we need to support shops that give us our money's worth. whether that shop is down town or online is entirely up to the owner. I didn't miss the point of the OP. If the prices are unreasonably high you can bet the attitude described exists whether spoken outright or not. A co-worker of mine visited a shop in NM with pricing that rivals typical internet pricing.
First real B&M scam I've ever seen.
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Capitalism is great isn't it. If you were opening the first vape shop in a town you would have no idea what would work. Now they're all over and it's becoming clearer. Whatever the business model that works is, will survive. If huge markups and relying on new vapers who don't know any better is viable then those places will make it. But that's a small segment of the market. To tap into the market of existing vapers will probably take better pricing and great service. Maybe the internet is just so good that local stores aren't going to make it at all. Maybe vape stores will have to tag onto something else, like have a corner of a liquor store. Maybe there will only be one in each town.
Whatever, the market will pick the winners. Unless the politicians step in and decide for us that is.
Once the new vaper gets home and finds out how much they were gouged do you think they will ever go back? To keep your business a going concern you must have repeat customers.Most businesses live do to repeat business and how many people will the person tell they were ripped off? I live in a small community and your reputation is everything. I see these over priced businesses come and go all of the time.
On another note, I go into a B&M expecting to pay more (not 100% more mind you). I get to sample juices and get opinions and/or advice from the staff. Ignore me or act arrogant and you are dead to me. I am lucky that I have great shops where I live with some very quality individuals working at them.
On another note, I go into a B&M expecting to pay more (not 100% more mind you). I get to sample juices and get opinions and/or advice from the staff. Ignore me or act arrogant and you are dead to me. I am lucky that I have great shops where I live with some very quality individuals working at them.
B&M or online - vendors do have to live with the risks of a highly volatilve and quickly evolving product range. Though some if it might be just hype. Drill another small airhole into an atty and peddle it as the all-new-and-revolutionary-next-best-thing-after-sliced-bread can get any vendor stuck with inventory that won't move anymore.
Sure, there's your 'benchmark' stuff like REO's, Provari's, Kaufuns, what have you, but that doesn't account for the bread 'n butter sales.
Longevity of rebuildables does its part too. So you try to sell your 'regulars' on all-new-and... stuff plus broadening your customer base.
Which still doesn't protect you from getting stuck with inventory that can only be moved with putting on lower price tags.
But it always takes two to clinch a deal : a seller and a buyer. If the seller can get away with charging outrageous prices he will do so. If the buyer can get away with buying for a pittance he will do so.
That game started way back when one caveman had a spare t-rex-bone steak and the other a spare sabertooth skin
Sure, there's your 'benchmark' stuff like REO's, Provari's, Kaufuns, what have you, but that doesn't account for the bread 'n butter sales.
Longevity of rebuildables does its part too. So you try to sell your 'regulars' on all-new-and... stuff plus broadening your customer base.
Which still doesn't protect you from getting stuck with inventory that can only be moved with putting on lower price tags.
But it always takes two to clinch a deal : a seller and a buyer. If the seller can get away with charging outrageous prices he will do so. If the buyer can get away with buying for a pittance he will do so.
That game started way back when one caveman had a spare t-rex-bone steak and the other a spare sabertooth skin
My local B&M (the only one I've been to) charges $75 for the KBOX, even when I walked in with TWO (2) print-outs from online sources showing them for under $30. (I ended up ordering from a place then had 'em on sale for $23.95.) They told me those were fakes, and only they had the real ones. I think I can order directly from KangerTech for like $39.95 (retail) and that wouldn't be fake.
They charge $350 for mods that go for $80 online. I'll never even buy a single battery or any juice from those scammers. Really put me off and I had to wait nearly a week longer to begin my new vaping journey, but it was worth it to not support such thievery.
They charge $350 for mods that go for $80 online. I'll never even buy a single battery or any juice from those scammers. Really put me off and I had to wait nearly a week longer to begin my new vaping journey, but it was worth it to not support such thievery.
I think the only defense of these B&M stores requires an assumption...that they need to exist at all. Opening a small business is cool and all, but it's not some great service to society. If these stores are doing more harm than good for vaping, they should not be supported in my view. And, I would argue should not exist.
To make matters worse, most of these stores seem to do some sort of Yelp scheming- offering discounts if customers leave positive feedback etc. I would highly suggest that anyone who has a bad experience to try to voice it on places like Yelp, to at least provide some insight, and try to get the word out.
I remember when I was a new to vaping, every storefront around me had 4-5 stars and glowing reviews. I only later found out what these places are doing to make that happen. It's a bit of scam indeed. Of course there are some good ones, but I've found far more bad ones in my travels.
To make matters worse, most of these stores seem to do some sort of Yelp scheming- offering discounts if customers leave positive feedback etc. I would highly suggest that anyone who has a bad experience to try to voice it on places like Yelp, to at least provide some insight, and try to get the word out.
I remember when I was a new to vaping, every storefront around me had 4-5 stars and glowing reviews. I only later found out what these places are doing to make that happen. It's a bit of scam indeed. Of course there are some good ones, but I've found far more bad ones in my travels.
$85 is a tad overpriced... $50-55 would've been reasonable
they have rent to pay, bills to pay, employees to pay, etc... B&M will always be more expensive than online
they have rent to pay, bills to pay, employees to pay, etc... B&M will always be more expensive than online
You can't compare B&M stores to the online world. The B&M's are much more convenient and hands-on. Most people who're looking at starting Vaping are intimidated and overwhelmed when they go into these stores. The problem I have, is these people that work at these places, see the newbies as vulnerable and easy targets to make a buck off of. It's like a women taking her car to get an oil change. They'll try and get you to do a bunch of other stuff. Belts, fluid top ups, air filters, etc.
