Squonking is Dead?

[zoiDman]

Saw a relatively new vape shop in my neighborhood and decided to check it out and give him some business. Walked in there with one of my Squonk box's and he immediately saw it and he said "I know that's a Squonk box, Squonking is dead"! I replied really, what's in fashion these days, and he replied back, tanks and drippers. I said, really? That's why he doesn't sell any squonk box. Wow, like I was in the wrong place, or felt out of place or stepped into a time capsule or something. He kept looking at my squonk box (BF Therion) like it was something from ancient times and shaking his head. He tried to sell me on some of his stuff, and I just politely said "no thanks", and walked out. Obviously, nothing for me in that store. What a turn off.

I guess I must be old fashion or just not up with the times. Nonetheless, I walked out of there feeling good. Anyone any thoughts?

Maybe it is just a Coincidence? Or some sort of Rare and Seldom seen Grand Alignment of the Planets?

But it seems like Most of the time what B&M Employees/Owners say is the Best and Hip Stuff to use is the Stuff that they have to Sell. And of that, the Stuff with the Highest Markup.

 

[SonnyCooL]

seem like squonk is dead, now i make my offer and accept all of your dead mod, bf rda at usd 2 per kg any offer ?

 

[Baditude]

I rarely go into my local vape shop, but there was a street festival going on and I decided to make a visit. There was a new salesperson working, and he immediately recognized my original Uwell Crown and said how much he loved that tank. I liked him immediately. Now that is good salesmanship.

 

[gpjoe]

Seems like most shops carry regulated mods, 18650 batteries, pods, tanks, coils, and juice. I think the majority of folks going into a B&M are newbs and it's easy to sell them a Smok mod and tank, so that is the primary and most profitable target for the business.

For me, pre-made juice, integrated battery mods, subtanks with drop-in coils are dead. Basically all the things that most B&Ms push.

 

[Rangertrix]

I'm not sure if it actually died, but a few years ago it faded way back into the shadows.
Now it's back and more popular than it ever was to start with, lol.

With B&Ms, your rebuildables and more complicated stuff require support, for a lot of buyers, that doesn't generate any capital. The plug and play, small learning curve, disposable stuff (and liquid) is where B&MS make their money.

Years ago, when I helped out a friend trying to get his shop off the ground, EGos and CE4s was where all the money was. They were cheap enough for the impulse buyers, easy to use, and had a short lifespan so people were replacing them a lot.
They've since been replaced with pods and AIO devices, but same thing occurs.

It was this way for several years to the point that it was hard to find shops with a decent selection of advanced gear, if any at all.

 

[Punk In Drublic]

Seems like most shops carry regulated mods, 18650 batteries, pods, tanks, coils, and juice. I think the majority of folks going into a B&M are newbs and it's easy to sell them a Smok mod and tank, so that is the primary and most profitable target for the business.

For me, pre-made juice, integrated battery mods, subtanks with drop-in coils are dead. Basically all the things that most B&Ms push.

But without the easy sell merchandise there may not be an industry. As a ex smoker, my first and foremost objective to quitting smoking is to find an easy and effective alternative. This is where pods, AIO and premade juice comes into play. Without that those looking to quit smoking may not take interest in the more convoluted and advanced setups. The vape industry no longer has a future for its attraction to new users is limited. Like many industries, those newbs start with the basics with many progressing to more advance setups.

 

[Jet Knight]

But without the easy sell merchandise there may not be an industry. As a ex smoker, my first and foremost objective to quitting smoking is to find an easy and effective alternative. This is where pods, AIO and premade juice comes into play. Without that those looking to quit smoking may not take interest in the more convoluted and advanced setups. The vape industry no longer has a future for its attraction to new users is limited. Like many industries, those newbs start with the basics with many progressing to more advance setups.

