Amid Covid, this tobacconist florishes.
Jul 12, 2020 1:22:11 GMT -5
Darin, Ronv69, and 3 more like this
Post by trailboss on Jul 12, 2020 1:22:11 GMT -5
A Good read;
www.heraldnews.com/news/20200711/fall-river-smoke-shop-owner-weathers-storm-of-covid-19-restrictions
www.wilkepipetobacco.com/
www.heraldnews.com/news/20200711/fall-river-smoke-shop-owner-weathers-storm-of-covid-19-restrictions
While many businesses throughout the commonwealth scrambled for ways to survive — after Gov. Baker ordered all non-essential businesses to shut down by March 23 — John Brandt didn’t have to alter his fundamental business model.
The owner of Old Firehouse Smoke Shop at 116 Rock St. says even before Baker issued his COVID-19 executive order he was in a fairly favorable position, due to the fact that upwards of 90 percent of his revenue is derived from online sales.
Brandt says he altered his business model three years ago after steady increases in the state’s excise tax on tobacco products.
“When I started it was zero percent, then 15 percent and then 40 percent,” he said.
The 40-percent excise tax rate in the Bay State is based on the wholesale price of cigars and smoking tobacco.
Brandt points out that the excise tax is factored into the price of all tobacco product transactions, which in recent years has led to diminished demand in his store.
And that’s in addition to the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax.
All of Brandt’s online sales consist of the Wilke Pipe Tobacco product line of pipes, pipe accessories and pipe tobacco.
He says he bought the company, which got its start in Manhattan in 1872, in 2017 when the owners decided to retire.
Brandt says he personally blends the Wilke brand pipe tobacco in his store and that he ships to customers in every state except Massachusetts and Washington.
He said the paperwork and fees involved in selling in Massachusetts are not worth the trouble and that online tobacco sales in Washington is not legal.
All of his cigar sales take place in his store.
“It’s tough to sell cigars online. There’s such a small (profit) margin,” Brandt, 58, said.
Friday, July 10, he said, marks the 25th anniversary of his opening the Old Firehouse Smoke Shop.
The most recent change in Brandt’s daily routine started June 8 when the state’s Phase 2 reopening schedule was rolled out allowing retail businesses to reopen with restrictions.
Brandt says that means he’s permitted to allow three customers in the store at one time.
The four-person limit, he said, is equivalent to 40 percent of the occupancy allowed for his 1,000-square-foot ground-floor business, which includes a sitting area with a TV.
Brandt says for the time being no one is allowed to stay inside and enjoy a leisurely smoke in the lounge area as had previously been the case.
But he points out that up to eight customers can relax and smoke on his front porch and at small tables set up on the sidewalk.
The main change to Brandt’s routine is sanitizing areas inside the shop as a required safety precaution for preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
During the two and a half months that he was closed he says he did some interior painting and added new lounge chairs.
“We spruced up the place a little. We took advantage of the down time,” said Brandt, who is sole proprietor of the business.
He said the one part-time employee he had before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has since died of causes unrelated to COVID-19.
Brandt says his smoke shop is unique for Fall River in that he only sells tobacco, cigars, pipes and related accessories.
He doesn’t sell lottery tickets, beverages, snacks or glass pipes. And it’s been years, he said, since he’s sold cigarettes.
Brandt belongs to the Premium Cigar Association, a Washington D.C.-based trade association that claims to have at least 3,000 members who own smoke shop businesses.
He said he’s come to learn that all 11 staff members who worked for the association have been laid off and that the board of directors, consisting of cigar factory owners, now runs the PCA.
Brandt said that “quite a few” traditional smoke shops across the country have closed as result of the ongoing pandemic and the state-by-state restrictions put into place to control its spread.
“I was fortunate enough to have an extra means of income,” he said, referring to his online business.
Brandt moved to Massachusetts more than 30 years ago from his hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
After working for a hotel company in Boston, he leased and ran the former Oliver’s Restaurant on Airport Road for three years before buying the former Down Under pub on Purchase Street, which eventually became St. James Irish Pub.
He eventually severed ties with his business partner in that venture and since then has focused entirely on his smoke shop, which sits a block away.
Brandt owns his building and lives in its second-floor apartment.
He says the cabinets in his smoke shop closely resemble the décor of the era of 1843 when the building first began functioning as Fall River’s third fire station.
