First real B&M scam I've ever seen.

[K_Tech]

Again, not supporting outright ripoffs, but to put things into perspective, look at the markup on some other popular retail purchases over wholesale costs.

Blue jeans - 100% to 300%
Coffee - 600%
Diamonds - 50% to 200%
Cosmetics - 60%
OTC drugs - 200% to 3000% (Yes, three thousand)
Designer eyeglass frames - up to 1000%
"Organic" milk and meat - 100%

And don't even get me started on weddings and funerals, lol.

Fuzzy Bruce, I respectfully have to disagree that online shops have the same costs as B&Ms. I could run a one-man show out of my basement or garage (as many vendors have done) and my only extra costs would be shelving and my personal time.

 

[RedForeman]

You will probably find that the vape shops with more sensible pricing have evolved from a once online-only operation. They already have a bank of higher margin cash flow coming in from the internet and don't need to make payroll off the crap they have in the display cases. My favorite shop is like that. I order all my juice from them online, despite them having two shops in the area. They just don't stock much more than samples. What I buy is made to order and usually 24 hour turn-around. I did get an exception once when I had unexpected travel come up when I was low. I called ahead and they had it made by the time I got there to pick up. I appreciate that and don't abuse the favor.

Once in a great while I will drive over if they have something new I want to see in person. They are about to open a third location about 3 miles from my house. I doubt I will visit there any more than the first one that's a half hour away when traffic cooperates. I am just way past needing to have the latest new thing, and what I use now doesn't require consumables like atomizer heads and whatnot. When my juice bottles get down to about a 1-2 week supply, I go to their website, do a re-order, and my next months supply is in my mailbox in 2 days.

 

[rurwin]

I've just done a bit of searching.

1150 sq ft in a city centre mall: £150,000 per year (about $200,000). Business rates (tax) £62,000 per year ($100,000). And you'll be paying maybe four salaries at £10,000-£20,000 each, and salaries are half of the expenses associated with employing someone, so as much as £160,000. Plus utilities etc.

So maybe the first £400,000 you make every year is eaten up in overheads. If you're open for 100 hours a week and sell ten things an hour on average, so 52,000 sales per year, then you have to make £8 on average per sale just to stay in business. If you hit lean times that will increase.

As K_Tech says, a high-street location a little out of the prime area would be as little as a tenth of those amounts.

 

[rurwin]

My favourite example of mark-up was Tandy (Radio Shack) in the '80s selling RAM.

4114 chips (256x4bit static RAM) were £0.80 each in mail-order magazine adverts. (No such thing as online then.) A decent B&M would sell them for £2-3, and that's where I bought them.

Tandy were selling them for £11.95

 

[Nu2Dis]

I've been very lucky! There are a few (7?) B&M's around me within a 10 mile radius. There is one oddball that doesn't play nice and overcharges for everything; I will sometimes go in there to sample some flavors but never buy anything.

My GoTo is great. Knowledgable & Helpful staff, decent prices, and a great selection of premium liquids.
They also have a "certified" mixologist on site and basically will mix up any flavor you could think of.

Walked in looking for a new RBA - MutationX V3 - they had it for $29. However they also had the Aeolus in 4 colors and were selling them for $75 - bought one of those in brass instead; couldn't find it that cheap on-line.

If you buy an atty there, they will build it to your spec and actually give you tips if you ask questions about getting the resistance where you like it. There are times that they are understaffed and I have had to walk out because I could be impatient at times; but it doesn't happen often.

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, until you've actually owned a retail business (my parents did), you have no idea how high the overhead is. If you don't support them sometimes, they're going to have to close. So if you want the convenience of a local shop, give them some business. If you want to buy online, that's fine . Just be aware your local store may be gone quickly.

 

[SissySpike]

I've been very lucky! There are a few (7?) B&M's around me within a 10 mile radius. There is one oddball that doesn't play nice and overcharges for everything; I will sometimes go in there to sample some flavors but never buy anything.

My GoTo is great. Knowledgable & Helpful staff, decent prices, and a great selection of premium liquids.
They also have a "certified" mixologist on site and basically will mix up any flavor you could think of.

Walked in looking for a new RBA - MutationX V3 - they had it for $29. However they also had the Aeolus in 4 colors and were selling them for $75 - bought one of those in brass instead; couldn't find it that cheap on-line.

If you buy an atty there, they will build it to your spec and actually give you tips if you ask questions about getting the resistance where you like it. There are times that they are understaffed and I have had to walk out because I could be impatient at times; but it doesn't happen often.

Is there really such a thing as a certified mixologist? Where dose one get such a cert?

 

[cinetrope]

I'm all for supporting a local B&M, even if it means paying a reasonable mark-up over online prices but what I need to see is that they are supporting the community they cater to. If there is no CASAA or SFATA sticker on the door I won't even step through it.

 

[gpjoe]

Why do they even bother carrying other juice if they are just going to try and steer you towards theirs? The solution seems simple to me - don't carry anything but your own juice. Probably a crappy business model, but what they are currently doing makes no sense. They won't last long. Especially with their bad attitude.

There's a store near me that only carries their own overpriced juice and overpriced hardware. They used to be the only vape shop in town (near me) and they are very nice but the competition is getting pretty fierce with shops popping up all over, so it remains to be seen if they can continue. I'm afraid not for long, unless they drop their prices.

