FEATURE
CHRISTELLE HART
Nictel is a manufacturer of high-
quality e-liquids based in St. Helens,
Merseyside. At the helm is Christelle
Hart who, along with her partner David,
picked up her first e-cigarette back in
2012. They both took to it like ducks to
water and it wasn’t long before family and
friends were inspired to join Christelle on
her vaping journey.
As much as Christelle loved vaping, she
explains that she wasn’t impressed with
the limited flavours.
“I had a keen interest in making my
own line of e-liquids as the brands I
was accustomed to vaping weren’t at
all good in flavour or value. So began
the journey in 2013; developing new
formulations and working with suitable
suppliers of materials and machinery. In
2014 we launched the brand with around
50 flavours.”
Having worked in the care sector for
six years prior to establishing Nictel,
Christelle was used to overcoming
challenges, so when she was made
aware of the TPD regulations shortly
after the formation of the company,
she wasn’t as daunted as others in her
position might have been.
“I personally dedicated a staggering
amount of time to adhering to the
changes. This wasn’t easy, but it was a
considerable achievement once it was
completed,” she said.
Many businesses have been sceptical
about the TPD and Christelle felt
much the same at first. However, she
quickly realised that rather than being
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a hindrance, it actually provided Nictel
with a template for quality which could be
used to strengthen their products.
One thing that immediately stands out
about Nictel e-liquids is their subtle label
design. Again, this is a positive knock-on
effect of the TPD regulations that has set
their liquid apart from the often-garish
bottles that vie for attention in vape
shops and at expos.
“Developing
new flavours and
launching new
products is my
favourite part of
the job. I’ve never
lost that passion
as I’m an avid
vaper myself.”
“The new packaging is quite stripped-
back in comparison to other brands
on the market for very good reasons. I
wanted the brand to look professional
and not appeal to underage persons.
After all, it is a product with an important
purpose: to help people stop or reduce
their smoking.”
As Christelle observes, label designs
are far less important than competitive
pricing and low retail cost when it comes
to keeping customers coming back.
“I’ve always been a bargain hunter
when purchasing anything for myself,
but I saw that there were many liquids
that were simply too high in price for
their quality, flavour or where they were
manufactured. With Nictel products you
get the best of both worlds: great quality
and great value.”
The Nictel brand continues to change
year-on-year. In 2017, they expanded
their premises and invested in brand
new, state-of-the-art machinery and
equipment. This year is all about
expanding on their product range.
“Developing new flavours and launching
new products is my favourite part of the
job. I’ve never lost that passion as I’m an
avid vaper myself. Both myself and my
team love this aspect of the business as
I always ask for their opinions.”
The ever-changing nature of the job
keeps it refreshing and gives self-
confessed ‘people person’ Christelle
the opportunity to interact with a broad
range of personnel, from customers
to scientists and manufacturers of
precision machinery. Indeed, it’s the
people around her who Christelle credits
for the success of Nictel.
“Family have been extremely supportive
and my employees share the strong
values that enable us to continually
exceed customer expectations. I am
also very grateful to our loyal customers,
most of whom have been with us since
the beginning.”