Pete Johnson Details Tatuaje’s Price Increases

In November, Pete Johnson of Tatuaje informed retailers that a price increase would be coming at the start of the new year, and now details about that increase are being shared.

First, the good news for fans of Tatuaje is that it won’t be an across the board increase; the Black Label, ME II, Negociant and Broadleaf Collection lines won’t be seeing any changes. There will also be lines where only some sizes see increases, with Johnson citing the Petite Cazadores, Petite Tatuaje and Petite Cabaiguan as examples of cigars that won’t be changing. He also said that the Cabaiguan 52 & 54, the Cojonú 2012s and Cojonú 2021, and the original Guapos are dodging the increase, as are all products that were booked in 2021 but being released in 2022, such as the La Riqueza SE and the Tatuaje Advent Calendar.

As for the rest of the Tatuaje catalog, which includes the L’Atelier Imports and Surrogates brands, the increases will vary, based largely on where the cigars are made. For the Nicaraguan-made lines, Johnson said the increases will range from 4 to 6 percent, while the company’s Miami-made cigars will see increases from 7 to 10 percent. As for the reason behind the increases, Johnson cited increases in freight and shipping costs, as well as factory price increases, in a November e-mail to retailers.

“We have had very few increases in the past 18 years,” Johnson told halfwheel, adding that he feels the company is being fair with these increases. “Many of them are barely covering our increased costs to produce and move product but we wanted to remain competitive in the premium market. We believe we continue to offer some of the best valued and best quality products in the world.”

The changes are scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

The following chart is a live look at what companies have announced price increases or no price increase for 2022.