Well, this thread is informative but not as entertaining as I thought it would be. Peace on Earth I guess.
Changes in GH twists
- Thread starter Whenry
- Start date
I understand that you are a business and you need to make a profit, I really do. During my few years of pipesmoking I've notice that pipe tobacco brands can be divided into two categories. First one focuses on mass production and large sales therefore they usually have limited variety of blends that they offer. The second one are artisanal pipe tobacco manufacturers who offer vast variety of blends which they produce in smaller batches. Personally I prefer the latter and GH and SG brands in my opinion belong into this category as well. However, over past years I've noticed a shift in priorities which seems to me that GH and SG are trying to eventually compete in the big leagues by focusing solely on their best selling blends and increasing their production rate. In the past GH had so many wonderful blends to offer. Nowadays number of GH blends keeps declining, because some blends don't sell that well. And some blends that are still in production have experienced changes in their tobacco base or sometimes in presentation (like Dark Flake Aromatic, Coniston Cut Plug, Bosun plug, twists) If you think about it rationally it means that in the long-term GH will offer limited variety of blends. I like a lot of blends that GH produce and as a customer I have a constant dilemma, which blends should I buy and stock up before they get discontinued. Will Bosun cut plug or Dark flake aromatic be next on the discontinuation list as they quietly fade away from online tobacco retailers websites? However, I'll admit I really love that you've expanded SG portfolio, a lot of new plugs such as Cob plug, Grousemoor plug, Cannon plug, Firedance plug have appeared and it's great. Burnt ends and mini plug blend versions is a clever way to fill up demand or a limited product, offer new experience and use production leftovers to maximize profits. In the end, my main fear is that in the future GH will offer only Ennerdale flake, Rum flake and Bob's Chocolate Flake along with some mixture blend or two. Let's hope it doesn't turn out that way. Still I wish you the best and I hope you will be able to make profit and continue producing some marvelous blends while being able to resist temptation being bought out by STG.
Absolutely not and there is no way we could ever compete with the 'big boys', nor would we want to. We still have something like 150 different blends. We are of course always trying to increase production to keep up with demand and new markets. Indeed its one of the constant gripes on this and other forums - why can't we make more, why is supply always limited......
There have been no major changes in tobacco base, but leaf will change from crop to crop and year to year. I am not sure what you mean by change in presentation, apart from packaging has changed.
We simply cannot make blends that do not sell enough as it costs us money - every blend has to be registered which costs money and then costs each year. Not just in the uK but to each European market we sell it to and others. Plus its simply not feasible to make such small amounts of these due to production runs and there are minimum quantity orders that retailers and distributors must order.
We have no intention of only offering limited blends. And we have not actually introduced any new SG blends - they have always been available. Please note that you only see what the distributor chooses to order or is able to offer in the States.
As long as blends are being bought in large enough quantities, then they will continue to be made. And the three GH flakes you mention are not necessarily the top sellers. When we look at whether to discontinue a blend it is based on worldwide sales including the UK. What is very popular in one country is not necessarily the same in another.
There have been no major changes in tobacco base, but leaf will change from crop to crop and year to year. I am not sure what you mean by change in presentation, apart from packaging has changed.
We simply cannot make blends that do not sell enough as it costs us money - every blend has to be registered which costs money and then costs each year. Not just in the uK but to each European market we sell it to and others. Plus its simply not feasible to make such small amounts of these due to production runs and there are minimum quantity orders that retailers and distributors must order.
We have no intention of only offering limited blends. And we have not actually introduced any new SG blends - they have always been available. Please note that you only see what the distributor chooses to order or is able to offer in the States.
As long as blends are being bought in large enough quantities, then they will continue to be made. And the three GH flakes you mention are not necessarily the top sellers. When we look at whether to discontinue a blend it is based on worldwide sales including the UK. What is very popular in one country is not necessarily the same in another.
As long as blends are being bought in large enough quantities they will continue to be made.
That ^^^^ should be a separate label stuck on every package. A "reminder sticker" to the world's pipe smokers of how the world works.
That ^^^^ should be a separate label stuck on every package. A "reminder sticker" to the world's pipe smokers of how the world works.
Three flakes that I mentioned were just an example. If I had to guess Louisiana flake and St James flake/plug would be your best sellers both due to the fact that they are one of the best if not best Va/Per blend on the market and due to limited amount of Perique which limits the production itself.
Anyway, I admit I have no idea what legal, manual and financial hardships you face in your line of work nor will I pretend to fully understand it. I just hope you can continue to keep producing your wonderful product.
As for tobacco base change, maybe I misspoke as English is not my native language and I really meant change in tobacco leaf which is as you point out is natural due to yearly tobacco crop variations.
