View source for Famous Smoke Shop

{{Infobox company
| name = Famous Smoke Shop
| logo = [[Image:Famous Smoke Shop Logo.gif|Famous Smoke Shop Logo]]
| vector_logo =
| type = Retail
| foundation = [[Manhattan|New York]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[United States|U.S.]] ({{Start date|1939|10}})
| location = [[Easton, Pennsylvania|Easton]]
| products = Cigars & Cigar Accessories
| parent = Famous Smoke Shop-PA, Inc.
| owner = Arthur Zaretsky
| homepage = https://www.famous-smoke.com
}}

'''Famous Smoke Shop''' is one of the largest [[cigar]] mail order businesses in the [[United States]].<ref name="Reference for Business">[http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Tobacco/Cigars.html SIC 2121 Cigars - Description, Market Prospects, Industry History] Published by Reference For Business. Accessed November 5, 2009.</ref><ref>"Famous Smoke Shop". (Fall, 2005) ''Hunt Club Digest'', p 106</ref><ref name="Cigar Cyclopedia">[http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/webapp/content/view/1535/27/ NEW NO. 1 IN RETAILER RANKINGS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217033526/http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/webapp/content/view/1535/27 |date=2009-12-17 }} Published by [[Perelman's Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars|Cigar Cyclopedia]] September 8, 2009. <!--Accessed December 16, 2009--></ref> The company was formed in October, 1939 in [[Midtown Manhattan]] as a cigar and [[gift shop]]. In 2000, increasing rents and taxes<ref name="CigarAdvisor">[http://www.cigaradvisor.com/news.cfm?id=333 Famous Smoke Shop: The Backstory] Published by CigarAdvisor February 14, 2007. <!--Accessed December 18, 2009--></ref> forced the company to move its operations to [[Easton, Pennsylvania]],<ref>Ford, William J. "TOBACCO FIRM OPTS FOR FORKS". (Dec 20, 1999) ''Morning Call - Allentown, Pa.'', p B3</ref> a state that currently imposes no cigar tax.<ref name="CigarAficionado">[http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Features/CA_Feature_Basic_Template/0,2344,2924,00.html Pennsylvania Escapes Cigar Tax] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013092604/http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Features/CA_Feature_Basic_Template/0,2344,2924,00.html |date=2009-10-13 }} Published by [[Cigar Aficionado]] October 9, 2003. <!--Accessed December 16, 2009--></ref> Famous Smoke Shop is engaged primarily in the [[retail]] and [[wholesale]] of cigars, [[humidor]]s, and cigar accessories through [[Mail order|mail order catalogs]], a [[Brick and mortar business|brick and mortar]] retail shop, and several [[Electronic commerce|websites.]]<ref name="MultiChannel Merchant">[http://multichannelmerchant.com/news/marketing_famous_smoke_shop/ Operations and Management: Famous Smoke Shop] Published by MultiChannel Merchant Jan 1, 2003.<!--Accessed November 5, 2009--></ref>

==Incorporation and growth==
[[File:Original famous smoke shop retail store.jpg|thumb|right|Famous Smoke Shop's original retail store located at 1433 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]], [[New York City]], founded in 1939.]]
David and Rose Zaretsky [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] Famous Smoke Shop in New York City in October 1939. In 1970, their son Arthur Zaretsky began working for the company. He assumed sole [[ownership]] in 1984.<ref name="CigarAdvisor" />

Famous Smoke Shop has maintained a brick and mortar retail shop since its incorporation. The original shop was located at 1433 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in New York City. The 350 sq. ft. store primarily sold imported and domestic cigars, as well as magazines and other [[Wikt:sundries|sundries]]. In 1975, the company moved to a 550 sq. ft. location at 1450 Broadway. In 1986, unable to absorb increasing [[Midtown Manhattan|Midtown]] rents, the company moved its cigar store to a 1550 sq. ft. location at 55 W. 39th Street. Its current retail shop is located in the north end of its 24,000 sq. ft. Easton headquarters.<ref name="CigarAdvisor" />

