B&M pricing is crazy!

[Zealous]

I want to be supportive of my local vape shop. However they are on my, I'm-annoyed-with-you, list because they don't know what they're doing.

I can forgive someone who is clearly just not educated in vaping. Not all the staff in a place are going to be educated to the level I'd like in a retail B&M shop. BUT I bought some wicking for my very first rba from them. It was silica wicking & I had no idea what 3mm, 2mm, etc., wicking would look like so when it said 3mm wicking I assumed that's what it was. Upon using this wicking I concluded that I HATE using silica wicking because it's just too fragile & breaks up too quickly. Much later I got some 2mm wicking from my favorite online vendor (because the rda I got would do best with it). Once I got their wicking I discovered that the store's was not 3mm but 1mm (and the 2mm was much easier to work with than the stuff I got from the store).

Now that might make me super stupid for not realizing it wasn't 3mm but it would have also been helpful if they had not told me it was & had it ring up as 3mm. And the woman who sold it to me was someone who'd built her own wicks supposedly. I feel like she should have known better. At that point I'd never built a coil using silica so I just didn't know better.

So, bottom line now is I can't trust them so I can't justify buying their stuff. If they're careless with one thing they're probably careless with other things. I'm glad there are other shops opening up & some with better reputations (at least online) than the one near me.

 

[Harlen]

Who pays the big price at the B&M
Them that want it now and will pay for it.

 

[KjAthena]

we have had 4 B&M's open up within the last 3 months close to me...all sell the same evod/ego starter sets for $89.00 for newbies...some are real but most are FT knock offs...all but one sell simple juice from china rebranded with the store name $18 for 15ML buy 3 get one free.All sell a few protanks/villa novas and heads for 3X fast tech price The 4th sells a number of brands of juice including their own and display and sell a few MODS all real or marked as clone of XXX...I prefer to deal with the real store over the franchises (the 3 sub par ones). I will run in and buy some coils...a new tank an emergency bottle of juice from the good shop because they are a good local business...I am willing to pay 2 or even 3 times the cheapest price to have something NOW..and I will point people looking to switch in their direction as well after telling them that internet ordering is cheaper but that the personal touch is worth it.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

A fair price is what a willing buyer and a willing seller agree upon.

I have no problem with a business owner asking for what he thinks is a price that the market will bear.

He's in business to make enough money to put food on the table, clothes on the kids' backs and roofs over their heads. He'll find out soon enough if the market will bear the prices he needs in order to be successful.

What's really shameful is someone using their local B&M as a showroom for FastTech products or some other online retailer. That person will find out soon enough that Karma is a Kast Iron Beta.

 

[Penn]

A fair price is what a willing buyer and a willing seller agree upon.

I have no problem with a business owner asking for what he thinks is a price that the market will bear.

He's in business to make enough money to put food on the table, clothes on the kids' backs and roofs over their heads. He'll find out soon enough if the market will bear the prices he needs in order to be successful.

What's really shameful is someone using their local B&M as a showroom for FastTech products or some other online retailer. That person will find out soon enough that Karma is a Kast Iron Beta.

I agree to an extent. Here in GA I haven't seen a vape shop with the extreme prices I hear people speak of but head shops are so high it's cost prohibitive to vape. Yeah, they sell their stuff because some people are willing to pay the price but as I told the owner of one shop, if they lowered the prices they would make up the revenue and get more by increased sales. That is when I found out it isn't the shop that is marking the price up, it's their supplier. I told him of one local vape shop here that is also a supplier at a much lower price.

 

[peterforpats]

vaping is one strange business- if I want a coffee maker I can shop on-line or go to walmart or some other b&m and the prices, while not exactly the same, are pretty close. there is no place to shop on-line for the coffee maker directly from china like a fasttech. wonder why that is? why is vaping pretty much the only business I can by something at wholesale from the originating country. where are the clone Cuisinart coffee makers for $20?

you can't have it both ways- cheap prices, you shop on-line. one-to -one service you pay. for awhile until they realize they are not making enough money to keep the doors open. it will be interesting to see how many b&ms open and close in the next few years. quite a many I think, unless they branch into some other goods......

 

[Ref Minor]

If I buy a TV online it costs me £600, if I buy it from a B&M it costs me maybe 25% more at most, it's the same for most things except eCigs where I am expected to pay 200% more for the convenience. Some B&M owners are happy to take advantage of people's ignorance.

 

[KjAthena]

I must admit to buying fast tech starter sets for family and friends...why but one when I can get 3 for the same price?

