If you want to understand the UK cigar market, you cannot just look at brands or retailers in isolation. You have to look at the network that connects them. That is where the Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists, or AITS, comes in.
AITS is the trade body representing independent tobacconists across the UK. It brings together retailers, importers, and brands in one place, creating a space where the industry can function as a connected ecosystem.
What makes it important is that the UK cigar market is highly regulated, heavily taxed, and increasingly niche. Independent shops do not compete only on price. They compete on knowledge, relationships, and experience. AITS supports that by giving retailers access to suppliers, education, and a collective voice.
Events like this are where decisions get made. New brands enter the market, existing relationships are strengthened, and retailers decide what ends up on shelves across the country.
Without organisations like AITS, the market would be far more fragmented, and independent tobacconists would have a much harder time surviving in an already challenging environment.
So while it might look like just another trade event, AITS is one of the key structures holding the UK cigar industry together.
Thank you to Paresh Patel, David & Scarlett Worsfold and the rest of the AITS team for putting on another wonderful event - and congratulations on 50 years of supporting the industry.
