You don’t have to know the stats to know that vaping is booming in popularity in 21st Century Britain. Just take a walk and you’ll be sure to spot passers-by vaping.

But the numbers do back up that evidence, with an estimated 2.7 million regularly using e-cigarettes in 2021 in England alone, according to Public Health England.

Vape shops certainly did take a battering during Covid, with many choosing to shut up shop when lockdown hit. But that can provide an opportunity too - especially with the rents currently much lower than they were just a couple of years ago. Suddenly you’re faced with both less competition and lower costs!

It’s certainly a tempting opportunity for an entrepreneur.

But how do you make vape shops work? What premises do you choose? What vape products should you carry? What does regulation demand? What insurance should you pick? How do you market your business? How much will it all cost? The list of questions goes on.

Advice on these matters from experienced vape retailers can be invaluable, so we’ve combined our own knowledge with the expertise of some of our long-standing customers.

One person who’s been through the process is Christina Carus, who opened The Vape Hut in Maldon Essex with husband Phil in June 2017.

Meanwhile, Amanda Ball recently opened her second Vape Ape shop at Burntwood, Staffordshire. She launched her first shop in Cannock, Staffordshire in 2014 after kicking a 40 a day cigarette habit and becoming passionate about vaping.

You’ll also find expert comments from Vape Mentors and E-Cig Intelligence.

Customer service is key

The first thing Christina mentions is the customer. The Vape Hut serves a wide range of male and female customers but the most typical is someone aged 40 plus who wants to quit smoking.

Knowing your product, and the often complicated chemistry and electronics behind it, is the key to building up a customer base, Christina says.

"People rely on you knowing how to vape safely and helping them to choose something suitable to their needs and ability."

There are plenty of online retail outlets competing on price, but if you have a bricks-and-mortar premises, you are going to be differentiating yourself on the levels of customer service you can offer. She emphasises;

"Customers appreciate that things will be slightly more expensive in a shop than online because of running costs and because they are sharing the retailer’s expertise. They also have the bonus of physically seeing products before making a decision on what to buy.

"We maintain a very high level of customer service whether the sale is £2 or £100. We get to know each and every customer and ensure that they feel important when they come to see us, we get a lot of recommendations this way."

And Amanda agrees that word of mouth recommendations and a reputation for excellent customer service will be the keys to success of the business over time.

Where to locate your vape shop

Christina says you will need a minimum of around £10,000 to set up a shop depending on size and location. (See How to finance a vape shop.) She chose her own small but perfectly formed premises based on rental costs and its position on the high street.

Amanda’s advice is to choose a location for your shop where there is little competition. Vape Ape has chosen to stay out of town for both shops as the lease prices are more reasonable.

Set up costs can be as little as £7K or as much as £16k, depending on what level of internal fittings and stock you choose, she says.

David Attwood of ECig Intelligence believes there’s no magic formula to where shops should be located, advising;

"Rent costs and customer access need to be balanced: city centre locations have higher footfall but higher rents and can be less convenient for customer access."

"Out of town locations mean lower rents and better access, but lower visibility: seek out arterial roads and focus on social media/customer retention. Consider where your competition is located."

You also need to bear in mind changing shopping habits after Covid.

Previous shopping patterns have changed. More people are shopping local, and fewer people are visiting shops in the high street. That means smaller towns could be a win.

Competitive positioning and brand

Norm Bour, founder of VapeMentors, in the US, has helped over 40 vape businesses start or grow. Since 2013 he had focused on certain key components.

"It’s all about competitive positioning which means understanding and articulating what makes you, you, and why anyone should care. Passion is a huge driver in the vape industry, but that is not enough to sustain a business."

One of the areas that people misunderstand is “branding,” and they mistakenly believe that a logo or a name is a brand. “Not true,” says Bour.

"Branding is an emotional connection between your shop and the customer. It’s what makes them want to do business with you, stay loyal, and refer others."

It can be difficult to think about brand when you are first starting out, and everything is a whirlwind of frantic activity. But getting your brand right from the start can help position you for long term success.

What vape products to stock

You will need a good amount of stock to get you started, Christina says. Having to turn away customers because you don’t have something can be very damaging for your reputation.

