Re: The Next Cigar Boom Is Looming....
A couple of us who remember the boom in the 90's were talking with Jonathan Drew and Pete Johnson about this subject about a month ago when we were down in Nicaragua. We kind of all agreed that yeah, we're kind of starting or even in one right now, but it's different, it's not like the flash in the pan boom of the 90's, more like a renewed interest and along with it, a demand for new, QUALITY products. The 90's you could roll up floor sweepings with sawdust and stuff it inside a cooked wrapper and sell it for $300 a box. One could say that this was due to tobacco shortages, but the reality was, people were still buying the sawdust in a cooked wrapper and thinking it was the most bomb-ass cigar on the market. Now, today, no one will tolerate that - people will pay the premiums, but not for crap. Too much good stuff out there to set the benchmark by. Crap will die on the vine pretty quick and end up in the CI 30-buck bonanza page.
Part of this is the internet and the availability of information to consumers plus the ability to instantly compare prices and see reviews. Part of that is just the evolution of the consumer.
Today's consumers have more information at their disposal and word spreads much faster. What the modern boom will end up being remains to be seen, but whatever it is, it won't be the same.
|