Acid cigars in the gas station???

[Nemo]

Yup you read the title right.

Was filling up last night and went in to pick the wife up some beer and standing at the register I see a very familiar site. Now I'm not a big fan of infused, but I have become a big DE junky, I couldn't help but pick up a blondie, There were two Kuba Kuba and Blondie. They even stuffed those little humipaks(69%) in the package. I fired it up when I got home and I'll be dipped in sh!t, it tasted great! perfect burn and draw!


Kudos on you JD!

 

[Hoshneer]

This is pretty Fricken cool. I have seen them on Facebook but not in the wild yet. Its a great idea and I'm all for it.

 

[Nemo]

This is pretty Fricken cool. I have seen them on Facebook but not in the wild yet. Its a great idea and I'm all for it.

Pretty fricken cool indeed! I like the way DE is trying to spread the word... Just another reason why I'm such a huge fan of everything DE is doing. They are just badass people all around!

 

[CO Smokes]

Not sure how I feel about that

 

[mdwest]

as long as the product quality is kept high... I dont have an issue with this at all.. in fact I find it pretty cool...

traditional gas stations ceased to exist a long time ago.. as did traditional convienience stores for the most part..

now what we have is a hybrid store where we go to gas up our cars.. and also have the conveinence of being able to pick up a gallon of milk.. or a bag or chips, bag of charcoal, quart of motor oil, etc.. at the same time without having to make an additional stop at Wal-Mart, the grocery store, or some other establishment..

why not add cigars to that list (other than the blunts, black and milds, etc.. that you have always been able to get there..

this wont effect B&M's much (I dont believe)... convienience stores/gas stations typically are a bit more expensive... and theyre not going to have the ability to maintain a large variety or stock of product.. people that are really into smoking are still going to go to their favorite B&M... online sales are a much greater threat to B&Ms than this will be I am sure..

what it will likely do however is introduce more people to smoking premium cigars.. which very likely could impact B&Ms in a positive way... will provide people that are already premium cigar smokers a convienient way to pick up a stick or two at 10PM on their way home from an engagement when their B&M would have been closed, or when I just want something quick and Im already stopped to pump some gas or pick up a gallon of milk.. and will also likely be a huge revenue source for DE (being the first to market on something like this has to be huge)....

I think its a win-win for everyone...

now if I can just get h.upmann on board with this concept and get them to start packaging their vintage cameroons in a similar fashion.. Ill be set!

 

[Fox06WRX]

A FaceBook group I am a member of recently got excited when they found LP #9's at this liquor store in town. Granted the store has a "decent" humidor but it is not somewhere one would think to see any premium cigars. DE is definitely getting out there in a TON of markets.

 

[danthebugman]

Not sure how I feel about that

With you on that. On the one hand kudos for branching out and introducing some to the world of "premium" cigars. On the other a lot of energy, time, and money has been spent separating the "premium" market from the "crap" sold at gas stations and what not. If you start selling "premiums" at gas stations now I start to worry that politicians and smoking Nazis aren't going to define a difference between the two...

Dan

 

[Tom_CigarEmpire]

I saw a few select premium sticks once at a 7 eleven recently.

 

[Nemo]

Not sure how I feel about that

With you on that. On the one hand kudos for branching out and introducing some to the world of "premium" cigars. On the other a lot of energy, time, and money has been spent separating the "premium" market from the "crap" sold at gas stations and what not. If you start selling "premiums" at gas stations now I start to worry that politicians and smoking Nazis aren't going to define a difference between the two...

Dan

Thanks Dan! I was wondering what he meant by that. I never stopped and thought about it from that angle.

A very valid point.

 

[mdwest]

I start to worry that politicians and smoking Nazis aren't going to define a difference between the two...

Dan

I understand that concern...

But I think this has the potential to have the opposite effect...

the "premium cigar" lobby is small... has limited time, money, and resources to dedicate to protecting your rights.. (althought CRA has to be one of the hardest working groups in the country...)

the big boys in the tobacco industry (cigarettes) have a ton of money and resources.. and are one of the most powerful lobby elements in DC..

I think it might be a whole lot harder to target the "premium" industry politically if there was a little less separation... to go after DE in a gas station.. you have to go through his big brother, RJ Reynolds first (in theory)..

 

[Craig Mac]

this wont effect B&M's much (I dont believe)... convienience stores/gas stations typically are a bit more expensive... and theyre not going to have the ability to maintain a large variety or stock of product.. people that are really into smoking are still going to go to their favorite B&M... online sales are a much greater threat to B&Ms than this will be I am sure..

what it will likely do however is introduce more people to smoking premium cigars.. which very likely could impact B&Ms in a positive way... will provide people that are already premium cigar smokers a convienient way to pick up a stick or two at 10PM on their way home from an engagement when their B&M would have been closed, or when I just want something quick and Im already stopped to pump some gas or pick up a gallon of milk.. and will also likely be a huge revenue source for DE (being the first to market on something like this has to be huge)....

I think its a win-win for everyone...

