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NEW RETAILER TOPS HAVANA RANKINGS |
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Page 1 of 2  Plus: Fight over San Diego’s Gran Havana lounge is finally over
Los Angeles, January 18 – In the world of international cigar retailing, the only constant is change.
That’s the lesson from our newest rankings of international on-line retailers, compiled this week.
Of the top ten sites listed in our last ranking of July 2, 2007, only five repeated in the top ten and five newcomers moved up, including a new site to no. 1.
That would be Quality Cuban Cigars from New Brunswick, Canada, one of three Canadian sites which made the top ten. Here’s how the rankings – our fourth edition – were compiled:
Our research director Steve Harris visited 107 Web sites which currently or recently sold Havana cigars by the box. Each was checked for pricing and availability on boxes of 25 of three different cigars chosen for their wide popularity: the Cohiba Robusto (4 7/8 inches by 50 ring), the famed Montecristo No. 1 (6 1/2 x 42) and the Romeo y Julieta Churchill (7 x 47, without tubes).
For the 57 sites which had all three cigars in stock, the prices (converted to U.S. dollars if not already priced that way) on the three were averaged and the sites were ranked, 1-57. Two sites which currently or have in the past sold cigars designated for sale inside Cuba were reviewed, but were not ranked. There were 23 sites which had one or two of our survey cigars and another 25 sites that either were no longer in operation or do not sell cigars by the box.
The results of the survey were quite interesting, both as to those sites which maintained a top-ten listing and those new sites which debuted in the top ten this time.
Our top ten retailers were spread among six countries: Canada (3), Cayman Islands (1), Hong Kong (2), New Zealand (1), Spain (1) and Switzerland (2).
The repeaters included Puro Express from Spain, ranked second this time and first last July; Puro Rey Cigars from the Cayman Islands (third now, was second); Cigars of Habanos from Hong Kong (fourth now, was third); Cuban Lou’s from Canada (fifth now, was fourth) and 1001 Cuban Cigars, also from Canada (sixth now, was seventh).
The newcomers included our top-ranked seller, Quality Cuban Cigars from New Brunswick, Canada, which was not even reviewed last July. Also joining the top ten were CubanCigars2U from Switzerland in seventh (18th last July), Finest Cuban Cigars from Hong Kong in eighth (22nd last time), Strictly Cuban from New Zealand in ninth (14th last July) and Esplendido Cigar from Switzerland in 10th (11th last time).
The sites which dropped out of the top ten included Don Gabriel and PromoCigar from Spain, Corporate Cigar from Australia and Gesto Cigars and Geneve Cigars from Switzerland. Gesto fell from eighth place to 14th; Don Gabriel and Corporate had two of the three cigars on the list and did not get a ranking.
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