I agree. Most newbees to vaping and those who are interested in quitting analogs usually want something quick and easy. I felt the same way when I started. Building coils, squonking, RDA/RTA's etc. where all terms to me that sounded difficult to understand and complicated especially for someone who has less than perfect eyesight. Also, few are inclined to spend +70$ and more for mods/supplies/batteries, and E-juice as an initial expense when they can get a pack of analogs for far less. I would have liked it if he had some mods/supplies for the intermediate/advance users. Unfortunately, his initial comments to me that "squonking is dead", and eyeing me that I don't know how to vape or using old outdated equipment was not acceptable. Furthermore, trying to sell me on his cheap (overpriced), and unsafe stuff was not called for.
I just believe that if you own and start up a business, you should know something about the industry/products that you sell. Definitely, would not belittle any interested potential customer that comes to your store.

 

[Asbestos4004]

But without the easy sell merchandise there may not be an industry. As a ex smoker, my first and foremost objective to quitting smoking is to find an easy and effective alternative. This is where pods, AIO and premade juice comes into play. Without that those looking to quit smoking may not take interest in the more convoluted and advanced setups. The vape industry no longer has a future for its attraction to new users is limited. Like many industries, those newbs start with the basics with many progressing to more advance setups.

I agree...to an extent. There's a big difference between having starter set ups available to smokers looking to quit and knocking equipment used by people who've obviously been vaping for awhile. Seems like if you work in a store that revolves around vaping, you'd know the difference.

 

[Punk In Drublic]

I agree...to an extent. There's a big difference between having starter set ups available to smokers looking to quit and knocking equipment used by people who've obviously been vaping for awhile. Seems like if you work in a store that revolves around vaping, you'd know the difference.

Fully agree as I pointed out earlier the store in question was out of line – even if there is fact to squonking becoming a dying genre you do not discredit a potential customer by frowning upon what they own or use. That’s just proper business etiquette regardless of the market you are trying to cater to!

The above comment was just to outline the importance of the more basic equipment and how it can become a feeder system to something much more advanced.

 

[Rangertrix]

I agree...to an extent. There's a big difference between having starter set ups available to smokers looking to quit and knocking equipment used by people who've obviously been vaping for awhile. Seems like if you work in a store that revolves around vaping, you'd know the difference.

The fact that there is so much misinformation in the industry coupled with the fact that your average B&M isn't going to pay enough for committed employees who truly have a desire to help and educate themselves.
That's why when you do find a great B&M, it's very satisfying.
A lot of B&M employee's knowledge doesn't extend any further than what's in their store and what they've been told in said store.
Often times, it's like going to McDonald's and asking the employees about the finer points of classical French cooking.

 

[Old Greybeard]

You've also got the problems of ongoing regulation/perception. Hardcore vaping (certainly as far as the media is concerned) is seen as a bit edgy and underground. The fact that I couldn't buy any nicotine eliquid off the shelf from my local store is a case in point. Their workaround was to sell me the juice plus a 10ml bottle of nicotine which I had to mix myself in front of them. I can do that in the comfort of my own home at a fifth of the cost just for the nicotine alone.

I doubt if I will be visiting any B&M store for a while. With resources like ECF, it is pretty pointless really unless you need something in an emergency.

 

[cliffy15]

I have a couple of issues with B&Ms.

First, most here seem like club/frat-houses for young kids. These are jobs for them, not careers, so excellent customer service and salesmanship is difficult to find unless you're speaking to the owner of the shop - even then it can be rough. This generally isn't an issue for me, though, since I generally know specifically what I'm looking for. I don't need anyone to sell me on any product unless I'm asking for a personal preference between brands, devices, etc.

Second, if I had to guess I'd say most people who shop at B&Ms are beginning, to intermediate, vapers. I don't say that to be mean but I'm pretty sure most don't care to know much about Ohm's Law, rebuilding, or DIY. As such the products they carry need to be readily available (mass-produced, generally), fairly low-to-intermediate cost, and consist mostly of consumables (replaceable coils/pods, and e-liquid). If you spend any amount of time researching, and browsing, forums like these you're probably part of the less than 10% of the vaping community and probably don't spend much time in B&Ms anyway.

There are lots of shops, here, but I tend to avoid all but the most commercial of them. There's even one with a significant, and popular, online presence but I rarely even go there unless I need some supplies right away or in the rare instance that they have a mod/atty I want to try (but then I check that online).

