Famous Smoke Shop
Encyclopedia
Famous Smoke Shop is one of the largest cigar
mail order businesses in the United States. The company was formed in October, 1939 in Midtown Manhattan
as a cigar and gift shop
. In 2000, increasing rents and taxes forced the company to move its operations to Easton, Pennsylvania
, a state that currently imposes no cigar tax. Famous Smoke Shop is engaged primarily in the retail
and wholesale
of cigars, humidor
s, and cigar accessories through mail order catalogs
, a brick and mortar retail shop, and several websites.
Famous Smoke Shop in New York City in October 1939. In 1970, their son Arthur Zaretsky began working for the company. He assumed sole ownership
in 1984.
in New York City. The 350 sq. ft. store primarily sold imported and domestic cigars, as well as magazines and other sundries
. In 1975, the company moved to a 550 sq. ft. location at 1450 Broadway. In 1986, unable to absorb increasing Midtown
rents, the company moved its cigar store to a 1550 sq. ft. location at 55 W. 39th Street. Its current retail shop is located in the north end of its 24,000 sq. ft. Easton headquarters.
and graphic artists
, and mailed monthly.
. Cigar sales increased by as much as 36% in the first quarter of 1996. Increased sales during this period provided the company enough capital to upgrade its telephone and computer systems. During this period, the company also diversified its marketing efforts, expanding its catalog and developing a web presence.
website, CigarAuctioneer.com, which sells humidors, lighters, cigar cutters and cases to the highest bidder(s)
. In December, 2006 it published CigarMonster.com, a one deal a day
website. It also operates CigarDomain.com, a cigar wholesale website.
of numerous cigar brands manufactured on its behalf by Rocky Patel, Padrón
, La Aurora, and Don José "Pepin" Garcia
, among others.
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
mail order businesses in the United States. The company was formed in October, 1939 in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
as a cigar and gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
. In 2000, increasing rents and taxes forced the company to move its operations to Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, a state that currently imposes no cigar tax. Famous Smoke Shop is engaged primarily in the retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
and wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
of cigars, humidor
Humidor
A humidor is any kind of box or room with constant humidity, and ideal temperature, used to store cigars, cigarettes, or pipe tobacco. For private use, small wooden or acrylic glass humidor boxes for a few dozen cigars are used, while cigar shops may have walk-in humidors, sometimes consisting of a...
s, and cigar accessories through mail order catalogs
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
, a brick and mortar retail shop, and several websites.
Electronic commerce
Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...
Incorporation and growth
David and Rose Zaretsky incorporatedIncorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
Famous Smoke Shop in New York City in October 1939. In 1970, their son Arthur Zaretsky began working for the company. He assumed sole ownership
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
in 1984.
Retail shop
Famous Smoke Shop has maintained a brick and mortar retail shop since its incorporation. The original shop was located at 1433 BroadwayBroadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
in New York City. The 350 sq. ft. store primarily sold imported and domestic cigars, as well as magazines and other sundries
Sundries
Sundries may refer to:* Toiletries and other usually small items both of no large value, and too numerous to mention separately such as cosmetics, threads, needles et cetera...
. In 1975, the company moved to a 550 sq. ft. location at 1450 Broadway. In 1986, unable to absorb increasing Midtown
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
rents, the company moved its cigar store to a 1550 sq. ft. location at 55 W. 39th Street. Its current retail shop is located in the north end of its 24,000 sq. ft. Easton headquarters.
Mail order
In 1970, Famous Smoke Shop published its first mail order cigar catalog. The catalog consisted of a typewritten pricelist of available cigar brands. The catalog is currently produced in-house by a staff of copywritersCopywriting
Copywriting is the use of words and ideas to promote a person, business, opinion or idea. Although the word copy may be applied to any content intended for printing , the term copywriter is generally limited to promotional situations, regardless of the medium...
and graphic artists
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, and mailed monthly.
Cigar boom
Between the years of 1992 and 1998, the cigar industry experienced an unprecedented boomCigar boom
The Cigar Boom is the name given to the resurgence of cigar consumption in the United States during the years of the middle 1990s. Beginning in 1992, imports and sales of premium cigars began to rise dramatically and manufacturers struggled to keep up with demand, leading to industry-wide shortages...
. Cigar sales increased by as much as 36% in the first quarter of 1996. Increased sales during this period provided the company enough capital to upgrade its telephone and computer systems. During this period, the company also diversified its marketing efforts, expanding its catalog and developing a web presence.
Websites
Famous-Smoke.com was first published in 1997. The company now markets cigars through several web properties. In 2004, the company published an online auctionOnline auction business model
The online auction business model is one in which participants bid for products and services over the Internet. The functionality of buying and selling in an auction format is made possible through auction software which regulates the various processes involved.Several types of online auctions are...
website, CigarAuctioneer.com, which sells humidors, lighters, cigar cutters and cases to the highest bidder(s)
Bidding
Bidding is an offer of setting a price one is willing to pay for something. A price offer is called a bid. The term may be used in context of auctions, stock exchange, card games, or real estate transactions....
. In December, 2006 it published CigarMonster.com, a one deal a day
One deal a day
Deal of the day is a type of ecommerce in which a website offers a single product for sale for a period of 24 to 36 hours...
website. It also operates CigarDomain.com, a cigar wholesale website.
Cigar manufacturing
Famous Smoke Shop is the sole owner and distributorDistribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
of numerous cigar brands manufactured on its behalf by Rocky Patel, Padrón
Padrón (cigar brand)
Piloto Cigars Inc. is a privately held company that produces the Padron cigar brand from Nicaragua. Commonly known as Padrón Cigars, the company was founded September 8, 1964 in Miami, Florida by Cuba-native José Orlando Padrón...
, La Aurora, and Don José "Pepin" Garcia
Pepin Garcia
Don José "Pepin" Garcia is currently the CEO of El Rey de los Habanos, Inc, a cigar company in Miami, also known as Don Pepín Cigars. He is a noted cigar maker living in Miami, Florida...
, among others.