For me, that "barging into a party I'm not invited to" feeling was when I first went into SteamCigs (and every trip since); there were a lot of apparent regulars there, and it was hard to figure out who worked there and who didn't. They didn't seem to much care that a new customer had just entered; heck, maybe they didn't even see me at first, through all the clouds.
But the first time I walked into The Vaping Shack, there were no other customers, and I walked in, not like I owned it, but like a kid into a toy store -- all the shiny vape stuff! And the owner was there with a smile and a "Welcome!" so that's how I felt, welcomed.
I understand that a lot of stores may want to setup a lounge atmosphere, to encourage hanging about, but it seems to me that it ought to be slightly separated from the retail space, so that the regulars aren't constantly underfoot of walk-in traffic who maybe just want to taste some juices, buy some coils, etc, not hang out like "School's Out!" It's a completely different kind of "vibe," and people who are new to vaping are going to feel somewhat excluded in a crowd blabbering this incomprehensible "vape-speak" to each other.
Andria