Convienence trumps everything. If they can make a buck off you, they'll do it. It's a cold world.
Convienence trumps everything. If they can make a buck off you, they'll do it. It's a cold world.
That's the excuse B&Ms love to use, but it's not true. That's nothing but a short sighted viewpoint often used by new startups.
2buildawall hit the nail on the head. To stay in business for any significant length of time you're absolutely relying on the repeat customer. The more your customer vapes, they more they're going to learn. The more they learn, the less likely they're going to be to come back to a shop that has overpriced products. If you're relying on the vulnerable newbies to keep you in business then your business is already doomed. If you want to stay in business for the long run, you've got to have competitive prices as well as offer the personal service that the newbie is going to feel comfortable with AND the experienced vapor is going to be happy with. After all, people don't all live isolated from each other. A new vaper will eventually talk to other vapers and get opinions and recommendations that will lead them away from your shop if your competition does it better.
Now, allow me to show you a real world example. This is a B&M shop near me. You walk into the shop and they have GREAT customer service. Whether you're a total newbie, or an experienced vaper that is into rebuilding and DIY, they're very attentive, helpful, and friendly. And their prices are very competitive for a B&M. Just see for yourself....
The Best US E-Liquid Made | DFWvapor.com, The Best US E-Liquid Made!
Here's a few items to give you an idea of their pricing...
Eleaf iStick 30W = $39.99 ... 50W = $59.99
Aspire Atlantis = $34.99
Kanger Aerotank V2 = $26.99
Kangertech Kbox = $34.99
And they aren't some little hole in the wall, dingy little B&M either....
These people have not only survived, they've grown. They started out as a single shop offering great customer service along with great pricing, and through word of mouth they have grown their business into 6 shops in the Dallas area. All their shops are equally nice, and all are staffed by equally friendly people. Like most successful B&M shops they know that the real money is in return customers, and primarily juice sales which is where the real profits are to be made. Their in-house juices flavors are competitive with most any "gourmet" online vendor, and at $14 for a 30ml bottle they are pretty much average priced for an in-house juice. It's their prices, service, and quality that keeps them open. You can walk in there virtually any time of the day and they'll have at least a half dozen customers in the store, and on the weekends they're always packed.
You won't find anyplace with a 100% markup on their mods and attys doing even half as well.
These shops exist because so many people are reality idiots. They have no idea what anything is worth and assume High pricing means Good product. They allow themselves to by taken be every shill operation that pops up.......repeatedly.
The people that usually complain that stuffs 'too expensive' or is a 'rip off' are the same people that will go garage sailing and try to bargain with the guy selling antique forks for 2 dollars.
Not everyone's poor. Just cause you think it's too much, doesn't mean other people do too. It's all relevant.
Also, a lot of people start vaping for the better alternative to smoking. Not everyone who vapes does it to save money or for some cheap entertainment. Ie cloud chasing chumps and such.
Not everyone's poor. Just cause you think it's too much, doesn't mean other people do too. It's all relevant.
Also, a lot of people start vaping for the better alternative to smoking. Not everyone who vapes does it to save money or for some cheap entertainment. Ie cloud chasing chumps and such.
Yeah theres a shop I stop at sometimes who does this, sells mods that I know are around 80-100 bucks and charge 300 for them, sells trash 30ml juices for 30 dollars. To each his own, if they can get suckers to pay that much and they dont bother to find out anything about vaping and how much gear should cost, kudos. But if somebody got me like that I'd have a serious problem with them. seems like common sense would tell you a clearo shouldnt be 80 bucks.
I live in a town full of rich people. There are million dollar homes right across the street from my neighborhood. When I go to work I usually park next to an AMG Mercedes, BMW M5, and a Jag F Type.
I still don't know ANYONE who wants to or will willingly pay twice as much for something that they could easily buy somewhere else.
And if you think for one second that I'm poor, you are very sadly mistaken. Do a forum search for "modded ride thread".
Cool bro, you have a Mustang. So does a trillion other people. You high roller, you. Vroom vroom.
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This is not weird. They are not a big supplier and vaping is not that big. They of course have a markup. It's like purchasing a bottle of wine at a restaurant. How does the restaurant know when that 90 dollar bottle of Silver Oak is going to move? That's why the markup is very high on it. At 90 dollars, nobody is going to buy it other than a high-roller. But then it just sits in your inventory forever...but you have to have that on hand for your establishment. The markup comes in at that point, and it's going to be pricey to get the return on a product that isn't moving. I have no idea how B&M's work, but it seems like they would eat the cost of a ton of e-liquid and hardware that is quickly obsoleted unless they had some sort of licensing or arrangement with manufacturers.
TL;DR they aren't ripping you off. They can't afford to sell it for less. You can find anything online, not even talking vape gear/juice, for cheaper than you can in any local store. It's not immediate or convenient, though. That's what you are paying for. There are markups to immediacy and conveniency. Also, before you take a dive, hopefully someone is there to talk to you and steer you. B&M's can't afford to steer you wrong, they need the return customer. Again, aged wine at a restaurant is a good comparison, even if you aren't a sommelier you can steer a guest to the correct thing that they are super happy with and could have never found on their own. That's money back to the customer, who would have wasted their money on something else that doesn't fit their need. To me, that's probably what a B&M brings to the table....hopefully...
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That's funny to me, because my B&M wasn't very helpful and told me to go online and watch youtube videos to find answers to my questions.
I walked in there with zero knowledge, asking all sorts of questions. They told me to go home, educate myself online, then come back when I wouldn't take up so much of their time.
That's the kind of store I won't ever go into again.
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