Growth in U.S. Cigar Imports Brings Online Retailer to the American Marketplace
LIGHTNING RELEASES –Bensalem, Pennsylvania November 13, 2014 Cigars are once again a hot commodity in the United States. A huge increase in premium, non-Cuban cigar imports has taken place, growing by over 206% from 1991 to 2013. Last year, there were over 317 million hand-rolled, non-Cuban cigars imported into the U.S. To fully understand the significance of this growth, it is essential to compare the 2013 numbers to the cigar import numbers of 1996, a historical year for premium cigars.
In 1996, the U.S. cigar market reached the pinnacle of what is now referred to as the ‘cigar boom’ of the 1990’s. At that time, cigars were all the rage, and 293 million premium, non-Cuban cigars were imported into the U.S. After 1996, import numbers began to drop, and most insiders thought that those numbers would never return. Stores soon began to close. The boom was over. Until now. Incredibly, in 2013, cigar imports crushed past numbers, bringing an 8% increase over the 1996 high.
In comparison, it is estimated that only 100 million hand-rolled Cuban cigars were produced in 2013, a 30-40% decline over the past 10 years. While the Cuban cigar market struggles, a once small, non-Cuban cigar market has grown exponentially over time – all the likely result of the now 50-year-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
This growth rate has not gone unnoticed, particularly among purveyors of Cuban cigars. Recently, the architects behind the award-winning Cubancigars.com website have come to America, abandoning their interest in Cuban cigars, and investing in the sale of non-Cuban cigars. Having sold CubanCigars.com at the height of the 1990’s cigar boom, they have now partnered with an American firm to bring Shmuli’s Cigars and Accessories (http://www.Shmulis.com) to the market. The once hot-selling Cuban cigar portfolio has been replaced with popular non-Cuban cigars, including brands such as Padron and Perdomo, as well as more niche brands, like the Señor Solomon Kosher cigar line. They have also introduced their own blend, Hebrea de Cuba, a popular choice among value-oriented cigar smokers.
Implementing strategies that lead to the success of CubanCigars.com, which grossed over $500,000 in its first 6 months, Shmuli’s Cigars and Accessories is anticipating a similar growth rate. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit http://www.Shmulis.com.