Gestocigars, located in Geneva, Switzerland is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015. A good op portunity to have a look behind the scenes of the Swiss importer company, which has repeatedly garnered attention due to its excellent price-performance ratio.
How does this combination of top quality, excellent pricing, and the opportunity to converse at an expensive spot in Geneva in their recently expanded store near the world famous Rue du Rhône work?
Photo: Patric Pop Photo/Gestocigars SA
Manager Jean-Charles Rios explains his concept: “Since 1985, I’ve offered exclusive cigars at democratic prices, that is, on more favorable terms. That’s how we can keep our maintenance costs low and go without a showroom on the ground floor. In turn, our customers have to ring a bell at the building entrance and take a lift to the fourth floor.”
At the top, awaiting cigar-lovers is a 115 m2 humidor with more than 570 different products. A large portion of this selection consists of cigars from Cuba, but there are also several interesting pieces from other places. The custom-made walk-in humidor was lined with cedar and pleases the eye and the nose. For 15 years, Gesto has also been selling cigars online; with its new space, both distribution channels are now under one roof.
Another important part of Jean-Charles Rio’s concept is the training of his staff. Every employee in the team at Gestocigars is capable of everything. “The staff, as well as I, myself, alternates between customer service, administrative duties and managing the inventory without any great fuss and according to necessity. This means that, at all times, we always have available a team of well-trained staff knowledgeable in the world of cigars.”
Information:
Gestocigars SA
Rue Robert-Céard 8
1204 Geneva
www.gestocigars.ch
This article was published in the Cigar Journal Winter Edition 2014. Read more