 

[k3vin]

B&M vape shop isnt like a retail clothing outlet.it can sometimes take a few HOURS to explain to someone how to properly use a pv,take them through every option.so,2 hours to make a sale,thats 2 hours of pay to an employee that just sold something that cost the store $35 to get in,and you expect them to sell this item for online prices,where the buyer gets no hands on experience,at like lets say,$75..thats a $35 profit.

IT is going to cost them $35 just to get ANOTHER of the $35 products in,..Where is the profit in that? still have to pay the employee for his 2 hours.

I hope you guys see why B&M have to sell items somewhat higher than you can get online.And I am not speaking of e-liquid here,but of hardware..Ive seen my buddys Numbers,and let me tell you,there is alot of behind the scenes money going out the door to pay for everything..

So next time you are in a local B&M and the person is helping you,and your first reaction is to balk at a $99 vv V3 Itaste Kit,and the person is taking time out of whatever he was doing to answer your questions..Say thanks,and maybe buy something.

this isnt clothing or WM where things cost pennies or someone is BULK buying..I am not condoning $12 atomizers either.But if the SHOP owner is doing it for all the right reasons,give him your business.

 

[Chablo]

Here in South Florida: (ready for the breakdown?)
Local gas station name brand juices: $9.99 for a 10ml
B&M's:
Vapor Burst 30ml is $24.99 of their "highest quality", ego is $30 for a 1100mah just the ego no tank or anything else
Vapor Shark 30ml is $15, kits are ridiculous, ego with their "fusion" tank which is a vivi is $79.99
Vaporlife only sells up to 15ml and it's $15, k100's $69, vivi's are $12($10 cuz i've been there a few times) Only place I buy from when I'm in a pinch.
I order my things from overseas and spend a third of that!
I started offering juices for my local friends for cheaper than any local shop. I do it cuz it is outrageous down here at some places. Almost the same as using analogs at some prices.

 

[Ref Minor]

So next time you are in a local B&M and the person is helping you,and your first reaction is to balk at a $99 vv V3 Itaste Kit,and the person is taking time out of whatever he was doing to answer your questions..Say thanks,and maybe buy something.

They are not a charity and neither am I

 

[KjAthena]

I have no problem with the good B&M making some cash...even with the fast tech clone purchases the good local store gets business from my family and friends...on coils/lanyards/juice and the like....juice is a very personal choice...and the good shop has a tasting bar featuring all three levels of quality....I prefer to spend the same $$$ ordering and waiting for my juice....my daughter and father however prefer instant gratification and pre steeped juice

 

[Arnie H]

After follwing the posts on ECF for a while, I have been spoiled by the prices it seems. I went to a B&M yesterday for a quick fix on some juice, and their prices were ridiculous! Out of the 3 brands of pre-package fluids they liked I only liked 1, and it was mediocre at best... but figured I would try it just to hold me over for a week. Turns out they wanted $15 for a 15ml bottle of it. I left it at the store. But, as I was there I was looking at some of their mods etc... they had a clone of the iTaste VV 3.0 for $99 I just bought the itaste for my wife for $35. I now understand why so many people still haven't switched over from analogs. If the only thing they see is at B&M's like this, they will never want to buy.

Yes, their is overhead and stuff. Just like any place, some are cheaper than others. I had a fellow tell me yesterday or the day before. He's a vape shop owner. He said he in his opinion the FDA WILL regulate e-cigs and stuff, and he was kinda hoping for an online sales ban, so it would bring him more business. I hope he does not get his wish, freedom of choice is a good thing. Even though I buy alot of stuff online, I still spend the extra bucks occasionally to show my support for local vape shops and their owners who are vapers. I also go to hang out and talk and vape and try juices. If vaping is ever universally banned in public places and private establisments, vape shops and vape lounges will be one of the few places a person can go to vape and socialize with like minded individuals.

 

[ScandaLeX]

My 1st B&M purchase was out of desperation.
It was either buy a starter kit or cigarettes.
Had I purchased a kit online I would've also went to the store and purchased cigarettes while I waited for my items to be delivered.
I paid $65 for what was essentially an eGo mini.
No, I wasn't happy when I discovered I could've gotten the real thing MUCH cheaper yet I wasn't smoking either.

My 2nd B&M purchase was an impulse buy.
They so happen to have a pink eGo I thought was pretty so I bought it; but that was my choice.
Neither store had juices worth going back for unless I was completely out and I try not to be.

