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[PRODUCT PROFILE
Lighting Your Way
Lighters find their place on the shelf with personal style and function
By Cora Weisenberger
The discovery of fire was one of the most important innovations of civilization. It warmed the body, cooked the food and kept predators at bay. Of equal importance was the ability to reproduce a flame on demand. Modern conveniences have somewhat lessened the importance of an open fire but, as any smoker will attest to, there is still a need to produce a flame on command. No one wants to waste time fumbling around with a faulty lighter when they’re ready to indulge in a cigar, cigarette or pipe.
Lighters have long been favorite gift items for smokers. They range from a multi-pack of disposables as a stocking stuffer, functional but beautiful coffee table models and the classic Zippo. Keeping a varied inventory for the upcoming holiday season is bound to grab the attention—and dollars—of customers buying gifts for their favorite smokers and nonsmokers.
Form follows function
A light is just a light whether you are smoking a cigar, cigarette or pipe, right?
Not really. Sure, you can light up a $50 cigar with an ordinary paper match, but would you really want to? It would be like digging a trench with a garden spade. The job will eventually get done but it will take a long time and the quality of the work will be inferior. Whatever is being smoked, there is an ideal lighter for it.
Cigarettes, for example, contain accelerants, which make them easy to ignite. An inexpensive, easy-to-find disposable lighter is ideal for them. For that $50 cigar you’ve been holding back for a special occasion, you’re better off using a cigar lighter. The flame burns hotter giving quicker, more even ignition and there is no aftertaste from the fuel. Pipe smokers also have their special gadgets, one where the flame comes out of the side of the lighter chimney instead of the top. This makes lighting a bowl of tobacco quicker and eliminates the burned fingers that can come from holding a regular lighter sideways.
Flip your ...
There are many manufacturers of disposable lighters, but the company synonymous with the product is BIC®. After establishing itself as the world’s No. 1 producer of disposable pens, company founder, Marcel Bich, in 1971 bought a French manufacturer of traditional lighters. In 1973, the first BIC disposable lighter with an adjustable flame was introduced.
Jeff Smith, national customer development manger for BIC Consumer Products USA, says consumers made BIC the No. 1-selling lighter in the country because of its reliability, quality and value. “BIC Lighters deliver a dramatically higher number of lights than other lighters because of the high-quality materials and components it utilizes in the manufacturing of the product,” Smith says. “In fact, BIC lighters provide more than 3,000 lights, or comparatively two times the lights as the next best-selling brand of lighters.”
This year BIC is introducing two new series to its line that will undoubtedly be a hit with sports fans. The Pro Series® UFC series teams BIC with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), one of the hottest, fastest-growing sports franchises. The series of five lighters with the UFC logo began shipping this summer and is sure to be a knockout with customers. Also new is the NASCAR® Drivers Series, which will feature six drivers starting off with the beloved Dale Earnhardt Jr. The series is sure to become a fast favorite with race fans.
Another new product available are the BIC Select-Hidez™, texturized synthetic wraps with chrome detailing that create an unmatched premium lighter case. They are available for the full-sized and mini BIC lighters and both are trimmed with five unique synthetic lizard wraps in black, light brown, dark brown, red and blue.
To maximize lighter sales, Smith recommends that retailers limit giving away free matches that last only 25 to 50 lights and focus on capturing the lighter sale that will provide customers with lights for a much longer period of time.
Return of refillables
While disposables offer convenience, refillable lighters have never completely disappeared and are, in fact, enjoying a comeback. Greater concern for the environment is one reason, as people become more aware of disposable products of all types. Another is style. Traditional refillable lighters have become a fashion statement. “Our products are more than just utilitarian,” says Andy O’Dower, marketing manger for Xikar, Inc., Kansas City, Mo. “They are an accessory of style, much like other accessories [such as] wallets, money clips, cufflinks and watches.”
Cigar smokers are particularly partial to refillable lighters. O’Dower says that’s because the flame on some disposable lighters can’t be adjusted for strength and height. “Those adjustments can often mean the difference from an easily lit cigar to a cigar lighting ritual that takes 10 minutes and involves relighting over and over again.
“Cigars are all about enjoyment. Those enjoyable moments often involve relaxation and celebration, so a cigar lighter should enhance the smoking experience,” he adds. “Lighting a $30 cigar with a disposable [lighter] to celebrate a milestone is counter intuitive on many levels.”
The Xikar Element is one of the company’s most popular lighters, combining easy ignition and sleek style. O’Dower called the Element the “go to” lighter because of its simple style and function. The double jet flame will light a Churchill up in seconds and there is a 9-mm cigar punch conveniently hidden in the base. Suggested retail price for the Element is $49.99.
The Incline is a single jet lighter that looks good but whose cost won’t break the bank. “The single jet flame is powerful enough to light any cigar with a quick flip of the lid and push on the trigger. A huge fuel tank also ensures that the Incline will survive a weekend golf trip,” O’Dower says. “And if it falls off the cart and gets lost, the price point won’t have one in tears.” MSRP for the Incline is $29.99
“Keep in mind, cigar lighters are often passed around a group of smokers at dinner or the golf course, so one must feel confident that his or her lighter showcases their personality, has great style and, most important, is dependable to light everyone’s cigar,” O’Dower says.