In 1970, Famous Smoke Shop published its first mail order cigar catalog. The catalog consisted of a typewritten pricelist of available cigar brands.<ref name="CigarAdvisor" /> The catalog is currently produced [[in-house]] by a staff of [[copywriting|copywriters]] and [[Graphic designer|graphic artists]], and mailed monthly.<ref name="CigarAdvisor" />

Between the years of 1992 and 1998, the cigar industry experienced an unprecedented [[cigar boom|boom]]. Cigar sales increased by as much as 36% in the first quarter of 1996.<ref name="The Free Library">[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Cigar+Boom+What+It+Was+(and+Is)-a01073874585 The Cigar Boom: What It Was (and Is)] Published by [[TheFreeDictionary.com#TheFreeLibrary.com|The Free Library]] May 19, 2009. <!--Accessed December 15, 2009--></ref> Increased sales during this period provided the company enough capital to upgrade its telephone<ref name="Inc">[http://www.inc.com/magazine/19980615/1076.html Lines of Fire] Published by [[Inc. (magazine)|Inc]] June 15, 1998. <!--Accessed December 16, 2009--></ref> and computer systems.<ref name="The Free Library 2">[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Retailers+Choose+Business+Intelligence+Software+from+Junction+...-a0167818271 Famous Smoke Shop Selects JunctionRBI to Manage its Multi-Channel Retail Business] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016153312/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Retailers+Choose+Business+Intelligence+Software+from+Junction+...-a0167818271 |date=2012-10-16 }} Published by [[TheFreeDictionary.com#TheFreeLibrary.com|The Free Library]]. <!--Accessed December 18, 2009--></ref> During this period, the company also diversified its marketing efforts, expanding its catalog and developing a [[web presence]].<ref name="CigarAdvisor" />

Famous-Smoke.com was first published in 1997. The company now markets cigars through several web properties. In 2004, the company published an [[online auction business model|online auction]] website, [http://www.cigarauctioneer.com/ CigarAuctioneer.com], which sells humidors, [[lighters]], [[cigar cutters]] and [[Case (goods)|cases]] to the highest [[bidding|bidder(s)]].<ref name="Smokeshop Magazine">[http://www.smokeshopmag.com/0804/retail.htm Famous Rolls Dice With Retail Auction Site] Published by Smokeshop Magazine August, 2004. <!--Accessed December 16, 2009--></ref> In December, 2006 it published [http://www.cigarmonster.com/ CigarMonster.com], a [[one deal a day]] website.<ref name="About.com: Cigars">[http://cigars.about.com/b/2006/12/11/cigar-news.htm Cigar News] Published by [[About.com]] December 11, 2006. <!--Accessed December 16, 2009--></ref> It also operates [http://www.cigardomain.com/ CigarDomain.com], a cigar wholesale website.

==Cigar manufacturing==
Famous Smoke Shop is the sole owner and [[Distribution (business)|distributor]] of numerous cigar brands manufactured on its behalf by [[Rocky Patel]], [[Padrón (cigar brand)|Padrón]], [[Grupo León Jimenes|La Aurora]], and [[Pepin Garcia|Don José "Pepin" Garcia]], among others.<ref name="About.com">[http://cigars.about.com/od/wheretopurchase/a/famousmoke_2.htm Buying Cigars Online] Published by [[About.com]]. <!--Accessed November 5, 2009--></ref>

==See also==
* [[JR Cigars]]
* [[Thompson Cigar]]
* [[Fumée (company)|Fumée]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{citation|first=Alessandra|last= Bianchi |url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/19980615/1076.html|journal=[[Inc Magazine]]|title=Lines of Fire|quote=''An automated call center can improve customer service and analyze how calls translate into sales. Here's how to turn the telephone into your most important strategic tool and competitive edge.''|year= 1998 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.famous-smoke.com/ Official website]

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[[Category:American companies established in 1939]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1939]]
[[Category:Companies based in Northampton County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Easton, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Mail-order retailers]]
[[Category:Online retailers of the United States]]
[[Category:Cigar retailers]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in New York City]]