HELP Us Create Our Store

[Hondo69]

We decided a few months back to create a physical store in Austin, TX and have been busy testing products, accessories and eliquids. It's a long process.

And right now it's a toss up between a bricks and mortar store or a mobile vending trailer, very popular around these parts. But the real battle has been selecting the products that offer the best bang for the buck while keeping the choices relatively simple for our customers. We're focused on:

• A MINI line with choices for cartos and accessories
• A FAT BAT line like the Riva, EGO or EPower with all the extras and parts
• A mod line we're going to call XT9, most likely a wooden product
• An eliquid line, lot of good suppliers here
• Offering very fair prices

It's so easy for newbies to get confused with all the choices that we want to simplify and simplify some more. While we'll eventually offer parts for many product types, we want the basics to remain easy for all. And after talking to lots of people and reading zillions of posts it's still hard to find a consensus that will narrow the field.

That's why we're turning to the hundreds of pros on this site. Please nudge us along so we can get this puppy off the ground. We'd love any suggestions.

 

[Shannon65]

You should probably offer a quality but inexpensive disposable option as well, because if you have a physical location you will have a lot of curious people coming in to ask questions. People are pretty hesitant to invest in a kit before trying it out first. I wish I had the money to set up shop where I am because I know exactly what I would do! I'd have a small internet cafe/lounge set up where customers could sit and have a cup of coffee, read the paper or a magazine, vape to their heart's content. I would also have test batteries with cheap disposable tips to replicate each model and have a sample bottle of each liquid so people could test out the various models and juices to help find the perfect match.

Anyhow...that's how I would go about it...making sure to focus on letting people test and try things because that would make for new and loyal vapers.

Oh...and for the smaller models...I would suggest a 510 AND a KR808D-1, because some people who like smaller models prefer a 3pc and some prefer a 2pc. The new KR808D-1 is really fantastic, too. I'd also offer US made liquids...a variety. I'd definitely include Halo e-liquids because they are really unique and high quality...trying to get a local store here to carry them.

 

[seanmc]

510 mini kit, Ego type fat batt kit and the E-Power mod...keep it simple! Cartos and attys will all be interchangable (and dirt cheap), so all they have to do is step up the battery size for longer vaping. A cart would be less overhead, so you would initially be able to maximize profits. Later on down the road you can keep the cart as well as open a storefront.

Sent using Tapatalk via Android

 

[Hondo69]

Hey Shannon65,

Good idea on the disposables. We've never really considered those before for some reason, but they sure would be a cheap entry into the experience for the curious.

I've been testing various cartos & atty's and trying to find the best combination with certain batteries. Really having trouble coming with a 510 atty that doesn't leave a burnt taste after a few puffs, especially with a tank setup. I think I need a better match of battery mAh and low resistance atty.

And yes, samples for testing will be important. That's one of my departments. My hope is to come up with "parts" for each category so customers can mix and match. So if they're looking at a mimi, for example, have the standard carto, then they can try a Boge, then another too. I know it's fun for me when I try the different combinations and I know customers would like it too.

Have to put a pencil to the internet cafe idea. I think it would be great and surely not that expensive to add to the store. Thank you for your tips, they are greatly appreciated.

 

[TMellow]

Perhaps you could also have a setup for people to try. Just have some disposable tips and some cartos with various juices and put them on a PV just so they have an idea of what it is like before having to spend money.

 

[Hondo69]

Howdy Seanmc - would really love to keep everything 510. So easy to mix and match.

The best mini I've found so far is a KD808-1 setup, which throw a wrench into the plan. Think I need a good 510 mini instead.

It would be so great to make it all 510, then offer various cartos, atty and even tanks for customers to try. They could make their selection then put it all in a handy carry case. Just need to make sure I have a good match of battery mAh and tip.

 

[TMellow]

I hear the volt is a great starter 510

 

[Hondo69]

Hey TM,

Thanks for the tip. I've heard of it but haven't checked it out yet.

But I sure will now.

Thank you

 

[Shannon65]

Hondo69...I'm not all that informed about atomizers other than I am really good at burning them up at warp speed, lol. That's why I switched to the G6 (next gen KR808D-1) by Halo. It's a 2piece and I really love it. The cartos they use are great too...soft rubber removable tip that is tapered downward in a "drip tip" design to avoid leaking. They don't burn, either. If you go with a KR808D-1 model (which you should, they are awesome, lol) then you should definitely try to find a wholesale supplier for those cartos. They also have a new charger out that charges two batteries at once and hold 6 cartomizers. Some have plastic clear covers but others have either black or red leather. They are really nice and if you are going to offer KR808D-1s with a PCC that is the nicest one out there. Fairly new on the market for the 510 is a cigarette case sized PCC with a built in MP3 player...very cool. South Korea has also gotten into the e-cig manufacturing business. There is an eGo (or similar) called the Ramiya that has an LCD display that lets you know how much power is left in your battery as well as a "puff counter." Another very cool new offering.

Can you tell that I have put thought into what I would do if I could open a store? lol Those are the main three models I would offer. You could actually even eventually develop your own juices since you can buy all the supplies to do so.

 

[Shannon65]

I hear the volt is a great starter 510

The Volt is very popular, it's a KR808D-1, though.

 

[Hondo69]

Thanks for the great ideas everyone.