The sound of a Zippo® lighter being opened is as distinctive as the growl of a Harley Davidson. The company headquartered in Bradford, Pa., has been making refillable lighters since 1932. All Zippo refillable lighters are made in the United States.
Don Lenny, national sales manager for Zippo says the company has seen a rise in popularity for its products, particularly in the age bracket of 18- to 25-year-olds. “It’s become trendy to carry a Zippo,” Lenny says. He says college students, even the nonsmoking ones, are carrying the lighters.
The lighters have always enjoyed a level of popularity, however, due mostly to their design and “windproof” technology. The ability to produce a flame even under the windiest conditions made Zippo popular with servicemen during World War II. “From the beginning, one of our philosophies is to deliver a high-quality product,” Lenny says. “It’s a product you can count on.”
But even the most reliable products may need occasional repairs. Zippo lighters carry a lifetime guarantee. Whether it is a lighter you purchased, one you inherited from a family member or one picked up at an antique shop, any Zippo can be returned to the manufacturer for repairs. Lenny says the technology is relatively “low tech”—just 28 parts—which is one reason why lighters made in the 1930s still work today.
At any one time, consumers can find more than 600 designs for Zippo lighter cases. Elvis Presley was the first property licensed by the company, which has also commemorated events like the Apollo moon landings. “We run the gamut of personal taste,” he says. “We see a lighter as a reflection of your personal style.”
In spite of all the designs to choose from (which include logos for NASCAR, professional sports teams, Playboy® and Jack Daniels®) the plain, classic lighter is still a best-seller, as is the four-leaf clover emblem. Technology has reached a point where, available in the Zippo 2009 catalog due out in December, this symbol for luck will be a real four-leaf clover. “We expect this to be a home run,” Lenny says.
The Zippo Blu™ Butane line carries the same lifetime guarantee and was created specifically for lighting cigars, which need a clean-burning flame that contains no odor. The Zippo Blu butane burns at 2,500 degrees and leaves no after taste. The butane is kept in a pressurized tank, which prevents air from getting at the fuel. Butane mixed with air makes the lighter harder to operate, Lenny says.
Pipe smokers don’t need to feel excluded from classic Zippo quality and style. Lenny says that all Zippo designs can be refitted with an insert made specifically for lighting pipes. In this insert, the flame comes out of a hole on the side of the chimney, rather than at the top as does the standard insert. Should the lighter owner ever give up pipes, or the lighter is passed down to a non-pipe smoker, the insert can be switched, no matter how many years have passed.
Lenny warns consumers that a torch lighter, such as the Zippo Blu, should never be used on a pipe. The intense heat of the flame can damage the pipe bowl.
Zippo offers marketing support to retailers, which includes listing on the company Web site as an authorized dealer, says Lenny. The retailer Web site, www.zipporetailer.com, offers support and tips on selling Zippo products. “We give the best possible tools to sell products.” he says.
Beautiful and functional
In the 1950s and ’60s coffee tables across America all held a cigarette lighter. Unlike the small portable ones for pocket or purse, these were large and substantial—more art than utilitarian. For a good portion of these functional pieces of art, the Roseart Company was the manufacturer. The company was founded in 1957 by Philip M. Rose, who owned a monument manufacturing business. “He loved the beautiful granites and marbles he worked with,” says Kelly Rose Platko, granddaughter of the company founder.
After Rose’s death, the Bradford, Pa., company was closed. While there were offers to buy the well-established business, Platko says her family wasn’t interested. “We didn’t want to see it in anyone else’s hands,” she says. “We just loved it too much.” In 2002, Roseart reopened with Platko, her parents and husband, as the new owners.
Roseart has a licensing agreement with Zippo to manufacture the decorative emblems that are on the outside of the lighter cases. Zippo, in turn, installs the emblems and Roseart sells the lighters. What the company is perhaps best known for, however, is its original product—bases for cigarette lighters. When he started his company, Philip Rose obtained approval from the founder of Zippo to make bases that could hold Zippo lighters.
Materials for the bases include the original marble and granite as well as sea shells, coral, mother of pearl and exotic woods like burl. Platko says the marbles are cut by an outside source but are drilled at the Bradford site.
Zippo handheld lighters with the Roseart emblems are available only through the company and Zippo distributors, Platko says. Their limited distribution makes them in demand by collectors. Just like there are Zippo lighter collectors, there are Roseart collectors, she says. The company also works with artist Claudio Mazzi in creating one-of-a-kind designs that can be purchased only by silent auction on the company’s Web site. The “Great Ages of Man” series features the renowned works of art rendered into the case of a lighter. The sixth in this series was recently purchased for $1,700 through the silent auction. “If people want something beautiful, they want Roseart,” says Platko.
Popular Roseart designs in handheld lighters include Exotic Treasures, which are made from colored woods (suggested retail price $39.95) and the Silhouette Series. For this series, Platko says the company commissioned artists to portray famous works of art in silhouette. Art work featured includes “Lady of the Lake” and “End of the Trail.”
In addition to its own commissioned art, Roseart will also create unique lighters for customers. With no minimum quantity, this can be a great promotional item or recognition gift, Platko says. “If someone wants to put a picture of their dog on one lighter, we’ll do one lighter,” she says.
Whether functional items or simply fashion statements, there is a big demand for lighters. Retailers who stock an inventory that appeals to a variety of customers will most likely find that their holiday season will be a highly profitable one. TR
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