I think B&M stores serve a purpose but once that purpose is met there's nothing stopping me from spending my money elsewhere--I'm not obligated to the B&M store.

 

[3mg Meniere]

you can't have it both ways- cheap prices, you shop on-line. one-to -one service you pay. for awhile until they realize they are not making enough money to keep the doors open. it will be interesting to see how many b&ms open and close in the next few years. quite a many I think, unless they branch into some other goods......

A vape shop opened in this area a couple of months ago, but the lady who ran it was not very knowledgeable about vaping. I doubt it will last.

A smoke shop opened several years ago, renting use of a cig-making machine. It was very successful, but the state closed the loophole. They stayed open, however, diversifying into beer and liquor, as well as RYO tobacco products, cigars, etc. They also had some basic cigalikes, and were predictably responsive to the requests of "hardcore" vapers to diversify into eGo and clearomizers. I think this is going to be the trend. Most areas just don't have enough vapers yet.

For us, in a relatively rural area, they are definitely the go-to people in an emergency. And the prices are only a bit higher. I really get a chuckle about people who are in an absolute panic to get vaping supplies the next day, when a diversified smoke shop can serve you almost immediately.

 

[msgnyc]

I go to my local B&M only out of desperation. Only 1 in my area and they people who work there have no clue to majority of the stuff they are selling

$10/10ml ejuice, $35 1000mAh standard ego battery not even a twist, $15 Vivi Nova clones, $10 CE4 clearos, $5 replacement heads, $12 for T3 clones. $35 for a Kanger Protank..... Their prices are quite a bit much imo.

I pay/paid under $6 for 30ml Liqua juice. $22 for a 1000mAh genuine Joytech eGo twist, $5 for my Kanger T3 and $18 for my Kanger Protank II. Hell, I paid $35 for my Sigelei ZMAX V3.

 

[RaceGun59]

As hard as it might be to believe not every person has the internet so I think a good B&M is worth their weight in gold. I know of the 4 in town I use only one. We've been in enough that if there are no other customers (which is getting hard to do) in the store we banter back and forth about prices, clones, etc..etc. Yes he sells clones, but he also the originals. The clones are there for his customers that are budget minded or fixed income. Yes, there are vapers on fixed income just like when they smoked. Hell I have been there myself in years past. This shop also has my 2 all day vape juices of grape and smarties.

 

[Chablo]

As hard as it might be to believe not every person has the internet so I think a good B&M is worth their weight in gold. I know of the 4 in town I use only one. We've been in enough that if there are no other customers (which is getting hard to do) in the store we banter back and forth about prices, clones, etc..etc. Yes he sells clones, but he also the originals. The clones are there for his customers that are budget minded or fixed income. Yes, there are vapers on fixed income just like when they smoked. Hell I have been there myself in years past. This shop also has my 2 all day vape juices of grape and smarties.

True! My gf recently lost her job so I'm paying the bills and I'm always looking for that deal! I try not to go overboard because my gf will not be happy lol! But I mostly grab a tank here and there and grab some juices every two weeks.

 

[HDVaper]

A b&m is not cheap to run.. And the other shops local you can tell are only in it for the money..
They know absolutely nothing about vaping.. Those are the owners who are in my eyes the scurrilous ones..

Most of them around here are also ran by jagaloons who know NOTHING about NOTHING but want to sell you everything in the store!!!

 

[StrappedKaos]

Thank god I have Misty Mountain in Raleigh,NC.... I have no affiliation with them but I give credit where it is due! My wife got me off stinkies with another shop in town that charged 89.00 for a kgo Kit and I was ...... when I got to checking online and realized I had been had-Didn't teach her how to use and I went back to see other things before buying and ended up buying a ce4 like one week after she bought my kgo, so was not sure of pricing at that point.....
Didn't teach how to use so I flooded it and then went online and learned and just laughed about it all. One week after that I said to hell with 15-15ml juice pricing and bought 100.00 worth of diy and 50.00 worth of nicotine and never went back. Then I needed advise on a Mech. and an RBA.....FOund Misty Mountain and never looked back- Will I spend 69.99 on a KTS from them, NO. But I will buy rebuildable stuff from them because Mark actually taught me how to-s and sold me his AGA T2 at 1/3 cost as they didn't have in stock and wanted me to learn. I will buy from them because he took the time to teach and that is a god sent...I also make him batches of my custom blends free of charge for what he calls the homie hook up- he earned it and the free advertisement from me! Strapped