What I meant by presentation is the appearance of the tobacco itself. For example Dark flake aromatic from autumn 2022 bought on smokingpipes was dark brown thin densely pressed flake that needed thorough rubbing out. Same blend bought last year from same retailer was completely different - it was completely broken flake that was quite loose and easy to rub out. Navy flake tin I've bought from 2021 had dark brown almost black densely pressed flakes, they were so dense it was challenging to rub them out. However, 8oz box of Navy flake I bought in 2023, flakes were of light brown almost orange color and they rubbed out easily. Also I've already pointed out at the start of this thread differences in twists that I've noticed over time.
Hopefully enough people will buy your product and you won't feel the need to discontinue any more blends. I on the other hand developed a tendency to stock with tobacco blends that I love due to unstable market situations. For example I love Cannon plug so I've bought few 8oz boxes over the years and I won't buy any Cannon plug soon not because not because I don't like it but because I have a lot already. Please keep in mind that customers like myself might buy your blends in waves due to market unpredictability.
That is great news about Grasmere! I can understand that I may have been one of the few people who liked Coconut Twist. I last saw Kendal Dark Vanilla at Smokingpipes.com in early 2017. It was very good. If there is any chance of its resurrection, I would love to see it again.
I t
That label could go right on top of the government warnings and be an actually useful PSA.
That label could go right on top of the government warnings and be an actually useful PSA.
"Please keep in mind that customers like myself might buy your blends in waves due to market unpredictability."
Unfortunately cellaring like this and others hoarding skews the market. Buying a blend regularly and consistently shows it sells well.
Unfortunately cellaring like this and others hoarding skews the market. Buying a blend regularly and consistently shows it sells well.
Or, you could just not read them.
Or I could read them for the twentieth time and wonder what the point is.
Could you tell me what the point is?
Hello @gawithhoggarth
Forgive me everyone, don’t mean to be taking this Off Topic, but since we are on discussions again with Gawith over consistency, I wanted to share this with my background in IT.
Survivability in todays world, as the world becomes more tobacco unfriendly, is something we need to remind ourselves of, if we’re going to survive.
I just wanted to say, however Gawith sees fit in running the business into the future, I see one extremely important aspect that has not been obtained, and it should be more so at this point in time.
Social Media Marketing! Never ever underestimate the Power of the Web!
Gawith has a website, and social media accounts, but somehow, someone at the company has missed out on the Social Interaction Aspects. As well as not marketing enough content online…
Continual content, and the right type of content, needs to exist to pull people in and keep moving businesses forward, staying alive, and growing.
Gawith is not Microsoft, and smaller businesses should put a Home Town Spin into their online presence, otherwise, there is always the likelihood of coming off cold, or lacking transparency, and in Small Mom & Pop as an example, people want to see the life and friendly faces of those out there.
Even big corporations will do well too, to make things more Homey Social, after all, people want to connect, and feel, be a part of something.
There is a big reason too, why this is called Social media! Your online presence has no social at all, and really nothing that shows and tells us about you, and all the things going on in the life of Gawith on a daily weekly basis, and I don’t mean just an About section on a website, but continual social media interaction…
What’s going on from time to time with the local smokers in Kendall. Or is Gawith going out on the town often, or to local events, or how many at Gawith smoke a pipe, and are simply hitting the Pub after work to have a pint and throw the darts around, where are these pics, just to say hi to everyone at?
The one thing you are also not taking advantage of, is the history and tourism, and the allure of the UK, with so many things the world is fascinated by, and not taking all of this, and using it to your advantage, and then spinning this into your social media.
The Lake District and Gawith Social Media! Talk about the Goose with the Golden Egg, right outside your back door!
And Gawith’s Yearly Lake District World Pipe Event Festival!
As foolish as this sounds, it is something everyone understands, people are addicted to Social Media, because many of these people have no life, and if businesses, are not bringing us into your business and personal life on various levels, you don’t attract a following, and in todays world, that following is not simply social status, but letting the world find and see you, building a bigger consumer base.
Stop and have everyone ask themselves at Gawith, how many people does everyone imagine smoke a pipe in the entire world? Yet, you only have a little over a few thousand followers on your social platforms, when these should be in excess of tens of thousands.
And just remember, this doesn’t take money, only a little time, taking out that cellphone and snapping shots all the time posting.
Seriously, where’s your Emily In Kendal at? LOL
I hope you get the joke… What, no one there working for you, or you know, always snapping photos all the time on their cellphones… Well that’s the type of people you need…
It’s also just the little things in life that we all take for granted, but never ever take any of it for granted when it comes to having a Social Presence. Just sitting at the desk, just another so called day at the office, and so many of these so called nothing boring moments to you, can make great and amazing pics to share!
