How are the B&M Shops in your town?

[machinedog]

I work in a suburb of Chicago and have 2 shops within ten minutes of my office. Shop number 1 is small and mostly sells ego batts and a house blend juice that I don't care for (mainly because it's 98% VG which is a little to heavy for my liking). The guys that work there are super cool so I support them and buy tank parts and other stuff from them. Shop 2 has a nice variety of mods and ego style but are extremely overpriced ($25-$50 over MSRP). They offer 2 brands of juice and a house blend but at $9 for 10ml I usually don't purchase anything from them. I feel they see the e-cig industry as a cash cow and take advantage of those new to the community.

How are the shops in your town?

 

[TheReign]

There is this spot a bike ride from my house, but i decided never to buy from them unless it's like a drip tip, or kanthal. They have kanger pro tank 2 running for like 30 bucks. A little outrageous i say, SVD and VAMO are $99.99..... so yeah, you basically get the idea.

 

[Painter_]

We have three shops in my area that I have been to. Two of the shops have a good selection of hardware mostly eGo setups but some higher end mods, the other is all eGo stuff. One store has killer juice that is made in house the other two I would not buy another drop of juice from them. All of the shops have opened since the first of the year and they are still finding their way. The shop that makes the killer juices is owned by a hobbyist turned business person. The other two are owned by people out to make a buck. All of the prices are fair and close to online. The one with the killer juice is 9 bucks for 15 ml, the others are 7 bucks for 6 ml and 10 bucks for 10 ml.

 

[machinedog]

Yeah, it sucks. I'm all about supporting a local business but they have to be reasonably priced. I've decided that I'd never support the one shop again when I saw an Itaste MVP2 for $95. The MSRP from Innokin is $69.99.

 

[rdambriz]

We have a lot of shops here in San Diego, but I often find myself preferring online deals instead of actual stores lol

 

[RobinBanks]

I wish I had a local vape shop! CLosest is about an hour away.

You gotta remember though, a B&M store has a HUGE overhead compared to a web based company and they have to make up for that somehow. Yeah there could certainly become a point where the markup becomes over the top, but they can't afford to make a quick buck or two profit like a web store can.

 

[Completely Average]

I've been to about 20 local shops and there are only 2 I am willing to return to.

My "go to" store is only about a mile and a half from home, and on my route to and from work. If I ever need something now, and cannot wait, that's where I go. The guys who run it are very friendly, experienced, and knowledgeable and their prices are very good ($12 for 30ml). My first time in they actually had the front door locked and were packing up gear and juices to go to a trade show, yet they still unlocked the door for me and the owner not only took care of my needs but was willing to spend time talking about other products and even offered to let me sample several other flavors knowing that I wasn't going to buy them at the time. Excellent service for people who had the door locked and were scheduled to leave in 20 minutes.

There is a more "artisan" shop that's farther away and harder to get to, but they are also very good. They know their stuff, are very friendly, carry a large amount of gear, and their prices are still reasonable ($17 for a 40ml bottle). They've got excellent flavors too, better than almost anywhere else I've tried.



The other 18 shops are the kind of places that I can't wait until they go out of business. Quick startups run by idiots who are only trying to cash in on the rapid growth of the industry. Usually I know far more than they do about the gear, their liquids are inconsistent at best and downright awful most of the time, and their customer service could be described as "what do you want and how quickly can you leave?"

 

[Completely Average]

A little outrageous i say, SVD and VAMO are $99.99..... so yeah, you basically get the idea.

That's outrageous for a Vamo, but the MSRP on the SVD starter kit is $99.99. $54.99 if you're buying the SVD body by itself.

 

[carrielsal]

I think there are good and bad. There is a B&M the next town over that has been there a few years. It's where I went when I wanted to try vaping. Excellent customer service. Their prices are higher than online, but not by a lot. A B&M has a higher overhead than an online store, and there is value to the higher price when you can get help in person and get warranty issues resolved same day.

Then there's the store that opened in my town about 6 months ago. Their prices are very high. The first time I went in I wanted to see what kind of devices they sold. I did not tell them I was already a vaper, just asked about e-cigarettes. They showed me some eGo style batteries. When I asked about something that would last longer between charges, I was taken to a showcase with $200+ mechs. Anyone besides me see a problem with this?

 

[machinedog]

I wish I had a local vape shop! CLosest is about an hour away.

You gotta remember though, a B&M store has a HUGE overhead compared to a web based company and they have to make up for that somehow. Yeah there could certainly become a point where the markup becomes over the top, but they can't afford to make a quick buck or two profit like a web store can.

