Topselling Premium Non Cubans?

[El Presidente]

Topselling Premium Non Cubans? 

I have never seen numbers. I have never seen a discussion. 

Today. Globally. Not by Brand/Marque, what are the top selling PREMIUM Non Cubans in the market?

What moves the needle for the different brands. What do they rely upon for their coin?

[JohnS]

I'd be calling @Cigar Surgeon on this one. 

[JDoughty]

The sad thing is that I strongly suspect that by dollar as well as volume, gas station brands probably outperform all of the premium brands by a landslide. Grape flavored White Owls, anyone? 

If I had to make a not very well informed guess, Oliva usually has the most shelf space at the B&M's and they are sold quite aggressively online with special deals as well. 

[Cigar Surgeon]

The answer is, it's the brands that people typically clown on. 

RyJ classic is #1 and I don't think it's close. Macanudo is likely second, and the ACID line from Drew Estate is probably third. 

Essentially the large, legacy and infused lines are more than half the market between them. 

Rocky Patels bread and butter used to be the Edge series. 

[Montezüma]

1 hour ago, Cigar Surgeon said:

The answer is, it's the brands that people typically clown on. 

RyJ classic is #1 and I don't think it's close. Macanudo is likely second, and the ACID line from Drew Estate is probably third. 

Essentially the large, legacy and infused lines are more than half the market between them. 

Rocky Patels bread and butter used to be the Edge series. 

No Davidoff?

[Cigar Surgeon]

1 hour ago, Montezüma said:

No Davidoff?

Davidoff $662M in global sales for 2024. STG $1.4Bn in global sales (50% of which is  machine made cigars, 35% handmade 31% sold in the US alone). 

I think that outside of the top 3 above the remaining sales go something like Padron, Fuente, Perdomo, Oliva, Davidoff and My Father. But I don't believe an individual cigar line would be a majority stand out (maybe the Serie V or Serie V Melanio). 

Disclaimer being I'm not at the retail level anymore and I'm not on the ground in retail in the US. 

 

[AshMe Nothing]

I would have guessed Padron or AF, but my local tobacconist enlightened me. During COVID he said “Everyone who came to the drive through must have had temporary amnesia and forgotten what was available in the store. The only thing they could remember was RyJ.” Maybe there is more to this. I can only recall 1 RyJ NC that I’ve tried. It was the AJ Fernandez RyJ release. Decent stick but not something I would seek out.

[Çnote]

I went to about 30 lounges last year in DFW+ 

Eyeballs: Fuente, Padron, Oliva, Davidoff - almost everyone has at least two if not all four (counting Davi Machine made, but there's more white label venues than you'd think), a couple lounges are more 'boutique' and don't carry any, but...

Bottom Shelf: Montecristo, RyJ, Bolivar & Partagas - everyone has at least 2 of these, even the 'boutiques.' You could throw RP & Gurka into this slot without much pressure.

Backstock: Deadwood, I see masters of these at almost every DE account, if too small for masters it's the only brand with significant backstock. Factory Smokes are also around, but that I think is due to the tier program that DE runs, i don't see much disappearing between visits.

Golf courses and gas stations: Macanudo, they are everywhere.

Massive Perdomo presence, but either zero sku or an entire wall, not much in between.

A great friend who brokers cigars is always more excited on a quarterly bundle deal coming thru than anything else, according to him, half his income is in those rather than the $2-5 per box on the hundreds he touches every month. Still long filler handmade, but he's able to make more margin on cheaper goods in volume,  than on regular business.

Every broker I've spoken to about stock is interested in securing the value bundle segment, even it that's not part of my plan.

The more successful mom&pops in this area are always making slow, deliberate moves on the cheapest cigars in stock, probably as they are the ones that sell everyday. 80/20 rule in effect for sure.

[M777]

Retail B&M - I would have to guess macanudo and RP

Online - Gukhra and R&J would be my guesses based on what I see in online cigar groups.

[AshMe Nothing]

I see a lot of Quorum here in gas stations and liquor stores. I think it fills the quantity smokers niche. Bundle buyers and not individual stick buyers. I also see a lot of Camacho, Acid, Macanudo, and RP.

[Ford2112]

In my area it seems My Father has a huge presence here.

[Mr. DD]

Fuente, Padrón, Oliva, My Father, Perdomo, Davidoff, Drew Estate, J.C. Newman, Rocky Patel & Aganorsa Leaf are the top selling NC premium brands in the U.S. according to CA. I believe it.

[ElLoboLoco]

I imagine you can say the casuals buy the majority of cigars. We nerds think we do. 😜