Smoke shop converting smokers into vapers

[MrStik]

There is this local smoke shop that has their store setup so that dead center is their vaping section and smokers have to walk past a total in your face display of vape mods and juices to get the the tobacco products which have been located in the back.

I spoke to them and the the owner saw some documentary of how stores are set up to give impulse and items that customers who frequent the place would not be initially looking for in the front and stuff they come into the store to actually look for somewhat out of the way. Same thing as the supermarkets put their staple items such as milk in the back of the store so customers walk past a large portions of other products to get to the items they need.

I thought it was pretty neat and so far they converted 2 smokers to vaping and sold them the proper equipment so that vaping sticks. One has already come back getting a heftier mod and he was a 2 pack a day guy. Now he is a 30ml a day guy they said. I am sure the owner crunched numbers and found he can make more money on vape juice than he can on analogs which is now being taxed pretty heavily.

 

[stols001]

That is a great story, and happy to hear about it! I wish more stores would do this and good for them.

Anna

 

[Opinionated]

Cool!

 

[phonedude]

The first ecig I bought was from the smoke shop I frequented to buy my tobacco. They had them in a display on the counter. Whether their intent was to convert smokers or just to make more sales it worked for me. Of course there were no vape stores in my area at that time. I have been grateful to them for years now.

 

[redeuce]

Sounds like a smart marketing plan. Hope it helps convert smokers.

 

[stols001]

I am kind of hopeful for vaping if smoke shops are pushing vapes. Surely they know more about what the tobacco companies are saying, I don't think vaping is going anywhere, though I hope all vaping isn't going to be reduced to cig-a-likes.

Is that what is mostly in these stores, or are they branching out to real, more powerful setups, too? In any case, I like it.

Anna

 

[redeuce]

One of the biggest problems I think is that for every 1 person that wants to stop smoking, does proper research, joins forums like this, buys the right equipment, and successfully vapes, there are 10 people that for some reason are afraid to walk in a vape shop, go to a gas station for an ecig, have a bad experience, and give up.

Unfortunately, I feel the educated vapors, like all our members, are in the minority.

When we told my wife’s sister we were vaping, she said are you crazy, vape juice is made with anti freeze.

Ignorance is the biggest obstacle to our cause.

 

[stols001]

Well, I think that may be true, but from the sounds of this smoke shop, they do a decent job educating vapers, and I think that's fantastic. I know it makes no sense to trust your cigarette retailer, but I kind of did. Well, we bought on reservation, so maybe it was different. But I'd say current smokers who go to a smoke shop might be the most likely to listen to smoke store employees, thinking back that would likely have been true for me.

With that said, yes, ignorance and early fearmongering is still very much in effect. I don't run into it much but I'm sure it still exists....

Anna

 

[RainSong]

Our local smoke shop has a larger selection of vape equipment than most of the vape shops I’ve been into.

 

[Walee]

Well, I think that may be true, but from the sounds of this smoke shop, they do a decent job educating vapers, and I think that's fantastic. I know it makes no sense to trust your cigarette retailer, but I kind of did. Well, we bought on reservation, so maybe it was different. But I'd say current smokers who go to a smoke shop might be the most likely to listen to smoke store employees, thinking back that would likely have been true for me.

With that said, yes, ignorance and early fearmongering is still very much in effect. I don't run into it much but I'm sure it still exists....

Anna

I'm gonna follow the tangent for a bit. This whole public perception thing is a rough one. I have a good number of friends that are either working or retired professors. They are very intelligent and very well educated people. Having said that, their interest in smoking, vaping, nicotine, etc. is passive at best. Their knowledge is limited to headline scanning. I understand this fully. No reason for them to dig deeper. Their initial reaction to my decision to vape was trepidation. After filling in the blanks for them everything changed. I understand the campaigns against smoking too. Unfortunate as it is, few will read past a hyperbolic short headline so that was used to garner attention. Selling the beatitudes of vaping is no doubt an uphill battle.

 

[redeuce]

We have a smoke shop in our area that actually has the word Smokes in their name, and I don’t believe they even carry cigs any more. They have a big humidified cigar room and vape supplies.

 

[Rossum]

How many cigarette smokers actually buy their cigs at "Smoke shops"? I think I can count the number of times I've been in a smoke shop in my entire life on the fingers of one hand. While they carry cigarettes, my impression was that they primarily cater to cigar and pipe smokers; a much smaller audience, and most cigarette smokers buy their cigs at the local convenience store.

 

[mattiem]

How many cigarette smokers actually buy their cigs at "Smoke shops"? I think I can count the number of times I've been in a smoke shop in my entire life on the fingers of one hand. While they carry cigarettes, my impression was that they primarily cater to cigar and pipe smokers; a much smaller audience, and most cigarette smokers buy their cigs at the local convenience store.

That is probably true in some places but our local smoke/vape shop is one of the busiest places in town. Hubby still buys his smokes there and each time we stop there, the parking lot and store is full. This is the same place I bought our first little cig-a-like kits 6 years ago. Their vape area was just one tiny area at the end of a counter. Now it takes up at least 1/4 of the store. I don't know much about the vape business there because I buy everything I need online and make my own e-liquid but they must be doing something right.

 

[MrStik]

From my experience, smoke shops do carry a bit of everything. Gas stations, liquor stores and supermarkets are very convenient, and because of this, I have noticed that they are a bit more expensive.

A lot of my friends who are or former smokers frequent smoke shops where there are better promotions and BOGOs. And now I am noticing a lot of smoke shops strategically located close to mini marts and supermarkets in my area. Now I cannot tell you what the stats of people who go to these stores are, but I can only see what this one smoke shop is doing. I do go there often because it is walking distance and it sells one of my favorite juices at a decent price. But for every smoker that gets converted by this shop, that means one less smoker and one more added to our ranks.

 

[Vapefiend]

A vape shop near my old apartment used to give you money off your vape purchase if you gave up your pack of cigarettes; then they nailed it to the wall of “ex smokers” with your name written on it with a sharpie. I thought it was a cool idea.