The B&M I visit most actually asks me the cheapest prices I've found on line. I just bought an iStick50 for 54 bucks, which is higher than web pricing, but I understand that the store has overhead and I walked out with my new mod in hand. They also give me a discount on brand name juice (Jimmy the Juice Man, Epicloud, Cuttwood, Suicide Bunny, Space Jam, etc) just for asking.

 

[Libbydude]

A shop near my house carries svd 2.0. I stopped in a week ago to haggle on one.The best offer was 100 with 20ml of their nasty juice. I left empty handed but needed the exercise so not a wasted trip.

 

[xDarkRelic]

I think a few people in this thread aren't understanding the point.

I'm fully aware of how a storefront operates. I used to be a co-owner of a game store in my town a few years back.

I'm fully understand (and accept) markups for your business, especially when you're nice about it. Sure a subtank can be found online for $40, but if a shop sells one for $60,not only do they make a profit, but you get it in that same day. No online waiting, and you can help on how to set it up.

I understand this. However, this is about people who are blatantly taking advantage of new vapers. They even said it, "don't tell anyone". If you vape, you're over 18. So you have an idea on how a store can operate. But what you don't realize is that you're being taking advantage of because you're new, or because you don't need base prices.

Like I said, I fully understand the business aspects. But it's their attitudes you need to watch out for. ☺

 

[Thrasher]

It costs a lot of money to have a storefront you rent, pay electric, pay employees, have insurance..etc etc.. IT will always be more expensive in a small store than online where there is less overhead. It has nothing to do with 'ripping people off'

Yea, keep telling yourself that. Then come here where a 15 dollar clone mechanical is $65+ and 10 ml is 10-12 bucks and off brand egos are $49 with a $9 ce4 clearo thrown in to get you started. But hey a 2 pack is ONLY 15 when that one wears out


Really? Sorry you can make plenty of profit without bending customers over,

 

[SissySpike]

I think a few people in this thread aren't understanding the point.

I'm fully aware of how a storefront operates. I used to be a co-owner of a game store in my town a few years back.

I'm fully understand (and accept) markups for your business, especially when you're nice about it. Sure a subtank can be found online for $40, but if a shop sells one for $60,not only do they make a profit, but you get it in that same day. No online waiting, and you can help on how to set it up.

I understand this. However, this is about people who are blatantly taking advantage of new vapers. They even said it, "don't tell anyone". If you vape, you're over 18. So you have an idea on how a store can operate. But what you don't realize is that you're being taking advantage of because you're new, or because you don't need base prices.

Like I said, I fully understand the business aspects. But it's their attitudes you need to watch out for. ☺

I think everyone understands you point but pretty much any thing you post someone will disagree with and or find some off the wall exception that happens once every Milena to throw out there

 

[roxynoodle]

No, their remark about deliberately taking advantage of newbies doesn't sit well with me either. My response was more that I understand why things are marked up. Nine out of ten small businesses fail in the first 2 years. And now the internet isn't helping them. An internet business probably has a higher chance of success.

 

[GrandSam]

Saddening indeed. I'm so glad that when I started out, every shop that I went to tried to help me. I was that annoying guy who started the conversation with, "I'm just looking for an inexpensive juice." One of the downfalls of knowing that your tuition is going to run you ~$200,000 is not having the funds for premium liquid. One time, a shop owner saw me looking around. He asked if I needed help. I asked if they had any "inexpensive custards." The guy smiled and asked if I was new to vaping. I was. He gave me 2 30 ml bottles (don't recall the names, but they were great) for the price of 1 15ml. This is what we need to see more of...
P.S. After the encounter, I spent quite a bit of cash at this shop.

 

[Rizzyking]

Of course a reasonable person expects to pay more at a b&m but there are many out there ripping new vapers off and more importantly putting people off vaping which isn't good for any of us. Times have changed the internet is not only good for buying stuff but researching it as well I was reading up on vaping for months before taking the plunge and every one is able to do that. First thing I tell anyone interested in switching to vaping is go online read up on it and always research any purchases for best price and customer reviews. Education is the ultimate answer to bad b&m's and will ensure they go outof business quick if they don't change their money grabbing ways. Sadly only a few vape shops within thirty miles of me so online is how I get my stuff.

 

[RickCain]

The good news is shops like this only last a few months and disappear. It happened in So Cal a year ago and those shops that didn't provide good service and fair prices are now gone.

Good customer service and competitive prices are the only way to survive.

 

[Heavyrocker]

Can you say Fasttech?

 

[OcalaFlGuy]

Can you say Fasttech?

You just have to say it Really, Really, Really s l o w so it takes about 10 days to 2 weeks to get it out...

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

[keepsmiling]

Yea, keep telling yourself that. Then come here where a 15 dollar clone mechanical is $65+ and 10 ml is 10-12 bucks and off brand egos are $49 with a $9 ce4 clearo thrown in to get you started. But hey a 2 pack is ONLY 15 when that one wears out


Really? Sorry you can make plenty of profit without bending customers over,

My husband and I own a small business, so I do understand this. Don't need to "keep telling myself that" because I know it as a fact. I am sure there are some out there with nothing in mind but to make a profit..oh wait...that's why we are in business!
In our business there are also those who inflate prices and charge more than they probably should. It still does not alleviate the fact that we must make a profit to stay in business. Our business is more than fair, sometimes too fair. We haven't changed our hourly rate in over ten years. We do mark up parts at 40%. We don't "kill them" we make just enough to keep ourselves in business. It is still far cheaper to sit behind a computer, and run a business without a storefront and the other costs,permits, taxes, etc that go along with what we do.