CigarMedia Discussion > On being a 'Brand X' Lounge
I don't see anything wrong with being a brand X lounge. It does have its perks since you will always have the latest from the company that sponsers the lounge. The only draw back is shelf placement and what you buy from that company since they will most likely make you stock everything they carry which will take up space for other brands and the many lines they carry. I work for a retailer that has large stores and is lucky enough to stock whatever he wants and normally does. This gives the customers many options that they can enjoy.
sixgunsean
Choice is good, variety is also good. Carrying lines that your customers don't want is expensive. There is nothing inherently wrong with having a manufacturer sponsor an in-store lounge. The trouble comes in the details. If a manufacturer makes you carry cigars that take shelf space3 away from cigars your customers want or having the lounge drives up the cost of doing business, it is not a good thing. However, as you both have stated, there are advantages and it is important in the current conditions to offer cigar smokers a pleasant place to smoke and enjoy the company of others. It can be a bit like walking a tightrope but if done right, it benefits both consumers and retailers. It is also one of the ways in which a retailer can compete with on-line sales.
Bob
My home club is a branded lounge. When in another town I stopped with a friend to pick up a couple cigars to take to his house. I spotted the lounge name and we stayed a while, bought more cigars before leaving and he took a membership application. And I will go back when in town.
Gordon
Gordon, I am curious what you found about that lounge that makes it such a good fit for you? Was the brand that supported the lounge, the accommodations or whatever?
Robert McDuffee
In the latest show, Bob was contemplating the vicissitudes of being a lounge attached to a certain brand, for example, a La Aurora, Diamond Crown, or Rocky Patel Lounge. As a retail manager in a store took the plunge last year (we're a Diamond Crown Lounge) I have to say that the experience has been largely positive.
First off, working with the Newmans is a pleasure. You couldn't get much better in any business. Jake, our rep, is a helluva guy and what else needs to be said about Eric & Bobby Newman? This doesn't prevent me from suggesting the specific cigar that I feel fits the customer's needs. There is no shortage of accolades that I rain down on La Aurora, Miami Cigar, Pepín, Illusione, etc. We're grateful for the advantages we get from being a Diamond Crown Lounge (hey, sweet outdoor umbrellas!) but we don't lose big picture perspective.
As far as shelf space, to say our humidor is competitive would be a huge understatement. We make every attempt to only stock the best in every price and flavor category. If the cigar isn't worth smoking, it isn't worth selling. I'd have to say that certain companies (rhyming, as I tweeted to Mr. McDuffee, with 'applaud this') require a much more egregious facing number than most brand lounge deals, certainly with Diamond Crown. It doesn't hurt that people see our name in periodicals and come in from across the country when they're in our neck of the woods because of it. A lot of these guys want, say, Maximus, so fair play there, too.
Do I wish that there could be a split 'Diamond Crown & La Aurora Lounge'? Speaking strictly for myself, you betcha. I love them both and it shows in our selection. I also wish they'd tax Coca Cola & Sobe Sugarwater a nickel a bottle instead of more than a dollar a cigar (and proposed increases in my state) and that there'd be universal understanding, empathy and cooperation in the Middle East. Can't have everything, but when you're puffing away on a Maximus No. 3 (or a 107), life isn't too bad at all.