From: ??????????????????
Subject: Death of a Smoke Shop

Hi Steve & Pipe Fans,

Here in Bangor, Maine we witnessed the death of a smoke shop.  The owner of
the business wrote of its closing in a recent  Pipes Digest.  I feel inclined
to share with the members of this group some personal observations regarding
the operation and ultimate demise of this shop.  I first learned of "The
Sundries Shop" via a local TV commercial.  I visited the shop and introduced
myself as a fellow PD member and avid pipe smoker of 19 years.  The owner was
a genuinely pleasant and cordial young man.  However, my first impression
upon leaving the shop was that this business was not long for this world.  

Even though the grand opening was a few weeks earlier, the store had a very
unkempt appearance inside.  Trash was piled up next to the counter, there was
a bucket of hand tools sitting next to the trash, and unhung paintings and
pictures were leaning against the walls.  

The smoking area of the business was poorly stocked in the beginning.
 Although the inventory did improve over the months, it didn't start out
properly.  Cigar smokers had more to choose from than pipe smokers.  There
were several tinned tobaccos available, but little in the way of pipes that
would be of interest.  The local drugstores had more to offer - and they
strictly carry the low-end pipes.  Four bulk tobaccos were available, again
the local drugstores carry comparable products.

The owner told me that he couldn't seem to locate suppliers for certain
product lines, e.g. Peterson pipes.  He even wrote of this problem a few
months ago in the PD.  Why he didn't research this BEFORE he signed the lease
and opened up I'll never know!  I told him that he could find this info by
talking to other smoke shops (in the Resource Guide) or by contacting the
RTDA.

The owner had not visited or even known of some of the smoke shops here in
thinly-populated Maine.  This would have been helpful because he had no
previous working experience in a smoke shop.  He had worked for Cutlery World
and Coffee Express prior to starting this business.

This business lacked a focus.  It tried to offer too much.  It sold tobacco,
inexpensive pipes, cigars, Swiss Army knives, cutlery and kitchen utensils,
beer steins, dart boards, T-shirts, paintings, crafts, candles, coin purses,
etc.  It had dart throwing lanes.  In addition, it offered underarm
antiperspirants (perhaps for the occasional patron of the little hotel next
door.)

The owner's knowledge of cigars and pipes was quite limited.  What he did
know was very recently obtained.  I suspect that he had hopped on the cigar
train just a few stops back.  (We were all new to this at one time.)  

My wife, who is a professor of international business, told me that his
business failed because he wasn't in business properly.  She would like to
have seen his business plan before he opened up.  

After six months or so in business, the owner sold everything at cost.  I
spent hundreds of dollars there in the last few days he was open.  But
instead of getting some nice bargains on cigars now, I would rather have a
viable, downtown smoke shop to visit for years to come.

The owner is now looking for work.  I hope something comes along
really soon. He said that he plans to operate a tobacco mail-order
business (in his spare time.)  He hopes to get the word out through
computer bulletin boards and the like.  It'll be tougher than he
thinks (in price, selection, and experience.)  I do wish him good
luck.  He's a nice man.

Perhaps this helps those readers who may have a dream of opening a smoke
shop.  It's good to dream.  There are many success stories of people who took
risks in business.  But do your homework.

James Lawson (??????????????????)

[ Well put.  We'd like to see more shops -- succeed. -S. ]


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