Premium Tobacco Stores Inc history

Lew and LaVonda Rothman opened their small, corner candy and tobacco store in 1970, just three years before cigar sales surged to an all-time high, and then began their steady 20-year decline.

Despite strong sales, the industry was still nowhere near its all-time peak of 11.3 billion cigars sold in 1973.

He has worked for GE since 1974 and brings over 14 years of sales, marketing and engineering experience to bear on the issues facing Standard Tobacco & News.

The market for tobacco products is a mature one with the 1980's being marked by a declining number of smokers.

In 1987 about 55% of all smokers were female, while only 30% of the tobacco store customers were female.

Operating Results of Mass Retail Stores and the Mass Retailers' Merchandising Report, International Mass Retail Association, Washington, D.C, 1990.

"Dispelling Some RDA Myths," Magazine & Bookseller, January, 1991.

By 1994, the scarcity of premium, brand name products caused a horde of start-up companies, some foreign.

An estimated 500 million cigars were imported into the United States in 1997.

Of existing establishments in 1998, 95 percent were independent, 75 percent existed at only a single location, and 9 percent of businesses operated three or more stores.

"1999 Industry Report." Smokeshop, August/September 1999.