It’s been two years since halfwheel’s last visit to the Tobacco Plus Convenience Expo (TPC), the annual two-day winter trade show geared towards convenience store operators but that also has a number of premium cigar manufacturers as exhibitors. It’s an independent show, meaning that you don’t have to belong to a specific group such as IPCPR or TAA to exhibit or attend, and the biggest booth at this show belongs to Phillips & King, a huge distributor of tobacco and other products throughout the country. The majority of premium cigar companies that attend the show do so because of their relationship with P&K, though they are certainly looking to grow their business at the same time by expanding into stores where you might not expect to find premium cigars, such as marinas, bait shops, golf courses, hotels, resorts and of course, convenience stores. For premium cigar manufacturers, TPC isn’t really a time to show off new products, though there were a few new items on display, as well as the rebranded AVO line. It’s also not an event where you will see as many of the big names in the cigar industry, with the booths generally being staffed by sales directors, sales representatives ...
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