 57 O U T S I D E T H E C I G A R B O X new smokes with surprising new blends and profiles. A good tobacconist facilitates that experience for me by beingmy personal premiumconcierge. CONVENING : Independent booksellers started to promote their stores as intellectual centers for convening customers with like-minded interests. With the thousands of events held at cigar shops around the country, I wonder if the booksellers stole this? It’s also important to note that some of the events were focused around like-minded interests and not necessarily the books. Enjoying a premium smoke brings together such interesting cross sections of people with fascinating stories and interests, there are sure to be some very creative and enticing events centered around those. Indie bookstores are not the only sector that is seeing a resurgence. From Swiss mechanical watches and vinyl records to even urban street cars and fountain pens, numerous industries have been thriving as they have reinvented themselves around needs that have evolved in consumers post-Amazon domination. Consider that online retail sales accounted for 14.3 percent of all retail sales in 2018 and Amazon was roughly 40 percent of that total: Much likeMark Twain, the death of brick and mortar seems to be a bit of an exaggeration. Not to say that brick andmortar, particularly premium tobacconists, Focusing on how to utilize what sets brick-and- mortar value propositions apart, with a dedication to the community and to high-value, personal touches along the customer journey, can lead to a resurgence for both stores and for the premium tobacconist sector at large. haven’t been hit hard by online competition. The lesson here, however, is that focusing on how to utilize what sets brick andmortar value propositions apart, with a dedication to the community and to high-value, personal touches along the customer journey, can lead to a resurgence for both stores and for the premium tobacconist sector at large.