Quality Importers Reducing Prices Across XIKAR, Palió, Humidor Supreme & Hydra Brands

While the start of the year generally brings news of cigar companies increasing prices, Quality Importers Trading Co. has announced that it is decreasing the prices on a number of products across several brands in its portfolio.

“Recognizing the impact of altered consumer buying habits on the retailer’s bottom line, we have focused on finding better ways to do business and securing price reductions for specific SKUs that no one expects,” said Michael Giordano, ceo of Quality Importers, via a press release “We have built economies of scale that enable us to cut costs and take action so that retailers can purchase select accessories from our vast portfolio at a lower price without any impact on quality and craftsmanship.”

The XIKAR brand is seeing the greatest number of products get a price reduction, ranging from decreases of $5 to $20. Notably, the XIKAR XO Black Blades is dropping from $149.99 to $129.99, while the regular stainless steel version of the XO drops from $109.99 to $99.99. The Xi1 cutter, one of the company’s most iconic offerings, is dropping from $84.99 to $74.99 for its standard color options, while the Xi1 Black Blades drops from $94.99 to $84.99. The Xi2 cutter is seeing its MSRPs drop by $6, from $65.99 to $59.99, while the M8 drops to $59.99 as well, a reduction of $5-$10 based on color.

Several lighters are also seeing their prices go down, with the Trezo and Verano both dropping from $109.99 to $99.99, while the Turismo drops from $74.99 to $64.99.

In the Palió portfolio, the Tazza ashtray is shedding $5-$10 per model to drop to $54.99, while the Tazza Alta does the same and now costs $59.99. The company’s Lazio lighter knocks off $2.50 and now costs $12.49, while the Siena shaves off a dollar for its new MSRP of $8.99.

The Humidor Supreme brand sees decreases on three humidors. The Medici, a 400-cigar cabinet, goes from $336.99 to $299.99, while the Old Glory, a 100-count desktop humidor, goes from $219 to $199.99, and the Old World, a 75-100 count desktop humidor drops $20 to go from $175.99 to $159.99.

Rounding out the changes, the small version of the Hydra electronic humidifier drops from $177.99 to $159.99.

Quality Importers also offers savings to retailers through its Quality Importers Qualified Partnership program, as well as customization of products via its Swag Bunker service. The company says that it was able to create the price reductions as a result of its logistics team streamlining processes for both domestic and international shipping while also aiming to provide a more efficient and reliable supply chain.

The new pricing goes into effect on Jan. 15.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.