Back-bar special: Cigars

Good back-bar displays can improve your cigar sales.Pubs will be hit hard if they lose their cigarette smokers, of course. But in one way, losing...

Good back-bar displays can improve your cigar sales.

Pubs will be hit hard if they lose their cigarette smokers, of course. But in one way, losing cigar smokers will be even more of a shame. There is a natural fit between pubs and cigars. More than simply a habit, cigar smoking is associated with occasions of relaxation and celebration - just the things pubs are good at.

Most smokers will order a cigar when they are in the mood. And no fewer than seven out of 10 occasional cigar smokers buy their cigars in the pub.

The clear brand leader, Hamlet, has a 29 per cent share of the overall UK cigar market but a 59 per cent share in pubs. So the major cigar manufacturers have a big stake in sales across the bar.

"Back of bar is where cigars come into their own," says Jeremy Blackburn, trade communications manager at Gallaher, which makes Hamlet. "If people choose to smoke a cigar on impulse it is very likely this will occur in a pub or restaurant."

Cigars are bought very much on impulse, and this has implications for licensees who want to take advantage of the opportunity. Display is key. If people don't see cigars on the back-bar - or they don't see their favourite brand - they probably aren't going to ask. Seeing cigars, on the other hand, is often enough to trigger a purchase.

Wise to this, Gallaher is launching a pair of cigar bars next month that have been specially designed for the pub back-bar.

"Availability, visibility and display are crucial," says Jeremy. "But back of bar is a busy area and cigars are often displayed anywhere they will fit, sometimes with one product in a different area to another, minimising the impact of the display. We've taken expertise from the retail trade to design a totally new cigar bar that ensures a focus for cigars behind the bar while allowing the licensee flexibility to adapt the bar to his or her needs."

Choosing which cigars to feature in your display is also important. Because so many cigar smokers are occasional smokers the first rule is to stock the well-known brands they are used to.

As for market trends, the big charge is coming from miniatures which have increased their share of the total cigar market from 30 per cent in 2001 to 41 per cent.

In pubs this has seen Hamlet miniatures grow by 35 per cent in the past year and Imperial's Café Crème soar by 64 per cent.

Gallaher's tips for improving cigar sales

Be aware of your customers' needs and make sure you stock the most popular brands and variants
Always have plenty of stock. A third of cigar smokers will not make a purchase if the brand they are looking for is out of stock
Make sure products are clearly visible. Customers will not buy if they can't see what's on sale
Rotate stock to sell through old designs
Look out for details of promotions and trade support in your cash & carry, the trade press and from your sales rep.

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