We need to move fast | Viewpoint: Jonathan James

By admin in Featured, Talking Points 11th March 2024

We all knew that at some point the government would intervene in the vape market. Over a relatively short period of time, vapes have come from being a ‘nice to have’ product in-store to being the most profitable category and one that takes up very little space.

Sales of disposable vapes are very profitable and have undoubtedly led to complacency within the industry. As the cost
to run a store continues to grow year on year, so does the profitability of vapes and they have managed to put a sticking plaster on inflating costs that would otherwise have put pressure on the business.

It’s obvious that the current prime minister is on a mission to eradicate smoking and dramatically cut down vapes. But the disposable vapes ban will not achieve his goals. It will drive the consumer to the black market or indeed back to smoking tobacco.

In the meantime, the convenience sector that has supplied legitimate product and ensured there were no under-age sales is
made to suffer.

The ban will undoubtedly go through parliament, as it has cross-party support. Sitting back and doing nothing is not an option. Instead, we need to be working towards supplying our vaping customers with the legal products that will still be sold after the ban.

I’m speaking to many retailers who have already begun stocking those products and educating the consumer to make the switch to reusable and refillable devices.

As independent retailers, we are very well placed to adapt to the demands of our customer. Time will tell where the vape
market moves to next, but we need to move with it and quickly. As someone once said to me, “If you don’t look after your customer, someone else will.”