Local Vape Shop Prices Out of Control

[Jazzman]

I just don't get it. Most of my local vape shop prices are just absurd, to the point I can't support them even though I'd like to. Just today I went into a vape shop in my city and saw a Recurve rda I'd like to try and they quoted me 49.95 for the rda. What??? I don't blame B&Ms for higher prices than online shops and I'm OK with that to a point. But it finally reaches a price level that I consider gouging and I just can't support them to that degree.

Even directly from Wotofo, the manufacturer of the Recurve, they have a price of 29.99. I consider that to be the full retail price even though the usual online shops go anywhere from 19.99 to 24.99 (and these are US vendors, not FT). So while I'm more than willing to support my local shops up to full retail price, adding another 60% over full retail is just a bit much. This same shop charges 60.00 for a Nord kit and most of their products follow suit.

Look, I know B&Ms have a higher overhead both for the facility and employees, but it does reach a point of being unreasonable where I feel like I'm driven to online purchases which doesn't help the vape shop or the local economy.

Probably the worst part is that after I visit a shop 2 or 3 times with the same results I feel bad for not supporting them and as a result I just don't go there anymore. So while I believe the shop owners have every right to charge whatever they want, I know there are others that feel the same way and don't go to these shops any more either. That can't be good for business in the long run.

I have 4 vape shops within 10 miles that do this very same thing, and 1 shop (the good one) that charges full list for every thing. I'm OK with that and buy there frequently, even though I know I can get the same items cheaper online. They also have the biggest and nicest shop with the most employees and have been there the longest. They have a very loyal client base.

It's not my place to tell them how to run their business, and I don't, I just tell them I'll think about it and don't go back. Just wondering if others feel the same about their local shops.

 

[Baditude]

"No one tell the original poster what the markup on e-liquid is."

I rarely purchase from vape shops any more, and I used to work for one. No reason to spend double for something that you can get for far less online, unless you just can't wait a few days for postal delivery.

However, shops have their place.

• A "good shop" can help a novice get started with the right gear, explain and demonstrate how to properly operate their setup, and offer trouble-shooting tips should they occur.
• Allow a customer to see and hold "in the flesh" a prospective item prior to purchase instead of relying on a photo or video. Size, shape, and weight can play a large part in overall satisfaction of an item.
• Many vape shops have a flavors testing station or flavor sample bar. You can taste what a flavor tastes like prior to purchasing it.

If you've never owned or operated a business before, you have no idea of the hidden costs the owner or manager incurs just to stay in business.

 

[Eskie]

You're lucky to have that one shop near you that only charged list. Most have very high markups. And yes, it eventually erodes the business until it's no longer sustainable. But that's a problem for B&M stores in general thanks to online competition. The one appeal will be to the first time buyer who will have lots of questions and need guidance on their first purchase. Provided they get good information and service it may well be worth it to them. But even that group will eventually grow out of the in store experience.

 

[Electrodave]

As someone who can't drive, and who has trouble getting around in any case, online ordering has been a lifesaver for me. I can't drive around looking for the best deals, etc, on anything, not just vape equipment. I even have my groceries delivered.

Ironically, while I can get pretty much anything I need for vaping delivered to my door, it's illegal to have cigarettes delivered.

Another thing to remember is, most of the sellers on eBay (and many of those on Amazon), are small businesses that don't have the capital to open a b&m. For them, online selling is the only option. I buy my batteries from a guy in a neighboring state that has a very small operation, indeed.

I know that I wouldn't be able to have a store at all, if not for my website and my shop on Reverb. I probably would never have sold any more guitars than that first custom order. Online, I've sold over a hundred.

electrostring.com

Remember when you buy online that the sellers range from guys like me to Wal Mart.

 

[Eskie]

And if your local B&M vape shop is not there, then another McBurger Kingbucks is just going to take its place. I enjoy a little diversity in my community.

