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FEATURES
THE FUTURE OF THE
Indy Vape Shop
COVID-19 aftermath may highlight vital role of vape shops
in stop smoking efforts
Words: Victor Mullin
Well, for me the question of the future impact that the
COVID-19 pandemic has on the industry is one that I
have been chatting about with a few local(ish) vape
shop owners for several weeks now.
It is no surprise to anyone that the lockdowns have
had a huge impact on the entire e-cig industry in those
countries where they have been taking place. The UK,
EU, the US, Canada and other places where vape shops
have been shuttered has had a rolling impact on not
only the shop, but the wholesalers, distros, vape shop
owners and their staff.
The large chain stores, like VPZ and Totally Wicked
have the capital to keep themselves afloat at times
like this, especially with their large online presence,
but what I want to concentrate on for this article is the
small one or two-staffed independent stores.
You will have seen these stores on your local high
street or on a side street leading up to it. These small
stores with one owner and maybe one or two staff are
the bedrock of what keeps this industry afloat.
It is these small independent vape businesses that
hold the larger chain stores to account for the rest
of us, and it’s what keeps the vape shop side of the
industry in check, not only to keep prices stable, but to
keep vapers, well, vaping.
Right now, it is no exaggeration to say that many of
these small shops are struggling to survive. Even with
government grants available, for a lot of them their
landlords are still demanding rent money for their shop
which had to close for months with no money coming
in.
They have had to struggle with the fact that not only
are they not getting paid, but their staff (if they have
staff) are not getting paid either. On top of that is the
worry of paying their landlords, rates, and everything
else that goes along with running a small business.
The far-reaching consequences of COVID-19 will not
only impact the future, it is impacting vapers right
now, especially one set of vapers who a lot of us don’t
notice…the new vaper. I am referring here to those
smokers who quit cigarettes a week or two before the
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