http://www.asiantrader.biz 13 OCTOBER 2017 ASIAN TRADER 25
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E-CIGARETTESThe continued rise
of the faux fag
I
t’s exciting times in the fast-paced e-cigarette
market. Globally, the market is worth a
massive $3 billion, which is an impressive
fi gure considering the sector only really started heating
up fi ve years ago.
It is important for convenience stores to
have an e-cig o ering. The channel is a
frequent destination for smokers and
accounts for more than half of the UK
tobacco volume sales.
The number of smokers that are using
e-Cigarettes has almost doubled in the last
two years. Currently 30% of smokers use
e-cigarettes, usually to help them reduce the
amount of tobacco they consume.
It is vital that this key channel for
smokers, recognises that 1 in 5 of its
tobacco shoppers also require purchasing
e-Cigarettes. Therefore, providing a good
e-cigarette offer is not only what their
customers want, but a much more profit-
able way to drive up their shopper’s basket
size. Market
In the UK, e-cigarettes have increasingly been making
the headlines as awareness of the sector, and its growth
in popularity, continues to increase. The total retail
sales value of vaping devices in traditional retail in the
UK last year was over £158m (Nielsen).
The market is evolving fast, and on the high street
more and more indie retailers are stepping things up
with bespoke e-cig bars behind the counters and terrifi c
in-store displays.
This has seen, for vaping, Independent, Symbol, Gas
and Convenience stores become key channels for sales,
holding over 55% share of total retail sales value
(Nielsen).
Specifi cally, the capsule and refi llable vape device
market has grown 17.7% in the last year - these are now
the fastest growing devices in the traditional retail
market with 90% (Nielsen) of UK vapers using capsule
and refi llable products.
With vaping bars opening on high streets and in
airports, the market shows all the signs of continuing to
expand.While many adult smokers
want to stop using
tobacco products, they
still want the ‘experience’
of smoking, add this to
the fact that some tobacco
manufacturers are already
planning for a ‘burn-
free’ future means the
e-cigarette industry is
set to continue apace in
the coming years. Asian
Trader reports.