Deal of the week

pross

Is the deal of the week gone now, or did they just run out of Diesels?

Bigshizza

Back to all you can toss Gurkha selection

Yakster

MOW now

https://www.cigar.com/mobile/deal-of-the-week

jw517

I'm not feeling the "Deal" part. OH, oh, it says the 5 War Horse are like 240.00 MSRP

timb

JW517, you no likey? It's doing well, I'll know more about numbers on Monday. I get a lot of requests for Man O War, so I wanted to offer a selection of some favorites AND some under-the-radar blends. I hope that came through in the write-up and graphic. The upgrade Armada War Horses are the same blend as the original Armada Toro Grande size, but in a fun Perfecto, one of my personal fav blends & sizes! I think the shape adds some significant complexity to the blend. Plus its all free shipping. Frankly, I don't get the not feeling the 'DEAL' part, but I'm glad you commented about it. I want FEEDBACK and this is a fantastic place for it. This forum is really quite special, as its always been a place you can say what you want, when you want, about anybody or any place... within reason of course!  : )  At least that's how I've viewed it since i started with CCOM in 2006. or was it 2005? holy **** what's my point? Oh yea... I ask you all, help ME help YOU (and in the process help me again)!

When you folks see a CCOM deal you don't think is good (or vice versa), tell me WHY its not. Price, selection, too much of the same, not the right qty, etc etc. AND, when you see another company's deal that IS good, also tell me why. Sometimes I can match or even beat other offers. My goal has always been to make CCOM a one-stop shop, and with your feedback & some creativity on my part, that is achievable.

As you all know, I'm handcuffed on advertised pricing. I have to follow our vendor's MAP restrictions, so please keep that in mind. But if we openly communicate, starting right here in the forum, there's ALWAYS an agreeable solution that can be reached, good for both sides.

Too much talky...my apologies.  Now you go. 

THANKS ALL,
the beard  

Oyam123

With the internet we have access to so many cigar sellers and see what things are selling for. The hardcore smoker/enthusiasts know a good deal, have long memories of past deals and price points and talk to each other when we see a deal. Most people understand cost of goods and markup as well, so are hesitant to buy at perceived inflated pricing. We are also loyal and understand you need to make a living and keep the lights on. I like when you get a deal from the manufacturer and pass that on to us and not use it to make a little extra. I try to send business your way, but find better deals and am told you can’t price match some items. Free shipping is also a big deal. Some deals are good, but soon become no deal at all when shipping costs are added. Thanks for all you do. 

timb

Oyam!  thanks, and yes... for sure!  Agreed on all points.  Some notes: 

am told you can’t price match some items. Free shipping is also a big deal
I don't know who told you what, but we price match (est)95% of the time and there's always ways to get free shipping that are easy & attractive. Email me: tblythe@cigar.com if you are having a hard time getting a price match and/or free shipping. I'll get it done and make it easy. I cannot directly place orders as i did in the past, but i'll get the job done none-the-less.

long memories of past deals:
Our costs (what we pay for cigars & etc from the makers/vendors) change ALL THE TIME, and almost always in the wrong direction...UP.  That means the brands that sold 10 for 29.99 in 2015 cant always be sold for the same in 2017. Not to mention items that weren't MAP back then, could be MAP now, heavily restricting what we can do. Not trying to post a crybaby statement, its been the reality for every business everywhere, but the frequency and dollar amount of this cost variation would surprise you i think. it always surprises me!

perceived inflated pricing: this is a killer for me, because of that wide variation in cost i mentioned. While it IS an absolutely fair point that, when you take away all the packaging, marketing, and legal costs the brand owner puts into a brand, there really isnt a wide range in what a cigar ACTUALLY costs a factory to make. And you all probably have a good idea of what that number is.

However, that production cost rarely correlates to what our landed cost might be. You'd be amazed at how little margin there are on certain brands. If i took as little as 5% off some brands, we'd be losing money before we even factored in shipping costs. While that's rare, 10-15% deductions resulting in loss are quite common.

You better believe on the brands there is some margin to work with, I'm sharpening my pencil to a razor point. but that lack of margin on many other products ends up balancing out the positives when factoring the bottom-line, once again limiting just how LOW I can go.  

Boo hoo, right? Well hold your tears (hehe) and keep the feedback coming. I'm 100% serious we will be able to do some eye-opening offers and programs you never thought CIGAR.com could do if we keep this kind of communication going.

