Our Story

Every business has a beginning, and ours started long before online shopping became part of everyday life.

Robincig grew from the traditions of a British high-street tobacconist — a time when regular customers were known by their usual brands, orders were written down by hand, and a familiar face behind the counter meant something.

Today, Robincig.co.uk represents a new chapter in that story, bringing the experience and values of a traditional British tobacconist into the modern world.

The Robincig Journey

Our way of doing business has evolved over the years, but our roots remain firmly connected to the traditions of the British high street.

1. Where It All Began

Robincig has its roots in a much simpler kind of tobacco business.

Before websites, online accounts and automated notifications became part of everyday shopping, there was the counter, the stock room, the telephone — and an order book kept close at hand.

For years, much of the business revolved around regular customers. Some would come in knowing exactly what they wanted. Others would ask whether we could find a particular cigarette or tobacco brand that had become difficult to find elsewhere.

Over time, we came to recognise the familiar faces, the usual orders and the small details that made each customer different.

We never set out to become the biggest name on the high street. Our approach was much more straightforward: understand the products, keep track of what customers needed and give people a reason to return.

That familiarity became an important part of the business, and it would eventually influence the way Robincig developed.

2. The Order Book

As the years went on, the shop counter was no longer the only place where orders began.

Regular customers started ringing ahead to check availability or ask us to put their usual products aside.

Those simple questions gradually became part of our everyday routine.

Orders were written down, stock was reserved and individual requests were handled one at a time. Some customers collected their purchases later, while others preferred to have their orders sent to them.

There was nothing particularly sophisticated about the process.

No shopping basket. No automated confirmation email. No online account to sign into.

Just a telephone, an order book and a familiar way of doing business.

Looking back, that handwritten order book was probably the earliest version of what would eventually become Robincig online.

3. A Changing British High Street

Over the years, British retail began to change.

The high street was no longer the centre of everyone's shopping routine. People were travelling further for work, spending less time visiting individual shops and becoming increasingly comfortable ordering everyday items online.

The traditional way of running a local shop still had its place, but it was becoming clear that businesses needed to adapt.

For Robincig, the decision was not simply about following a trend or putting products on a website.

It was about finding a practical way to bring an established approach to retail into a world where customers increasingly expected greater convenience and flexibility.

The business needed to change, but that did not mean leaving its traditional roots behind.

4. From the Counter to the Website

That change eventually led to the development of Robincig.co.uk.

Rather than treating the website as an entirely new business, we saw it as the natural next step in a process that had already begun years earlier.

The handwritten order book became an online checkout. The products once kept behind the counter became part of an online catalogue. And customers who previously needed to telephone or visit the shop could now browse information and place orders through the website.

Technology changed how the business operated, making it possible to manage orders more efficiently and serve customers beyond the original local area.

But the purpose behind Robincig remained familiar: to provide clear information, a straightforward ordering process and a reliable point of contact when customers needed assistance.

5. Still a Tobacconist at Heart

Today, Robincig may look very different from the traditional business it grew from, but the ideas behind it have changed surprisingly little.

We believe that understanding our products matters. We believe that customers should be able to ask a straightforward question and receive a straightforward answer. And we believe that good service should never become less important simply because an order is placed online.

Our website allows us to bring those traditional principles into a modern setting, with convenient online ordering, clear policies and customer support for enquiries about existing orders.

The shop counter may have changed, but the philosophy behind it remains much the same.

6. The Next Chapter

Robincig continues to develop as an online business, adapting to the practical needs of modern retail while remaining connected to its traditional background.

As technology and customer expectations continue to evolve, our focus is on maintaining a clear, dependable and straightforward service for the people who use our website.

We know that a website cannot recreate every part of a traditional high-street shop, nor would we want it to. But it can preserve something important: the sense that there are real people behind the business, ready to help when needed.

From the counter book to Robincig.co.uk, our business has evolved with the times without forgetting where it started.