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VAPE BUSINESS
Snapshot
Vapouround caught up with exhibitors at the Vaper Expo, to hear
their thoughts on the situation in the US and fi nd out how they’ll
be weathering this storm.
Words: Phoebe Fuller
Luke Van Dijk - Group Head of Sales for Vampire Vape
/Flavour Warehouse
“We are seeing a drop in consumer confi dence which is affecting
the whole industry as consumers and retailers come back to trusted
brands. We’re a fairly stable business so we can ride this out, we’re in
a position to hold steady and I have every confi dence that the market
will pick back up and as it does we’ll be well-positioned to continue
to grow in it.”
Mark Egan - Director, Firehouse Vape
“Even though we don’t sell in the US, we’ve felt the impact of the
misinformation circling around which is very frustrating. It is
amazing how much the media has warped things to allow people to
believe that vaping is bad for them. From our perspective, all of our
short fi lls are fully emissions tested so we’ve been able to reassure
consumers that there are no nasty chemicals in our juice and there’s
nothing in it that’s related to what’s been happening in the US.”
Wes Brown - Owner, Barista Brew Company
“When it comes to the regulations and taxation, as well as outright flavour bans, we’re
seeing decreasing sales in the upper 60 percent but it has never wavered our emotions
and passion for the industry. We’ve been very successful outside the United States and
that’s carried us this far and there’s nothing better that I’d like to do with my life – and
business – than to keep this train going. I’m an optimist, but in this scenario we have to
prepare for the possibility that it’s going to get worse and that’s why we have started our
brand in other countries and put so much emphasis in the European, Asian and South
American markets to really try and help balance out the books.”
Lewis Felstead - Brand Manager, Six Licks
“We live in this world of clickbait sensationalism where it’s only headlines
that are read and then that concept is taken and held as a belief, so a
lot of what’s happening in the States is that people just read the word
‘vaping’ and then run with this belief that it’s all negative. At Six Licks,
we’re entirely transparent with all of our information for anyone who
asks for it but, for anyone who’s an end-user, they’re not looking into that
they’re just seeing two words: vaping and illness. It’s important that as
an industry in the UK, we’re banding together to educate the consumers.”
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