Recommendation of Retailer for
TAA Membership
TAA Membership
Below is a link to the form for Associate Members to submit recommendations of a Retailer for membership in the TAA. Retail membership is extremely limited and by invitation only. The TAA accepts less than a handful of new retail members each year, if any.
Please review the Retail Membership Qualifications and Selection process for new members before completing the recommendation(s).
TAA Qualifications for Retail Membership
- Operates as a premium cigar and other tobacco products retailer offering a selection of pipes, cigars and related accessories for the use and enjoyment of tobacco products with at least one brick-and-mortar location (“B&M location”).
- Conducts a business primarily dedicated to the sale of tobacco.
- Complies with all applicable local, state, and federal laws relating to the operation of a retail tobacco store.
- Has operated as a premium cigar and other tobacco products retailer for at least five years.
- Is a member in good standing with the Premium Cigar Association for at least five consecutive years.
- An active and paid member of a state association dedicated to defending the tobacco industry, which participates in public policy advocacy to protect and advance the premium cigar industry (applicable only if available in your state).
- Business operations must have an electronic point-of-sale system (“POS”).
- Company principal(s) must be actively involved in the Company’s business operations.
- Must be willing and able to attend the TAA Annual Convention and Meeting every year and actively participate in the TAA Mini-Trade Show and Deals and Data Auction during the Annual Convention and Meeting.
- Must have an active business account with 80% or more of the current list of TAA Associate Members.
- Must be willing to disclose all websites owned, operated, or for which the retailer has contracted.
- Must be willing to (anonymously) participate in surveys relating to general data collected from the retailer’s POS and financial records to be shared in aggregate with TAA membership.
- Retailers who have exhibited clear and repeated abusive, hostile, and/or anti-competitive conduct toward other cigar industry members will not be eligible for membership.
The selection process for new retail members is multifaceted. Many considerations are given to each nomination for final approval by the TAA Board of Directors (BOD). The TAA Membership Committee reviews each candidate during January of each year. The committee then selects several candidates based on the needs of the Association’s membership. Once the committee has prepared the initial list, the list will be presented to the full BOD for consideration. Each BOD member will then have the opportunity to evaluate and research each candidate. From there, the approved candidates will be privately interviewed by the TAA Executive Director using the board-approved criteria. The Executive Director will present the list of qualifying candidates to the full BOD for asking permission to send a Retail Application for Membership. Completion of the application does not guarantee membership. The membership committee will review the applications and submit a final list of Retailers to the full Board for one final review and secret ballot for the final nomination into the TAA.