Montaigut Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 Dear BOTL, Discontinuations: now here is a topic I hope we can all agree on and try to do something about! Take the time to read the letter and if you agree: - sign the letter by clicking on the link at the end (this will take you to the ipetition.com site) - pass it on to your friends. Hoping to get over 1,000 signatures after which the letter and names of signatories will be passed on to the four top managers of HSA. As Confucius (a devoted BOTL himself) used to say: better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness. Cheers Dan OPEN LETTER TO HABANOS S.A. End-of-life is an integral part of a product life-cycle. Either through customer disaffection, lack of profitability, obsolescence or simply to make room for another, products are taken off the market. This is a well understood and accepted business phenomenon. The same goes for Cuban cigars. Discontinuations have always been around, leaving the odd cigar lover to mourn the passing of an old friend while also giving the opportunity to discover new ones. Of late however, since 2000 to be precise, the increasing number of discontinuations in the regular production is leaving smokers with fewer and fewer choices. No longer is one assured that he will find a replacement for a particular vitola or flavor following a discontinuation. The choice of vitolas across marcas is now inconsistent. There are fewer and fewer of the smaller gauge vitolas in production at the benefit of the 50+ gauges. EL and RE’s, while interesting, are not a replacement for the go-to cigars, those regular and reliable friends that are the staple of most humidors. The up-market trend, symbolized by the Behike flagship, is a welcome initiative. Cuban cigars are a unique and exclusive product and should be clearly positioned as such. But there is also a need for quality low and mid-tier products for an existing large and loyal customer base. This customer base is now puzzled, to say the least, by the current practices of HSA. Without entry level products and reliable, regular and mid-priced production it will be very difficult for HSA to recruit new customers and to retain the current ones. Fads will come and go but a company’s lifeblood depends on the stability of its core business. We believe that the recent, and continuing, discontinuation policy of HSA is attacking this very core business. We believe we are being offered less and less choices through the vanishing HSA catalogue of regular production. It would be unrealistic to expect HSA to re-introduce the cigars discontinued since 2000, this is not the aim of this letter. Rather this letter is a respectful request for HSA to re-vitalize those marcas that were neglected in the past years, to ensure that all vitolas, or most, are represented in each marca. Certainly we accept that some marcas are in need of rationalization and we support your initiatives there. However no marca or vitola should be terminated but rather set to a periodic release every 3-5 years. Cuban cigar culture is old and proud. For more than 400 years it has evolved, changed to meet customer demands and grown, always while remaining true to itself and its history. You are now the custodians of this proud tradition and history. It is your responsibility to nurture it and pass it on to the next generation, undamaged and healthy, as countless have done before you. This is a heavy responsibility. It will not be done without strong support from your customer base. This support surely will be available to ensure that the tradition and history continues. As a global Habanos community, we feel that through discontinuations you are losing the support and respect of the very people that you need to see you through these challenging international economic and legislative times. Maintaining ones heritage should go hand in hand with the future economic success of Habanos s.a. Look to the future indeed, but treasure the past. Respectfully Your Concerned Global Habanos Community. Link to epetitions.com: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cuban-cigars-discontinuations-open-letter-to/
Smallclub Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 A similar approach has already been performed by Rob a year ago or two. Please note that since, several small cigars at reasonable prices have been created: RyJ Julieta, Upmann Half Corona, Rafael Gonzales Perla… You can add several well priced "LCDH exclusive" cigars: RA Superiores, Upmann Royal Corona.
maverickdrinker Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 signed. Thanks for posting this. I hope they bring back the Ramon Allones 898, corona and petit corona
Cohiba Stevie Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 signed. Thanks for posting this. I hope they bring back the Ramon Allones 898, corona and petit corona X2
Smallclub Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 signed. Thanks for posting this. I hope they bring back the Ramon Allones 898, corona and petit corona Why would they do that? Specially when no one asks specifically?
nonameno Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 Hello Fellow FOHer's and HSA, Consider this my approval signature. Thank you, Curtiss
Montaigut Posted July 3, 2012 Author Posted July 3, 2012 Update as of 22h00 CET: 21 signatures As far as I can tell guests on the forum can sign as well. Next update tomorrow at "end of business" Cheers Dan
LGC Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 I completely agree with all of your sentiments; but as we all know... money talks. The average smoker never paid attention to many of the now discontinued vitolas, until they were cut. I'm sure cutting many vitolas has helped to streamline production. Personally, I couldn't care less if there was never another cigar produced with a RG larger than 46. This is just my personal preference. But as long as folks keep buying the donkey dong cigars, HSA will keep making them. As long as folks keep buying every RE that come out, HSA will keep making them. As long as folks keep paying hundreds for every jar that comes out, HSA will keep making them. As long as folks keep buying ELs with the dominating wrapper, HSA will keep making them. As long as folks keep paying 200% markup for cigars with age on the tobacco and a second band (don't forget the fancy lacquered box), HSA will keep making them. I'm just guessing, but I think that smokers against the new movement represent a minority of the demographic. Otherwise, HSA would be in bankruptcy right now. With that being said, I support everything in the letter and hope that HSA listens to the voices of the long-time customers.
Nino Posted July 3, 2012 Posted July 3, 2012 Signed. Thanks for the effort ! But, from my HSA experience : the darkness there is quite overwhelming, you'd need a billion candles ....... and the light at the end of the tunnel would still be dark.
frenchkiwi Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 Agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment not too sure about this clause: "However no marca or vitola should be terminated but rather set to a periodic release every 3-5 years" that would seem to have the potential to kill some of the marcas with very few vitolas, in all but in name (e.g. the master blender could die or retire without having the chance to pass on the blend for a regular production project if there are 5 year intervals! -worst case scenario) just a thought
Montaigut Posted July 4, 2012 Author Posted July 4, 2012 Update as of July 4th, 22h00 hr CET: 33 signatures By the looks of it 50% of signatories are members and 50% are guests on the forum. Cheers Dan
PigFish Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 (edited) I can see where this is gonna' go. Sorry mates! Edited July 4, 2012 by PigFish
CaptainQuintero Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 Frankly my belief is that the powers that run Isla Cuba understand only violence. I doubt they could have overthrown a US backed facist dictator with strongly worded letters and polite petitions
Smallclub Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 Cuba is run via a top down Soviet style model. The language of capitalism therefore does not apply. Altadis and Imperial Tobacco don't speak the language of capitalism? Seriously? It's precisely a warped model of capitalism that is responsible for what we reproach to HSA, I don't see the point of an other anti-Castro diatribe in this matter…
Ginseng Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 I don't see the point of an other anti-Castro diatribe in this matter… Both prudent and constructive. Wilkey
El Presidente Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 A similar approach has already been performed by Rob a year ago or two. Please note that since, several small cigars at reasonable prices have been created: RyJ Julieta, Upmann Half Corona, Rafael Gonzales Perla… You can add several well priced "LCDH exclusive" cigars: RA Superiores, Upmann Royal Corona. They actually stalled discontinuations for 12 months !LOL! I see absolutely no harm in connecting with the senior HSA management and letting them know from a consumer perspective that their decisions have repercussions. It is very easy to make decisions in a vaccum from Havana and Madrid. It costs a little time and effort to make your feelings known. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
Recommended Posts