VAPE SALES THREATENED BY REFORM: IS THIS THE WAY?
We’re sure that everyone’s heard of the social outcry in regards to Rishi Sunak’s plan to ‘create a smoke free generation’, and it’s no wonder; not only does the complete ban of cigarettes affect millions of businesses and retailers worldwide, but it also creates and adds to a problem that should have been given a stable solution to in the first place; vapes!
As expected, not many people have the best opinion on the vaping category as a whole.
What with the rampant fad of underage vaping, corrupt businesses that sell to anyone with a fiver in their pocket and the overall irreversible damage disposables pose on the environment, it’s much easier to see why the termination of vape sales as a whole might be the solution.
However, vapes allow retailers to offset the impact of rising costs in thousands of pounds of weekly sales; to strip a store of a product many customers go to for just wouldn’t make sense.
Instead, the issue can be tackled with compromise; removing vapes from the till area as well as removing packaging with bright, enticing colours or cartoon images that can easily appeal to a much younger generation, for example.
Not only does this help eliminate the temptation of purchasing a vape just because of its ‘yummy flavour’ or ‘cute box’, but it also lessens the strain on staff who usually get grief for refusing a vape sale; out of sight, out of mind.
Of course, we can’t deny the fact that disposable vape simply can’t be put in a positive light in regards to the environment; without being recycled, vapes have the ability to leave a staggeringly negative carbon footprint on the world.
However, by limiting vape sales (as well as customers who have such easy access to the product) there’s hope that the legal few who are intentional with their vape usage recycle, and are more thoughtful when doing so.
All in all, we believe that it’s important to understand where the problem lies and what to do to amend it; to tackle a problem, it’s easy to expect desired results when you tackle it at its roots.
Nevertheless, it is also vital to realise that many problems aren’t as black and white as they should be; banning cigarettes will simply lead to people purchasing them illegally elsewhere, and to hike up the legal age of which one is allowed to purchase tobacco can lead to people turning towards third parties for their fix.
Forcing an outright ban on vape products also allows there to be a shifty gap in the market that others have the opportunity to fill; after all, 27% of underage vape sales are stated to occur through friends and family.
As retailers, there are many things we can do to help in this situation.
Doubling down on age-restricted sales and constantly checking ID when there’s suspicion of anyone being overage can play a very strong and vital part in limiting who has access to vapes a whole; as well as making sure that anyone accompanied by a young person while purchasing these products isn’t acting shifty or dubious in anyway.
Not only does this reduce the risk of making an accidental sale, but it also allows your business to become reputable and fair as it ensures the safety and wellbeing of the members of your community.