Oyam123

Not sure how close you work with cigars international (the sis, as some call it) but at times you have the same cigar at double the price they do while running your promotions. It just looks bad. 
Also, I think your pricing is more than fair, but getting a sweet deal on a cigar somehow makes it taste much better. 

jw517

Hello Mr. Beard! I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings about the Deal you wrote about. In hind site it is a fair price I'm sure. I'm the type who expects more I guess. I am fairly new here having spent the last 28 years buying from JR Tobacco. Have you heard of them? You don't get much of a break over there and I don't recall but one time getting free shipping. Unless they changed,Internet ordering was a gamble at best. I like it here! I think my order history shows that. In a nut shell,you have better prices here and brands they don't have. Sincerely , John Schmidt

timb

Oyam... wow.  Double the price?  Is that regular sale price?  Any examples?  Is it mainly in comparison to CI or are there other companies in question?

I keep an eye on CI (and many others) almost daily to see whats new and where prices are.  Re: CI - We're corporate sisters, no doubt, but there's little to no communication as to what deals we run and when we run 'em.  The exception are vendor sponsored deals, which are typically offered to many retailers for a particular month or quarter, so its not uncommon to see MONTE MARCH MADNESS or PUNCH IN THE SAVINGS, big, expansive deals like that... overlap across CCOM, CI, JR's... any retailer that opts in.  

One thing that comes to mind... there are times when a box of 10 brand X cigars goes for $99.99 as the "regular", everyday sale price on CCOM, CI, JR...etc. Then one day, CCOM, CI, Holts... you name it... they get offered or they negotiate with a vendor a special closeout deal on brand X. Let's say they agree to buy 1000 10-packs of brand X in exchange for a reduced cost.  They then put it on special and blow it out for $49.99. Other companies that didnt negotiate that deal are still selling their boxes of 10 for $99.99, as their costs have stayed the same. The companies selling those $99.99 boxes may very well be making LESS per box than the guy selling them at $49.99.  It can make my head hurt.  IDK if any of this sheds some light on why you will see discrepancies, a little I hope?  I can try and elaborate more if you want.

One more thought then i gotta get some sleep.  CIGAR.com's plan is to be in business for a very long time.  That won't happen if we don't take care of our customers, offer competitive pricing while respecting vendor MAP policies, and conduct fair & just business practices all along the way.  Will we make some mistakes, of course.  But I'm fully committed to fix anything that ain't right and be a sounding board for you all to tell me what's up.  Let's do this. 

Gnight all!  Happy Friday!

tb


PS - JOHN, great to meet you. No offense taken, like i said the forum provides us a place to voice our opinions and I want to use it to improve the way we operate and react to customer trends.  You expect MORE.  That's cool, I'm picking up what you're putting down.  Let's discuss!  Feel free to email me if you dont want to post it here, either way let's see what we can come up with.

email: tblythe@cigar.com

0patience

So. After reading this thread, one thing to consider.
How many companies do you deal with that provide a forum for their customers and actually pay attention to their venting and even provide input.
I'm thinking not many.

Do I consider ccom perfect?
Not by any long shot, but when I email with a request, they've usually been able to meet the price of competitors or offered up another deal. So if the price seems high, call them on it. I have.

I'll be one of the first to question a deal on the site. Daily deals comes to mind. But in the same token, a couple days later, I'm cussing because the deal is one I'm looking for excuses not to jump on.

Do I buy cigars from other places? Of course I do. Killer deals, cigars that ccom doesn't carry and all that. But they have also gotten me cigars they don't normally carry.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with a lot of comments made. But got to give a little credit that someone is paying attention.

jw517

Absolutely! The only person I talked to at JRwas taking my order on the phone cause their web site wouldn't work. REALLY! 

Oyam123

TB your example is spot on. Sobremesa 10/$49 and box of 14 was $99. Defiantly not apples to apples, but I recall a buzz of BOTL remarking on this. And yes the examples you gave. I got the 10pk and handed out a few at the cigar club, people loved them. A BOTL told me a few days later he got 2 boxes they were so good. He paid $160+ for each box of 14. I told him to call and tell them at CI that you had the box at $99. He did and got a credit for his next purchase. 
Thats another thing, your Corp has very good customer service. 
Cigarpage started out with GREAT DEALS! Now they say deals, and I find better here. 

silvermouse

well, another retailer consistently undersells ccom on fivers and offers free shipping. Some of the ones I am interested in:

Tatuaje Havana VI Victorias--23.79  ccom: 29.99

Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles--20.93  ccom: 26.99

Perdomo Lot 23 Robusto--16.98  ccom: 25.50

Oliva Serie V Lancero--27.72  ccom: 35:50

Caldwell Long Live The King My Style is Jalapeno--35.62  ccom: not available, singles 10.00

Oyam123

TB.....have you ever thought of VIP pricing like Atlantic does. Do something like a small fee $10-20 a year to have access to special pricing. You will keep the hardcore happy and still sell at full retail to the occasional or drive by buyer . Just a thought. 

jw517

I think age should determine the discount. 60 = 60 percent.

Oyam123

jw517 said:

I think age should determine the discount. 60 = 60 percent.

I agree!

timb

OK, age = discount it is, but if any of you live to 100, i'm cutting ya off!

timb

good suggestions!  Is the VIP pricing for Atlantic really only $10-20 a year?  I was under the impression it was closer to an Amazon Prime type fee.  Yes we've discussed, its definitely on the wish list.  I'll be working much closer with our development team in 2018, i'll pass along these ideas.  Silvermouse, pm'd ya.

jlmarta

Hmmmmm. ??  81% discount?  Maybe it’s worthwhile being an oldfart......  

timb

jlmarta

Oyam123

timb said:

good suggestions!  Is the VIP pricing for Atlantic really only $10-20 a year?  I was under the impression it was closer to an Amazon Prime type fee.  Yes we've discussed, its definitely on the wish list.  I'll be working much closer with our development team in 2018, i'll pass along these ideas.  Silvermouse, pm'd ya.

No it’s more, but that’s why we get one and all order off it. $10-20 I would get my own membership 

peter4jc

I believe Atlantic is $60/year, and the discount works out to ~16%, last time I did the math.  But I don't think @Oyam123 is saying copy their specifics, just the principle.

Or, you could do two levels of membership, i.e. $25/year gets you a discount, but $50/year gets you more of a discount and free shipping. 

JR has a $30 membership, and it only gets you free shipping for a year.

I'd assume that you'd give up some profit to earn greater loyalty, and that's what these types of memberships would bring to Ccom.

jw517

peter4jc said:

I believe Atlantic is $60/year, and the discount works out to ~16%, last time I did the math.  But I don't think @Oyam123 is saying copy their specifics, just the principle.

Or, you could do two levels of membership, i.e. $25/year gets you a discount, but $50/year gets you more of a discount and free shipping. 

JR has a $30 membership, and it only gets you free shipping for a year.

I'd assume that you'd give up some profit to earn greater loyalty, and that's what these types of memberships would bring to Ccom.

This place is in good shape! That's why I'm here and not with Lou Rothman anymore. When you listen to your customers you see they are not loyal but ARE willing to order from a variety of venders to save money. Price matching and guaranteed best price will bring every order back to c.com. It might seem costly at first but I think the bottom line will be attractive.

timb

Good stuff, guys.  I'll hit up the dev team and we'll get something going here in 2018!  Keep the feedback coming!!  

WaterNerd

peter4jc said:

I believe Atlantic is $60/year, and the discount works out to ~16%, last time I did the math.  But I don't think @Oyam123 is saying copy their specifics, just the principle.

Or, you could do two levels of membership, i.e. $25/year gets you a discount, but $50/year gets you more of a discount and free shipping. 

JR has a $30 membership, and it only gets you free shipping for a year.

I'd assume that you'd give up some profit to earn greater loyalty, and that's what these types of memberships would bring to Ccom.

I like this idea. I have no problem paying a membership fee if I can get free shipping for the year. TBH I would probable shop here more if I could get free shipping and discount on my order (just don't tell my wife) Another cigar company ships your order out once a week (you pick the day) which is great so you can put in a few things here and there then pack it all up and off it goes.This would also help with your Corporate Carbon Footprint

Usaf06

Or you could just give the forum a discount code to use on orders... say 20%. 20% is not unreasonable since i buy most of my stuff at 20% or more discount as is from other vendors.

Amos_Umwhat

Just a quick thought, COTMC gives 10% discount already, where will this fit into the general scheme of things?

jw517

Diesel on sale for "Deal of the Week". That is not too shabby! IMHO

Usaf06

Diesel = meh

peter4jc

Usaf06 said:

Diesel = meh

Bite your tongue!