Being in Canada it is difficult for me to correlate. Once currency is converted, shipping tacked on, in most cases it is cheaper for me to shop locally. Even from within the city where high real-estate prices drives retail cost.

Around me in NY hardware is roughly double or a tad more in a store than online. Commercial juice is within a few dollars, sometimes cheaper on sale. If I need a single bottle they stock, even with sales tax it's cheaper when you factor in the shipping costs you'd otherwise spend. But buying several bottles, some of which may not be stocked, ends up better online even with shipping figured in.

But paying $5 for a single drop in coil only makes sense hen you didn't realize you were out and can't wait on delivery. Even then if it's anything other than Smok or maybe a few other big hitters, they won't stock it in the first place.

 

[MacTechVpr]

I’ve been attempting to train my local vape shop. It’s working sort of. I got them to start checking their batteries for counterfeits. I have hopes.

Wish ya luck. From the outset too great a proportion of so called vape shops have had a consumables mentality…take the profit while you can. An expectation that there'll always be the next "buyer" and the delusion of a never ending expanse of new offerings. Then again I've encountered some fine resellers across the country. They are becoming rare.

The hope for our (domestic) vape industry I still believe has always been the original vape/juice bar model with one distinct expectation…that owner/operators promote user knowledge in open systems and the expertise of those preferring to rebuild. I'm sad to say that's not an opinion that's been broadly shared within the retail trade. Increasingly less so today with a philosophical return now to simplistic earlier base technologies.

The FDA has targeted the first and the trade has been largely indifferent to the latter.

Again, good luck.

 

[TrollDragon]

Customer1: "I'm having a problem with the vape setup I bought."
Me: "Did you buy that here? Let me look up the sale in the system."
Customer1: "No, I bought someplace else."
Me: "Have you tried contacting the place you bought it?"
Customer1: I actually bought it out of China, saved a bunch of money. I thought that since you are a vape shop that carries this product, you could help me."
Customer2: (Watching from the counter) "I had the exact same problem last week and the store here replaced the tank for me, some of the first batch came from the factory with bad threads."
Customer1: "Oh, did you buy yours from China too?"
Customer2: "No, I bought it here."
Me: "Sounds like you need to open a ticket at that place in China and see if they will replace it for you. I can sell you a new tank if you like."
Customer1: (Grumbles something and leaves...)

 

[RayofLight62]

I was very young when, having the necessity to repair some plumbing, I entered the hardware store and the sales clerk was telling me of all the parts I required for the repair, how to remove the old stuff, and how to install the new components, where put gaskets and sealants, etc.

In the end, that explanations were of outstanding value for me, that I didn't check the prices of what he sold me, and left the shop with great gratitude to him.

Today there are no more hardware store with sales clerk going around; and today, if I talk to any staff member, they don't have a clue about what the shop is selling.

The vape shops do capitalise on the huge variety of devices, and the dizzying speed of their turnover on the market.

I remember at very beginning, when I found a vape setup that worked for me, I were feeling lost as the item was sold out and I had to choose something different.

Vaping evolved into an hobby and I went to acquire a generalised knowledge of the matter, but the majority of vapers remains in that more natural state of knowing only what they use: as things stand, vape shops have a place for a long time.

Last time I entered the local vape shop, the first two persons ahead in the queue, were asking the shop clerk to replace the coil in their vape device.

From the familiarity they had shown with the guy, it was evident that they did it regularly.

I mean, it is very important function the shop has as a whole to the community. Myself, and most of us on these fora, are more of an exception, rather then the rule.

 

[smoked25years]

A lot of brick and mortar stores are having a difficult time staying in business. Not just vape shops.

 

[DeloresRose]

I’ve worked a lot of retail. In order to keep the lights on, they must sell at nearly 100% mark up.

Unless they can source products at very good wholesale prices, which requires moving a lot of stock quickly in most cases, they’re stuck paying retail themselves.

I’m not sure how vape companies do wholesale- do many even offer it? What are their prices and buying tiers?