I really love the KR808D-1 we offer now, long battery life, good cartos, etc. But I just now checked out those G6 cartos (thanks Shannon65) on Halo's site and looks like they have lots of promise. For the price, they better rock.

Right now I can get the clear plastic PCC and have tested a few. They are super nice but I think my supplier has them priced a bit high. Working on that. I want to offer the fairest prices I can so need to do some nudging on my supplier.

Shannon65 - sounds like all you need is a major cash infusion and you'll be open for business too!

 

[Shannon65]

Doesn't the new iGo batteries fit the KR808D-1 cartomizers? Although the 510 is the most common mini it's honestly nowhere near as good as the 808s. It's a tough call because on one hand you want compatibility, but on the other hand you want to offer the best quality.

lol...yeah...the cash is the only thing holding me back, lol. I like this thread...I can kinda live vicariously through you, hahaha. The G6 cartomizers are really good. I am the Queen of burning filler and trashing attys...it's really BAD, lol. I haven't burnt a single one of those G6 cartos. I got my kit on the 23rd of last month and it came with 5 pre-filled Malibu cartos and two blanks. I still have 6 surviving cartos. The one that went bad didn't burn...I somehow managed to snag a piece of the filler and half pulled it out and made a hot mess of it trying to put it back in, lol. It says a lot if I can't burn the filler and atty out of these cartos. To switch up juice flavors I just soak them out with hot water, rinse really good, blow them out and let them dry out a bit and re-use. They hold up really well. I love that little plastic case, too. I am trying some from elitevaporworks that LOOK the same, but I don't have them yet to verify that.

 

[toto1013]

If I was going to have a physical address, I too would set up where equipment/supplies could be tested. There is a definite learning curve, and this would also give a chance to educate. There is so much more involved in vaping than smoking. Unless people have been to a forum such as ecf or have friends already vaping, they are unaware of all the nuances to vaping. Even then they may miss specifics such as how to inhale, etc.

Like you I would start with the 510 line as the threading seems to be more versatile yet at this point in time. When it comes to a consensus on one particular battery, atomizer, cartomizer, etc, that is hard to narrow down because there are people that want cartridges, others want cartomizers, clearomizers, tanks, warm vape, cool vape, etc. I personally like dripping.

I do think that the mobile trailer sounds interesting where you could hit up fairs, events, etc. I had not heard of an e-cig until last summer after them having been around for sometime. I am sure there are people yet that have never head of them that would be curious and inquire about them if the opportunity presented itself.

Good luck with your endeavor.......

 

[Jaybo272]

How about selling a cheap manual and one carto that you load up for them with their flavor of choice for a price like $1O. for them to try and then they can return it for a credit of like $5 towards purchase of an actual starter kit. reuse the Battery and they keep the carto. Could even probaly get some kind of compnay logo on the battery.

 

[lasttango]

Back in the 90's I used to help people build coffee and Espresso Bars... one of my most successful clients was a struggling record/cd shop... he introduced coffee and internet and within the year saved his business and opened 4 other locations. Profit from coffee is unreal if you do it right.

You might want to put some thought to that... coffee or another tried and true successful product will bring in a lot of people that might not normally walk through your doors... they smoke or know smokers... and it gives you some cash flow security while you get the vaping going.

 

[Hondo69]

Wow, a ton of great ideas. Big thanks to everyone.

VOLT - tried to find some data on this item, it looks like it might have a 510 threading from the pics. But then I found a few reviews and they mentioned it is comparable to "other KR808" kits. So I'll need to dig deeper into the Volt for real answers.

COFFEE/INTERNET CAFE - Emailed a buddy on this one who knows about coffee brands, equipment, etc. Said he'll call me later with all the poop but in short sounds very doable from his notes.

IGO - Another puzzle about threading. Looks like 510 compatible but need the hard data so I contacted the manufacturer to see what the real story is on this one. Does look promising though, the batter comes in 3 lengths at 3 different mAh, just don't know the operation voltage.

We'll keep plugging away until we get the kinks worked out. Thanks again everyone.

So let's see, if we can get a few thousand people to all send Shannon65 a dollar, her store could be open in no time.

 

[TMellow]

The volt comes in a choice of 510 or 808 from what I've read. But I could be wrong.

 

[Jaybo272]

We could all send her $10 and it comes with a life time 10% discount.

 

[LadyWeeps]

I'm so jealous of you. Like Shannon, I have thought about opening up a small, lounge-y like place where people can hangout and vape, try new stuff, etc. Also, don't forget to stock colors! Black and silver are nice, but they don't catch my eye like a deep rich purple or blue does.

 

[Hondo69]

I've been following up on Jaybo's suggestion for a good sample battery and carto for about $10. We might just have a winner there as I found a good combination we've already tested. Seems like a good way to introduce newbies as you could also offer additional cartos in any flavor they want to try, and it would all be cheap.

If we go the mobile route with a trailer to move from place to place we'll need to keep the eliquids cool, so that's a big consideration.

Still trying to pin down the Volt. Don't know why it's so hard to get fitting type, battery capacity and voltage on these different models but it sure is. Think I'll have to start a spreadsheet and just start plugging in numbers where I find them. Sure does gobble up a lot of time. Think I better add a column for colors too as suggested. That's one thing I never think about bit it's really important too.

Again, thanks to all for the comments. You just don't know how much it helps.