PCA Magazine Summer 2022

browse the selection, adding: “Don’t keep all your pipes under glass or behind protection. Have the majority of your pipes where customers can pick them up, fondle them and then fall in love. Pipes have to have a special feel in the hand to seduce the buyer…if a pipe is $100 or less you will come out ahead by allowing people to get close and personal with the pipe, without someone looking over their shoulder.” A good selection of styles and finishes is desirable, and so is price range. Quality pipes can be found in a variety of price points, and it’s important to offer the consumer several options. This is the approach suggested by Erik Stokkebye, President of Fourth Generation Tobacco Co., a manufacturer and importer of fine pipes, luxury tobacco and smokers’ accessories. He suggests: “Make sure you bring in pipes at different price levels, i.e. some basket pipes, mid range and maybe a few high-end pipes.” He supplements that by stating: “Not only should you have a decent selection of pipes and tobacco, but also make sure you carry pipe tools and accessories, at different price points.” Armed with a good inventory and the knowledge to sell it, the aspiring pipe retailer should then set out to cultivate a clientele by promoting his pipe and tobacco department. Stokkebye has a few recommendations for accomplishing this: “Retailers should ask their distributors for display materials, and create special promotions—e.g., buy a pipe and get 2 oz. of tobacco free.” He adds there should be an industry-wide effort to attract customers: “I think the industry could do more to promote International Pipe Day in February, with a more concerted effort by retailers and vendors to promote pipe tobacco. This could be accomplished with a small sticker saying “Smoke a Pipe”. Once you have established that you are a creditable purveyor of pipes and tobacco, work with your customers to help them make informed decisions. Making use of your product knowledge, engage the customer. Don’t just stand there silently while the customer browses the selection. Take a pipe out of the display case and put it in the their hand. Point out how lightweight it is, how comfortable it feels in the hand. You can explain that the beautiful grain not only has cosmetic appeal, but also contributes toward a cooler, drier smoke. Ask if the customer finds the shape and size pleasing, if they prefer a straight or curved stem, and then explain the benefits of each. The more information you can impart, the more informed your customer’s decision will be, eliminating the ambivalence that often plagues pipe buyers. These are of course just a few cursory tips, but they serve to illustrate how knowing your product and imparting that information to your customer will increase your chances of making the sale. Additional advice and information will be offered in the next edition of this magazine. In the final analysis, investing your time and money in merchandising pipes and tobacco can set you apart from the competition. After all, there are lots of competitors selling cigars, but howmany pipe shops are vying for your clientele? You’ll never know what sales you might realize if you don’t take a leap of faith and try. But first, get as much information as you can, and then use it! PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG 49