 

[gpjoe]

I'm guessing that their (most B&M shops) main source of income is from juice sales. The equipment is secondary, at least intended mainly for the new vapers. Most seasoned users are already buying most of their stuff on-line, though I will admit that much of the clearance stuff at one of my local shops is very inexpensive - I bought a brand new Hexohm on sale for 95 bucks, which is half of retail.

 

[DeloresRose]

I'm guessing that their (most B&M shops) main source of income is from juice sales. The equipment is secondary, at least intended mainly for the new vapers. Most seasoned users are already buying most of their stuff on-line, though I will admit that much of the clearance stuff at one of my local shops is very inexpensive - I bought a brand new Hexohm on sale for 95 bucks, which is half of retail.

And if I were going to open a shop, that’s how I’d run it. Juice and starter kits and pods for profit, a few mid range, mid to advanced things to round it out.

I would still visit the two that helped me get started if they were still around. They lost the business in a divorce. But their staffs were really super. The only one around here now, that guy doesn’t know beans. And he’s kind of a jerk.

 

[GOMuniEsq]

Devil's Advocate:

Karen buys a Voopoo Panda from an online store and discovers that it leaked in her purse and made a huge mess. She realizes that it's a hassle to get a shipping label to return it, so she throws it in the garbage and orders something else.

Karen buys the same leaky Panda from a brick & mortar store and she's there the next day demanding a return. The store issues a credit for the hardware in good faith then attempts to RMA it. Voopoo doesn't cover leaks so the store eats the loss. Store owner eventually realizes that selling hardware is a net loss and raises prices accordingly.

Store owner realizes that clawing for a 5% margin in the hardware market is pointless when he can earn 100% - 1000% margins on repeat e.liquid business with no returns to worry about.

 

[gpjoe]

However, shops have their place.

• Can help a novice get started with the right gear, explain and demonstrate how to properly operate their setup, offer trouble-shooting tips.
• Allow a customer to see and hold "in the flesh" a prospective item prior to purchase. Size, shape, and weight can play a large part in overall satisfaction of an item.
• Many vape shops have a flavors testing station or flavor sample bar. You can taste what a flavor tastes like prior to purchasing it.

Being retired now I have to be a bit more careful when spending my money but when I was working I would gladly buy something from my trusted B&M for a few bucks more, just to do my part to keep them in the neighborhood. Can't see/touch/taste if they go out of business and there are good people at this shop.

I still go to the same shop to buy some of my high strength nic-salts.

 

[rosesense]

In over 9 years of vaping, I have never bought from a b&m. I went into one or two in the early days and was not impressed with the young know-it-alls working there or their selection/prices. I don't feel bad about it, either. I have had friends who won't shop online so they go to the local stores. I figure it evens out and many of the shops sell online as well so they have the best of both worlds.

 

[Ruben41771]

Weird that over seas the prices is so much more in the local b&m stores, in south africa we have 2 vape shops in the mall and the juice is the same price as online, only thing is its 2 small kiosk so a very small selection but if i am out of juice i can buy from them IF they have what i smoke ( they are in a mall so no tasters ), their hardware is about 10$ more expensive than online.
I usually just buy online for a better selection.
And nic strength cost the same from 0mg to 18mg ..
And funny enough it's more expensive to vape than to smoke in South Africa, a packet of marlboro cost R40, in today's exchange rate that is about 3 usd where a 60ml cost R250 that is about 18 usd ...
With that said whe have tobacco farms in the north and also zimbabwe and mosambiek that are right next to us ...
Cheaper to smoke this side than vape but can you really put a price on your health, i couldn't

 

[MacTechVpr]

Another thing I find odd is the B&M vape shops that that also have an online presence that charge significantly more for items at their shop than they do for the same item online. And these are not drop shipped items, they ship out of the same facility. So when I see a price on an item online and they just happen to be close to me and I decide to drop by to see the item I find they want to charge me 20% higher for the in-store purchase. Since they didn't have the lowest price online and they are wanting me to order online to get their best price, I generally go to someplace else online to get a better price and the original shop lost the sale. And that better online price is usually from an online only store with a smaller overhead, so their prices are generally lower, but if the B&M shop is competing in that market space (and there pricing structure of shop vs. online makes online a better choice) then that is the risk they decided to take.