I understand that. But is there not a profit at MSRP? I mean if I can find MVP's for $40-$50 at an online retailer there has to be some profit for them.

 

[ZoSo823]

Lucky enough to have an AltSmoke B&M in town.

Good people there!

 

[rico942]

their customer service could be described as "what do you want and how quickly can you leave?"

Only thing worse than that is what I got at a local B&M, which was an unspoken "I can't see you because I'm too busy hanging with my high school buds, and you're an old man, so why are you here ?" ...

Good thing for them I'm not a shoplifter. I could have walked out with my pockets full. The fog bank in their lounge area was at visibility zero ...

 

[RobinBanks]

I understand that. But is there not a profit at MSRP? I mean if I can find MVP's for $40-$50 at an online retailer there has to be some profit for them.

Naw I agree. 100% markup on a MSRP is a crap move.

 

[STiZzle2010]

I have found a few shops within 20 minutes of my house that I have been to. Everyone is really nice and helpful at all of the shops. One shop is really small (just starting out) and the other two have a pretty good selection of mods, tank, juice, etc. As many have mentioned, these shops are expensive. They are selling the iTaste VV V3 that I purchased online for more than twice the amount I paid! I have tried negotiating but have not been successful. I would prefer supporting a local business and being able to secure the product immediately however, not at these prices. I do buy juice from them as they are reasonable (6.50 for 10ML) and I am able to try before I buy. Other than that, I tend to make my purchases online.

 

[Ohms Lawbreaker]

Really tried to "support my local shops" until I began to question what that means. Are they supporting the community and neighborhood with good prices and a good selection of products, or just taking advantage of noobs with high prices and little inventory? Too often it is the latter. Why should I support anyone with a bad attitude looking to make a quick buck?

If I get a good vibe for the person behind the counter and the prices aren't too wild and if they have something I want and if I have the money, sure, but all that doesn't usually add up. Some try to paint themselves as a "vaping experience" and won't even let you vape in the store, don't see how they figure that. If the name and look of the place takes itself too seriously when all they really sell is Fasttech eGos and CE4s for ten times their price, it's usually a sign of a poor experience for me. Still don't think a single small B&M will wind up with any big sales after market saturation with new users and eGo kits is reached. Once you have that first e-cig in your hand from a B&M, you're more comfortable ordering the same thing cheaper online next time.

 

[Kollin6618]

I've only tried one by my house. Parts and mods are regular retail prices. A couple of juice vendors are slightly higher priced than online and some are a good amount overpriced. I don't mind supporting the locals sometimes though. I'll probably buy mostly online unless I'm itching to try something and not wanting to wait.

 

[machinedog]

Do most B&M shops have online retail as well? I feel that help with sales to be a little more competitive in pricing. Like I said before if there's something I wanted and it was reasonably priced, I'd gladly get it locally if the people running the business are passionate about what they do and helpful. Too many times it's the old "what are you looking to spend?" mentality.

 

[Keynith]

I havent really gone into many shops around my new living area (Atlanta) but I just googled it and a few show up. I really want to go for the e liquids and try some new stuff. Most shops wont have what you want, if your into getting the latest and greatest. Like most of my RBA's i pre order and stuff. Most shops dont have kayfuns and what not, that are made in Europe. I mean who needs to go to a vape shop if your building your own coils and buying the cotton from walgreens anyways. i get the whole support your local businesses, but I'm the kind of person who wants the next thing so most shops wont have that stuff for a few months, if at all.

 

[TheReign]

That's outrageous for a Vamo, but the MSRP on the SVD starter kit is $99.99. $54.99 if you're buying the SVD body by itself.

Found 32 iTaste at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Cheaper here. wouldn't pay near 100 for my starter kit. even cheaper here for the body itself

 

[Güero Borrachó]

There are two shops in my small town (Pop 13.5K). One (Mystix) my GF started there FT about a week ago, and loves it. The other I've only been in once to look around. Both are nice shops, with regular customers. I must admit my loyalty likes with Mystix, as they were here first, and do much to help and inform customers....creating return customers like myself. Glad to have them both here, as it saves me trips out of state to satiate my habit.

My regular shop is starting to get more into rebuildables, so I'm hoping for more selection to start hitting their shelves. They've got an excellent juice selection, and recently, started making their own flavors. They also have a "Hooka Night" on certain Fridays where $5 gets you all the e-hooka you can stand.