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Lean startup: I'm thinking of starting a Cigar Of The Month Club. Is the monthly subscription club space too saturated?
CT
CT
Chloë Thomas, eCommerce expert, author, speaker, consultant answered:

Hi,
I specialise in eCommerce strategy and marketing, helping eCommerce people make better decisions, and run more efficiently and effectively.
The short answer is 'no'.
Your target market isn't "subscription buyers" it's "cigar lovers". So unless there's a lot of subscription programs targeting the cigar lover, you're fine.
However, if your market strategy is to go after people who like subscriptions - then I think you're not going to do so well! A cigar is a tough first sell!
If you're coming at this from the "I love cigars" point of view first consider if Subscription is the best way to serve that customer base.
If you're coming at this from the "I want a subscription business" point of view - then make sure you've researched cigars thoroughly before going down that road.
Not least the legal restrictions on advertising - these differ from country to country, but it can be pretty hard to market tobacco online.
Hope that helps.
Chloe

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