I only wanted to take the time to share with you, since I believe Gawith does hold a very special place in the world of pipes. But moving forward, in order to keep on surviving, you‘re going to need a better and stronger online presence.
Find the professionals that truly understand this, that you’ll listen to, and they’ll tell you the same things.
www.business.com
www.forbes.com
www.forbes.com
Be well!
Forgive me everyone, don’t mean to be taking this Off Topic, but since we are on discussions again with Gawith over consistency, I wanted to share this with my background in IT.
Survivability in todays world, as the world becomes more tobacco unfriendly, is something we need to remind ourselves of, if we’re going to survive.
I just wanted to say, however Gawith sees fit in running the business into the future, I see one extremely important aspect that has not been obtained, and it should be more so at this point in time.
Social Media Marketing! Never ever underestimate the Power of the Web!
Gawith has a website, and social media accounts, but somehow, someone at the company has missed out on the Social Interaction Aspects. As well as not marketing enough content online…
Continual content, and the right type of content, needs to exist to pull people in and keep moving businesses forward, staying alive, and growing.
Gawith is not Microsoft, and smaller businesses should put a Home Town Spin into their online presence, otherwise, there is always the likelihood of coming off cold, or lacking transparency, and in Small Mom & Pop as an example, people want to see the life and friendly faces of those out there.
Even big corporations will do well too, to make things more Homey Social, after all, people want to connect, and feel, be a part of something.
There is a big reason too, why this is called Social media! Your online presence has no social at all, and really nothing that shows and tells us about you, and all the things going on in the life of Gawith on a daily weekly basis, and I don’t mean just an About section on a website, but continual social media interaction…
What’s going on from time to time with the local smokers in Kendall. Or is Gawith going out on the town often, or to local events, or how many at Gawith smoke a pipe, and are simply hitting the Pub after work to have a pint and throw the darts around, where are these pics, just to say hi to everyone at?
The one thing you are also not taking advantage of, is the history and tourism, and the allure of the UK, with so many things the world is fascinated by, and not taking all of this, and using it to your advantage, and then spinning this into your social media.
The Lake District and Gawith Social Media! Talk about the Goose with the Golden Egg, right outside your back door!
And Gawith’s Yearly Lake District World Pipe Event Festival!
As foolish as this sounds, it is something everyone understands, people are addicted to Social Media, because many of these people have no life, and if businesses, are not bringing us into your business and personal life on various levels, you don’t attract a following, and in todays world, that following is not simply social status, but letting the world find and see you, building a bigger consumer base.
Stop and have everyone ask themselves at Gawith, how many people does everyone imagine smoke a pipe in the entire world? Yet, you only have a little over a few thousand followers on your social platforms, when these should be in excess of tens of thousands.
And just remember, this doesn’t take money, only a little time, taking out that cellphone and snapping shots all the time posting.
Seriously, where’s your Emily In Kendal at? LOL
I hope you get the joke… What, no one there working for you, or you know, always snapping photos all the time on their cellphones… Well that’s the type of people you need…It’s also just the little things in life that we all take for granted, but never ever take any of it for granted when it comes to having a Social Presence. Just sitting at the desk, just another so called day at the office, and so many of these so called nothing boring moments to you, can make great and amazing pics to share!
I only wanted to take the time to share with you, since I believe Gawith does hold a very special place in the world of pipes. But moving forward, in order to keep on surviving, you‘re going to need a better and stronger online presence.
Find the professionals that truly understand this, that you’ll listen to, and they’ll tell you the same things.
The Importance of Social Media for Small Business
A social media presence is necessary for all brands today, but especially important for small businesses. Here is why.
Council Post: Why Businesses And Brands Need To Be Taking Advantage Of Social Media
If you have a business and are not building your brand and marketing on social media, you are choosing to get left behind.
www.forbes.com
Council Post: Why Small Businesses And Startups Should Invest In Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms provide an opportunity for small brands to grow and engage with a close-knit community of both present and future customers.
www.forbes.com
Be well!
Last edited:
That would be exactly what you meant…
You're welcome.
But as you know, sometimes those feelings of yours get a bit off track, and setting you right again takes a lot of effort... Like last month when you saw that pic of the multi-colored they and wanted to be a multi-colored them yourself, and I had to get Sas involved.
Keep that kind of stuff to a dull roar, OK?
You can't not mean to take something off topic, and then follow that statement up with what might be the longest post in internet history specifically taking the thread off topic. You must have spent a half an hour putting that post together.
