Cuba's Looking for Ladies to Light Up

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed)
Feb 25th 2010 at 7:02AM

Cuban cigar sales are in the tank right now. A combination of economic woes and anti-smoking legislation around the world have put the squeeze on Habanos S.A., the company behind Cuban cigars. Sales fell 8 percent last year, the company said, to $360 million last year. This follows a sales decline in 2008. Even though the economy is showing signs of recovery, Cuban cigar haven't come back. So, the company is looking to move into some relatively uncharted territory: women.

To find its way into women's hands, Habanos has created a smaller and milder Romeo y Julieta (the women I know who smoke cigars, however, tend to prefer something more robust). Women comprise only a smal share of the market – between 5 percent and 10 percent according to Habanos marketing director Ana Lopez.

Though some love from the ladies may help, Habanos realizes that it won't change the world for the beleaguered Cuban cigar company, which expects only a modest performance in 2010, due in large part to soft economic conditions in Spain.

Tags: cigar, cigars, cuban, cuban cigar, cuban cigars, CubanCigar, CubanCigars, cubans, Habano, habanos, women smoking cigars, WomenSmokingCigars