EuroCham Cambodia
For this week’s interview, we spoke with Marc Lambart, Managing Director of Diego Columbus DCC, about his journey from international FMCG and luxury brand management to building Cambodia’s first dedicated premium cigar e-commerce business.
Marc shares his perspective on the evolution of Cambodia’s premium lifestyle market, the challenges and opportunities of growing a niche business in an emerging economy, and the importance of partnerships across hospitality, tourism, and retail. He also discusses changing consumer preferences, lessons from international markets, and his outlook for Cambodia’s growing demand for high-end experiences.
You’ve built an impressive international career across FMCG, premium food and beverage distribution, and luxury retail. What initially brought you to Cambodia, and what attracted you to the premium cigar industry with Diego Columbus?
Marc: It was my dream to come to Asia for many years! I used to work for a Korean company that relocated me to Vietnam in 2012 . Then, in 2019 I was recruited as General Manager of Cambodia-Laos by the exclusive importer in the region for Macallan whiskies, Martin and Campari.
A year later, during the Covid, I started the Cigar Club “DIEGO COLUMBUS” rapidly becoming a cigar merchant and securing partnerships with prestigious cigar brands. Until today, we are still the sole e-commerce cigar actor in the market!
Diego Columbus has helped position premium cigars as part of Cambodia’s growing luxury and hospitality scene. How have you seen consumer tastes and the premium lifestyle market evolve in Cambodia over the past few years?
Marc: We are premium but also with a range of accessible cigars for the newcomers curious about cigars or daily smokers who are not ready to spend $100 for a stick.
The trend of taste in Cambodia is growing in the category of compact cigars/Cigarillos, with a plus for flavored cigars such Toscano Macchiato or Villiger Espresso or Davidoff. It is also convenient for mobility or to keep fresh packed in a metal tin.
With your background in FMCG and commercial strategy, what business lessons from larger international markets have been most valuable when growing a niche premium business in Cambodia?
Marc: One: Patience is one of the keys.
The Cambodian market has a conservative consumer culture; people are not jumping to a new offer before evaluating the advantages and notoriety.
Two: Schedule the development with caution. Evaluate the investment with a safety margin.
Three: Secure your supply chain, because it can change rapidly.
Beyond retail, Diego Columbus also intersects with hospitality, tourism, fine dining, and lifestyle experiences. How important are partnerships and collaboration within Cambodia’s business community to growing the premium cigar and luxury sector?
Marc: Retail is my focus as the landscape of distribution is still in development in Cambodia.
We have partnerships with hotels, cigar lounges, golf clubs, entertainment venues, and restaurants to increase our visibility and notoriety. It is an opportunity for private clients to experiment with our cigars in various venues. We are open to partnerships with hospitality, events or cobranding with other lifestyle products such as premium cars, real estate, wine & spirits,and jewelry businesses.
Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for Cambodia’s premium lifestyle and hospitality market, and how do you hope Diego Columbus will contribute to shaping that future?
Marc: Cambodia’s premium lifestyle and hospitality market is entering a very interesting phase. For years, the country’s appeal was driven mainly by heritage tourism and affordability, but now there’s growing demand for experiences that feel curated, design-led, and culturally authentic, especially in places like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Our daily concern is “customer satisfaction”, especially when providing products via e-commerce. We constantly work to increase the purchase experience to be ready when the major e-commerce players will enter in the Cambodian market in 2027/2028.