Actually I think it is win for the convience store on this one. Kuba Kuba sells for $7.95 at the B&M and $4.69 at the gas station, Blondie is $4.55 at the B&M and $3.00 at the gas station. This isn't a case where the customer is paying extra for convience as the gas stations operate at an extremely lower margain and have the buying power to potentially get it in the door at a lower cost.

 

[mdwest]

I saw a few select premium sticks once at a 7 eleven recently.

you dont see this in Tennessee (law prevents it)... but I was on the gulf coast a couple of months ago (Alabama) and a liquor store I went into had a single cabinet humi with probably 10 different choices inside.. mostly stuff like the makers mark singles, RyJ and Cohiba churchills, etc.. ).. I thought that was very cool, and picked up a RyJ to go with the bottle of wine we were taking to the beach.. (nice and convienient)...

 

[mdwest]

Actually I think it is win for the convience store on this one. Kuba Kuba sells for $7.95 at the B&M and $4.69 at the gas station, Blondie is $4.55 at the B&M and $3.00 at the gas station. This isn't a case where the customer is paying extra for convience as the gas stations operate at an extremely lower margain and have the buying power to potentially get it in the door at a lower cost.

Are those actual prices? or guesses?

unless the gas station is buying significantly higher quantities than the B&M.. I cant see how they are offering the same product at 61% the price... they are going to be subject to the same state and local taxes, should have the same purchase price from the manufacturer (unless they are buying massive quantities), and depending on the individual businesses.. it is likely that the gas station has a much higher overhead to contend with..

I cant think of a single product in a gas station/convienience store that is less expensive than the same product bought at auto-zone, wal-mart, or kroger.. or even a small locally owned/operated grocery store..

I guess the question is.. if the gas station is offering lower prices... how are they doing it?

 

[SDShark]

I saw a few select premium sticks once at a 7 eleven recently.

Same here, saw a case with RP Decade in them. Almost got them, but no humidification was there.

 

[Hoshneer]

I am guessing if the price is lower at the gas station it is because they don't have to rely on making as much money on the cigars. They both probably pay the same in taxes but B&Ms sometimes mark up a couple bucks because that is the only way they can make their money.

 

[CO Smokes]

Not sure how I feel about that

With you on that. On the one hand kudos for branching out and introducing some to the world of "premium" cigars. On the other a lot of energy, time, and money has been spent separating the "premium" market from the "crap" sold at gas stations and what not. If you start selling "premiums" at gas stations now I start to worry that politicians and smoking Nazis aren't going to define a difference between the two...

Dan

Exactly Dan. The industry as a whole (including DE, big time) is fighting so hard to keep premiums away from the machine made BS and the reach of the FDA. Don't know how this will help though having premiums sold next to dutches and phillies.

 

[mdwest]

I am guessing if the price is lower at the gas station it is because they don't have to rely on making as much money on the cigars. They both probably pay the same in taxes but B&Ms sometimes mark up a couple bucks because that is the only way they can make their money.

I guess Im just not seeing it....

Gas stations are in the business of making money as well.. they charge more for every other product in the store (to include other tobacco products.. whether you are talking chew, dip, cigarettes, or crap cigars.. they can all be had cheaper at grocery stores, wal-mart, CVS, etc..)..

If selling a kuba kuba for $7.00 is an option.. then why wouldnt they be charging this price?

I paid almost $4 for a dozen eggs at a Weigels last week... I could have gotten the same dozen eggs at Kroger for $2.50..

They knew I would pay the higher price.. so they charged it.. they certainly didnt pay less for the eggs than Kroger..

 

[mdwest]

Exactly Dan. The industry as a whole (including DE, big time) is fighting so hard to keep premiums away from the machine made BS and the reach of the FDA. Don't know how this will help though having premiums sold next to dutches and phillies.

this piece I absolutely understand..

no one needs additional regulation.. and the FDA is among the worst..

 

[CWS]

Texaco truck stop just over the California line in Arizona. Has a very large walk in humidor, excellent selection of sticks, and boxes and at one time, rock bottom prices. Never know where you are going to find a good cigar. You just have to keep your eyes open

 

[Hoshneer]

I am guessing if the price is lower at the gas station it is because they don't have to rely on making as much money on the cigars. They both probably pay the same in taxes but B&Ms sometimes mark up a couple bucks because that is the only way they can make their money.

I guess Im just not seeing it....

Gas stations are in the business of making money as well.. they charge more for every other product in the store (to include other tobacco products.. whether you are talking chew, dip, cigarettes, or crap cigars.. they can all be had cheaper at grocery stores, wal-mart, CVS, etc..)..

If selling a kuba kuba for $7.00 is an option.. then why wouldnt they be charging this price?

I paid almost $4 for a dozen eggs at a Weigels last week... I could have gotten the same dozen eggs at Kroger for $2.50..

They knew I would pay the higher price.. so they charged it.. they certainly didnt pay less for the eggs than Kroger..

I think it really just depends on the gas station. I have some in my area that rape people on cigar prices and then there are others that literally charge almost a couple dollars less then the B&M. You are right though, most of them charge out the fanny for crap.