Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/646524
All of the major manufacturer's premi- um cigar lines are represented, with ev- ery size and blend variation available either as single sticks or in factory boxes. "We have a great relationship with all our suppliers for everything like our pipe to- bacco and associated lines, our lighters and accessories, and even through to our own merchandise like logoed souvenirs and t-shirts," says Boyd. But it is perhaps the shop's cigar man- ufacturers and their reps that are most special, Boyd confides. "They have real- ly understood our marketing season and the huge inventory and supply challeng- es that come with the territory," she adds. Smokeshop's visit began just a few minutes prior to Deadwood Tobacco's 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of August, two days before the 2015 Sturgis Rally was set to kick off, and now that customers have begun wandering in, Boyd has to attend to a growing list of operational concerns. It's during the next hour or so that the customer flow increases and the need for more sales assistance becomes apparent. Almost seamlessly, additional personnel take up positions to address customer re- quests, questions, and payments. Customer assistance in the humidor is now in high demand but Boyd has extra hands on board, her resources bolstered by the presence of several cigar manu- 32 SMOKESHOP December 2015 > RETAIL PROFILE > The walk-in humidor at Deadwood Tobacco Company is the largest in South Dakota. The shop is also the only venue in Lawrence County, South Dakota, where customers can purchase, and then light up and enjoy, a tobacco product.