 

[gpjoe]

But without the easy sell merchandise there may not be an industry. As a ex smoker, my first and foremost objective to quitting smoking is to find an easy and effective alternative. This is where pods, AIO and premade juice comes into play. Without that those looking to quit smoking may not take interest in the more convoluted and advanced setups. The vape industry no longer has a future for its attraction to new users is limited. Like many industries, those newbs start with the basics with many progressing to more advance setups.

Just pointing out that they don't cater to experienced vapers, nothing more.

I found out very quickly, early in my vaping journey, that almost all of the stuff I wanted was only available on-line. Got vaping wire? Nope. How about a Provari? Nope. Any Hexohms? Nah. How bout a squonk mod? Dead. Do you sell any authentic RDAs? No. Surely you have 20700 batteries? Um...

Some of that has changed at a couple stores near me, but mostly still true.

 

[gpjoe]

And when I still bought juice:

They have 500 different juices in stock, but not the ONE that I want. It's been out for six months and considered "old".

 

[Punk In Drublic]

@gpjoe - Lets be honest a Provari is a pretty unique item – you can’t fault your local vape shop for not carrying it just as I can’t fault Bob’s Audio for not carrying a ClearAudio Master turntable (a Clearaudio Master turntable costs $30k US). There is a high risk on stocking such items. With a market that is dictated by constant change and trends, if high end(ish) items such as the Provari doesn’t sell within a few months it probably won’t sell at all thus costing the retailer instead of generating a profit. I live in the 4th largest city in NA – I can spit in any direction from my front door and hit one of over a dozen vape shops just to give you an idea at how popular vaping is in Toronto. I have lost count at how many old, antiquated high end devices are sitting on shelves collecting dust costing the retailer money because they don’t sell.

None the less, my comment was not about whether your local B&M should carry unique items or not. It was toward your comment that anything that doesn’t cater to your needs is dead. Without high turnover items such as AIO, pods and premade juice there will be no vape industry for even online retailers cannot survive on unique items alone. It’s simple economics.

There is also a catch 22 to this. The more we as consumers shop online the less our local retailers will cater to us. Personally I prefer to shop at B&M, even if it is for the smallest of items. I support my local economy and would much rather a vape shop that sold only AIO devices in my community than another Starbucks or whatever the latest burrito chain is.

 

[Clark Kent]

In my first year or two vape shops helped me to get away from the average gas station cigalike, they also took much of my money for gear, At that time it was some-what high tech, mvp, protanks and evics, and of course some of the juice they had to offer (Not near as good as what I make myself now) I do have to say they got me moving and off the cigs, Now, if I decide to visit shops they are asking me how I like what I am using, and yes, it usually a sqounker, a DNA or both, but like many have said, drop in coils, Smok mods, cheap juice, is their bread and butter, There are many here, most I would not waste my energy going into, but a few that are pretty good at stocking decent stuff and actually teach newer users about advocacy and battery safety, for that I would spend a little more for the overhead and hope they prosper,and might spend the extra few dollars for a rda or rta if I wanted it that bad, and did not already have it 6 months ago. After the last few years the only things that get me are truly innovative, or too cheap to pass up. Like the Smok mods for $19.00 that's still selling in the store for $99.00. In conclusion most of it is mass produced Chinese garbage that will be 80% cheaper if you wait a few months. All that is important is that your set up is doing what is intended, and for me that means not smoking.

 

[MrFawkes]

If squonking is dead then I'm a necromancer.
As far as I'm concerned it's the RTA that's dead.
I'm sure the idiot was just jealous.

 

[Bigbob2322]

You know squonking is dead, no mention of it at all in the forums.

 

[gpjoe]

@gpjoe

None the less, my comment was not about whether your local B&M should carry unique items or not. It was toward your comment that anything that doesn’t cater to your needs is dead.

I said dead "For me..."

 

[BillW50]

They are salesmen, they are there for one reason and one reason only. That is to do or say whatever they can to get money from your pocket into their registers. Just keep that in mind whenever you walk into shop (that really goes for any shop, not just vaping). There are some exceptions to the rule and a few shops will just be there to truly be helpful. But the problem is that money keeps the doors open, not helpfulness.

How are they going to make money if they are not helpful? As if they are not, I just leave with my money.