The Vape Hut’s top seller is e-liquid, specifically the Halo range which suits ex-smokers as it has higher nicotine levels.

Higher VG (Vegetable Glycerin), lower nicotine premium liquids also sell very well, but trends change dramatically with this product. Next would be starter kits, followed by coils, pod systems, tanks and mods and sub-ohm kits.

Taking into account the running costs of a retail store you should expect to be aiming for at least 50% margin, Christina advises.

Take care in how you display your products as well as deciding what to sell, as customers buy with their eyes, she adds.

Also see: Stocking Vape Products - A Guide for Retailers

Christina and Phil from the Vape Hut.

Marketing your business

There are strict advertising laws with e-cigarettes so social media and word of mouth are important in the world of vaping.

The Vape Hut runs a Facebook page and Instagram and Twitter profiles to keep in touch with their customers. Social media helps you keep in touch with customers and keep them up to date with the latest vape products and trends.

Facebook is the most important of the platforms for the Vape Hut as the people who like the page are local, Christina says.

The Vape Hut has a website being built as an information site, rather than for selling. The online retail vape market is hugely competitive and trying to compete would compromise the main business.

A Facebook page is important to keep all your regular customers up to date with what’s new and also to share and gain new business, Amanda also reports. And a website is important to advertise what’s in stock and to ensure that your shop pops up on Google.

Over her years in business, Amanda has found that a good website and social media pages are more effective than paper adverts.

For further advice on marketing and promotions see:

How to Double Your Vape Shop’s Sales

Choosing your insurance

Insurance is another consideration for a retailer.

Insurance costs depend on the amount of stock you hold, and also what security you have such as CCTV, metal roller shutters, alarm system, locks etc, so Amanda recommends investing in these measures.

And Christina advises that entrepreneurs planning to set up a vape shop choose an insurance company that understands the vaping business.

"If you go with an insurance company that doesn’t understand the vape market you may end up paying more or, even worse, may not be covered for the right things in the event of a claim."

The insurance you will need includes product, public and occupier’s liability, employer’s liability and contents insurance.

If you are buying your products from a UK supplier, you will already be covered by their product liability insurance, but if you are importing you will need to organise your own product liability insurance.

If you are a limited company, you may also want to look into director’s liability insurance.

For more information, see our Expert Guide to Vape Insurance. 

Staying on top of e-cig regulation

While you do not need a licence to set up a vape shop, retailers do have to be on top of regulations governing vape sales.

A few years aho, legislation was brought in banning the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s, and many retailers operate a ‘Challenge 25’ policy to avoid being caught out.

New E-Cig Age Restrictions: How to Avoid Fines and a Criminal Record!

Equally, despite Brexit, new European legislation in the shape of the Tobacco Products Directive (article 20) is currently in place in the UK. Rules have been tightened on the strength and size of the products that can be sold. The TPD also covers areas such as marketing. See How EU’s TPD E-Cigarette Regulations Will Affect Retailers for details.

In the world of vaping everything is new,fast-paced and trend driven, from new product launches to new regulations. “Never a dull moment” just about sums it up!

Amanda opened her vape shop after ending her smoking habit as she wanted to help others do the same. She says she hasn’t looked back.

"We have now made this our life and a successful business."

Ten essential product lines

Over the years we’ve helped hundreds of shops selling their first vape products, often with tailored vape packages catering to their needs.

While the exact requirements differ from shop to shop, in 2021 a dedicated vape shop should consider stocking the following:

1. Starter kits
2. Pod Kits, including replacement pods
3. High end / Mod vapes
4. Mods for accompanying kits, as well as some higher-end mods, including 18650 batteries
5. Tanks for accompanying kits, as well as some higher-end tanks
6. Replacement coils for all kits and tanks
7. Basic refills; i.e. BVC coils, Ego batteries
8. Charging equipment; leads and 3 pin plugs for safe charging
9. Good quality e-liquids in various nicotine strengths and PG/VG mixes
   • 50/50 range/s
   • Nicotine salt range/s
   • Shortfills
10. Accessories; replacement glasses, cases, lanyards, tools, etc.
11. Disposable vape devices - see How to sell disposables profitably and legally

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