The good news for me is I got to see the item at their shop. The bad news for them is they didn't get the sale. They have a right to run their business anyway they like, and I'm OK with that, but at some point it becomes counter productive to the business.

With ejuice and coils this is not so much of an issue for B&Ms since customers need these consumables to continue vaping. Customers will pay high prices for these items if they are out or low on either, and ejuice and coils are the bread and butter of any vape shop since that is the basis of repeat sales with high profit margins that the business needs for future viability. But the hardware sales are an important adjunct to this in that many vapers make impulse purchases of hardware while they are there unless the shop is a little too aggressive on their higher pricing. What vaper can resist the shiny new thing in the showcase if the shop "guru" says it's awesome and it comes in various colors? As long as the price is reasonable enough for an impulse purchase.

I'd rather see 10's of thousands of 'em selling authentic and new production rather than mail order. The fact that one can inspect or even sample the performance, quality, fit or compatibility to other gear is well worth the price differentials. Can't help but wonder whether we'd have seen the intrusive assault on us as consumers by gov had B&M's flourished and proliferated with our greater and determined support. The box house internet model has served the industry well but at what sacrifice to sustainability and to us. Sometimes the bill comes due for the intangible.

Good luck.

 

[Zaryk]

I only have one decent shop near me, out of the three around here.

One really pushes a poor quality rewrap 18650 battery and believes the claims on the wrap that states it is a 40-60 amp battery, and even sells new (to mech) vapers a mech mod and these batteries and tells them it is perfectly safe to build .08 ohm builds on them with this battery. After he got very mad for me pointing out it was a rewraped 15A battery (with proof) and called me a liar and a few other choice words, I never went back.

The next shop has some pretty cool employees, but they only carry drop in coil tanks, a few main stream regulated mods, pods, drop in coils, and a couple dual coil RDAs (all at a very high mark up). Since I'm a single battery mech squonk user with single coil RDAs, they dont have anything to offer me. I keep going back every few months to see if they have anything that would interest me, and to buy my empty 120ml juice bottles for my DIY juices (they sell them for the same price as online, so it just makes sense to buy them in person).

The last one was my favorite for a long time. They are small and have good prices. I would buy from them quite often when they had their used mod section. They had some pretty awesome mods, sometimes even pretty rare ones too, for very cheap (about 1/4 of the price of the new counterparts). They would let you trade in old gear for credit on new stuff, which was cool. I have bought out their whole used case a couple times (mostly rare or expensive mechs) and resell them on eBay making a decent profit. Now that they are no longer allowed to sell used gear, they dont carry much hardware at all and basically stay open on their juice sales.

 

[Falconeer]

Aye weel and mebbes , but aye in my mind is that in my town there are two Vape Shops and the Local Chemist that sells good stuff; I'm well aware that I can get things from the very Far East at El Cheapo prices ... but I'm also aware that the twice I bought atties locally with a fault and took them back they were replaced without question and each time a free packet of coils was thrown in for my inconvenience.... sometimes "use 'em or lose 'em applies" and I like to know that if my kit dies I can walk down the street and get something that'll keep me going ... just sayin'

 

[United States]

I am curious who dictates these juice prices. Here in the Great White North we have our cheaper house brands sold out of B&M’s, and budget juice from online sources only. But the commercial juice is all priced very similar and only a small percent difference between our retailers. You would think with such a high markup would allow flexibility in undercutting your competition.

Often times there are gentlemen's agreements you the business owner agree to go by before product makers will supply your business. No price under cutting would be one of them.

I owned a bicycle shop at one point and my suppliers made me sign agreements to charge retail. We all stayed within a buck or two of retail prices.