Back then, Brandt says, the town line for Freetown was next door where a building at 130 Rock St. is now occupied by the Family Service Association.
He says being closed for nearly three months has given him a perspective on what life will be like for him once he decides to close or sell his smoke shop.
“It’s almost a sneak preview to see how retirement is going to be,” Brandt said, as he sat on his front porch puffing a cigar. “It’s peaceful.”re
The owner of Old Firehouse Smoke Shop at 116 Rock St. says even before Baker issued his COVID-19 executive order he was in a fairly favorable position, due to the fact that upwards of 90 percent of his revenue is derived from online sales.
Brandt says he altered his business model three years ago after steady increases in the state’s excise tax on tobacco products.
“When I started it was zero percent, then 15 percent and then 40 percent,” he said.
The 40-percent excise tax rate in the Bay State is based on the wholesale price of cigars and smoking tobacco.
Brandt points out that the excise tax is factored into the price of all tobacco product transactions, which in recent years has led to diminished demand in his store.
And that’s in addition to the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax.
All of Brandt’s online sales consist of the Wilke Pipe Tobacco product line of pipes, pipe accessories and pipe tobacco.
He says he bought the company, which got its start in Manhattan in 1872, in 2017 when the owners decided to retire.
Brandt says he personally blends the Wilke brand pipe tobacco in his store and that he ships to customers in every state except Massachusetts and Washington.
He said the paperwork and fees involved in selling in Massachusetts are not worth the trouble and that online tobacco sales in Washington is not legal.
All of his cigar sales take place in his store.
“It’s tough to sell cigars online. There’s such a small (profit) margin,” Brandt, 58, said.
Friday, July 10, he said, marks the 25th anniversary of his opening the Old Firehouse Smoke Shop.
The most recent change in Brandt’s daily routine started June 8 when the state’s Phase 2 reopening schedule was rolled out allowing retail businesses to reopen with restrictions.
Brandt says that means he’s permitted to allow three customers in the store at one time.
The four-person limit, he said, is equivalent to 40 percent of the occupancy allowed for his 1,000-square-foot ground-floor business, which includes a sitting area with a TV.
Brandt says for the time being no one is allowed to stay inside and enjoy a leisurely smoke in the lounge area as had previously been the case.
But he points out that up to eight customers can relax and smoke on his front porch and at small tables set up on the sidewalk.
The main change to Brandt’s routine is sanitizing areas inside the shop as a required safety precaution for preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
During the two and a half months that he was closed he says he did some interior painting and added new lounge chairs.
“We spruced up the place a little. We took advantage of the down time,” said Brandt, who is sole proprietor of the business.
He said the one part-time employee he had before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has since died of causes unrelated to COVID-19.
Brandt says his smoke shop is unique for Fall River in that he only sells tobacco, cigars, pipes and related accessories.
He doesn’t sell lottery tickets, beverages, snacks or glass pipes. And it’s been years, he said, since he’s sold cigarettes.
Brandt belongs to the Premium Cigar Association, a Washington D.C.-based trade association that claims to have at least 3,000 members who own smoke shop businesses.
He said he’s come to learn that all 11 staff members who worked for the association have been laid off and that the board of directors, consisting of cigar factory owners, now runs the PCA.
Brandt said that “quite a few” traditional smoke shops across the country have closed as result of the ongoing pandemic and the state-by-state restrictions put into place to control its spread.
“I was fortunate enough to have an extra means of income,” he said, referring to his online business.
Brandt moved to Massachusetts more than 30 years ago from his hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
After working for a hotel company in Boston, he leased and ran the former Oliver’s Restaurant on Airport Road for three years before buying the former Down Under pub on Purchase Street, which eventually became St. James Irish Pub.
He eventually severed ties with his business partner in that venture and since then has focused entirely on his smoke shop, which sits a block away.
Brandt owns his building and lives in its second-floor apartment.
He says the cabinets in his smoke shop closely resemble the décor of the era of 1843 when the building first began functioning as Fall River’s third fire station.
Back then, Brandt says, the town line for Freetown was next door where a building at 130 Rock St. is now occupied by the Family Service Association.
He says being closed for nearly three months has given him a perspective on what life will be like for him once he decides to close or sell his smoke shop.
“It’s almost a sneak preview to see how retirement is going to be,” Brandt said, as he sat on his front porch puffing a cigar. “It’s peaceful.”re
